Topics to cover
* I want to start out with making some quotes and just get the readers attention. Then, I want to progress throughout the timeline of a female's life. I want to talk about how body image starts from an early age, who and what affects that image, then how it changes as we grow up.  I want to incorporate how the beauty industry, peers, role models, and those who are in authority (i.e. teachers, parents, principals) make a huge impact on this.

I. Introduction
   i. Start out with some quotes "Oh does my butt look fat in this?", "Can I lose weight on this program . . . ", etc.
II. Talk about how body image forms and starts from an early age---incorporate negativity throughout this (i.e. how girls in the Western world, especially America tend to struggle with being satisfied with their bodies)
   i. CHILDHOOD
        a. The woman around you during childhood is what really helps to shape it--i.e. role models.
        b. what girls wear in school could have an effect on it---perhaps talk about dress codes and how  
            they are good and bad.
        c. Should we try to keep girls sheltered from the media as long as we can so they can be kids? (My
            mom did and it made me not get into make up and care about how I look until later on.)
   iii. Progression into PRETEEN YEARS
        a. Start using make-up---not good enough to just "wear" your own face everyday.
              1. With the start of make up, girls start to look at ads, read magazines like Cosmogirl, and pay
                  attention to their clothing.
              2. Typically, this is the first time in their life they look at the mirror and think, "wow, I don't
                   look good enough."
              3. Never enough to just put a little bit of make up on--have to look like a movie star
              4. First thing a female does in the morning is look in the mirror to see how she looks and if she
                  needs to lose weight.
        b. Puberty
             1. Starting to become attracted to either the opposite or same sex---the onset of puberty plays a

                 huge role in why females start caring about the way they look---they just want to impress  

                 that boy, or look better than this one girl . . .

             2. Having sexual feelings for someone causes females to try to appear "sexy" and "hot" from 

                 an early age.

                     i. This is further emphasized by the media and how there's a constant obsession with sex.

   iv.  TEENAGE YEARS

         a. Competition with other girls

               1. always wanting to be the best looking. Not enough to be beautiful--have to be the most 

                  beautiful in America like a movie star.

        b. Obsession with weight

                1. Told that you're only worth looking at if you have a certain physique 

                2. This is the most thought about as a teen--am I skinny enough?

        c. Media

                1. Females watching shows like MTV where girls wear very little and are provocative

                2. Ads 

                3. Movies

                4. Movie stars and what they're wearing

         d. Affect of college girls

                1. Females tend to look at girls just a few years older than them rather than their mothers for 

                    how to look.

         e. Psychological effects of body image

                1. depression can set in with dissatisfaction of body image

                2. obsession of how you look

         f. Eating disorders develop

         g. Obsession with working out

    v. Early 20s

          a. This is the last time you're going to have this great body this easily. Supposed to be the best 

              time of your life.

          b. Alcohol and how it affects the body as well as body image

          c. Looking good in the job

          d. Wanting to have a good "look" to attract a mate for life.

          e. College years---sluttier than work force years

    vi. Adulthood

            a. How you look in the mirror every day

            b. Always on a diet--more than half the women in the US are said to be on a diet every day. 

            c. How their actions affect those younger than them.

VII. Conclusion

        a. Recap on body image developing from an early age

        b. psychological affects of a bad body image

       

Some interesting things to fit in:

1. Zooey Deschanel's post about thinspiration and how she'll never buy into it 
1. Link : http://hellogiggles.com/the-fat-shaming-of-kate-upton-or-why-ill-never-buy-the-difference-between-thinspiration-and-pro-ana-websites
2. Dove ads
1. the campaign for real beauty link: http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx
3. Body Rock giving women a good image on a healthy body.
1. Link: http://www.bodyrock.tv/
4. How insurance companies emphasize BMI in certain states
5. affect of diet in America
6. Stars like Kate Beckinsale, Kierra Knighly, Angelina Jolie and how they are way too thin--what message it sends to young girls.
7. Obsession with Body image articles
1. http://www.tcnj.edu/~unbound/spring2005/articles/l2
2. http://badgerherald.com/oped/2006/02/10/america_maintains_un.php
3. Social Issues Research Center: http://www.sirc.org/publik/mirror.html
4. Affect of thin models: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-09-25-thin-models_x.htm

Professor Butts, I understand I could talk about the progression of a female's life. However, is this interesting enough? I just don't want my audience to be like "oh I've heard this before" and not interested at all . . .