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Double Standard Essay

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The double standard of aging describes the inconsistent view our culture has placed on age between males and females. Society and media push for women to remain young as it is believed beauty is lost as they age, whereas males do not have as much pressure to consider age with their appearance. The standard for women to look young as a measure of beauty impacts their sense of beauty and self-worth to a higher degree than men (Hillier, 2015). This double standard persists today due to the constant reminder of appearance seen in all forms of media and casual conversations amongst peers. Marketing agencies have recognized this to be a huge venue for sales as they produce products attempting to preserve the look of being young. The market for anti-aging …show more content…

33 percent of the women studied were concerned with appearance associated with aging such as sagging, wrinkles, and weight changes. However, only 21 percent of the men were concerned with how age affected their appearance (Olson, 2015). The double standard is also seen when observing the fact of women wearing make-up on a daily basis. The idea of appearance and growing old puts pressure on girls at a young age to wear make-up to enhance their physical appearance at all ages. Men do not wear make-up, but women will use makeup to disguise physical features associated with age. A woman may wear a certain shade of lipstick to “look young again” while men are typically content with simply looking presentable in public. Finally, a double standard of aging is noted in films. A study conducted in 2005 indicated the likelihood of roles played by male and female actors of age differed greatly. A male actor was likely to hold a leadership role, wield occupational power, and have goals regardless of the age of the actor. Whereas female over the age of 50 was unlikely to hold a leadership position. The distinction observed led researchers to believe men are portrayed to remain active and vital throughout their life, meanwhile women have less purposeful lives as they age. The roles depicted in movies may

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