By CHELSEY SELLARS

It is easy to point out the flaws in current media when there are women in bikinis eating burgers seductively.

But what if we spoke up? What if women (and men) would stop accepting these images to get better, more realistic content? One company has already imposed this idea. In 2004, Dove launched Campaign for Real Beauty to “provoke discussion and encourage debate.” Its first ad revealed women that were not frosted by makeup or stick thin; they represented a different definition of beauty.

 From then on, Dove has repeatedly produced ads such as this to continue to diminish the falsehood of beauty the media has engraved in us.

Speaking as a journalist, I know the power that can come from my words. I am aware of my ability to influence the minds of the public. However, as a consumer, I also have power. I have the capability to tell the media that their gender stereotypes are just no good.

Media have the power to mold us. Advertisers and producers will only feed us the content they know we will consume. As the audience, we can control this harsh media diet. If we stop accepting these false images of beauty and concepts of perfection, the media will have to get creative. If we demand for natural beauty, pro-feminism, and equality then we may finally start to receive it.