Media issues that matter

How can our society expect women to be treated fairly and with dignity when the media culture so often continues to portray them as mere sexual objects? And not just women, but increasingly young girls as well! That’s the concern of Teresa Tomeo, a leading Catholic author and TV show host in the U.S. who has written about the pervasiveness of contemporary media and its often negative impact upon our society. In her latest book entitled "Extreme Makeover," Tomeo discusses this issue and talks about ways that women and everyone can counter the toxic images and messages bombarded by today’s media and instead embrace the truth about their human dignity.

Interviewed by Susy Hodges, Tomeo said she's convinced these toxic messages "are getting worse" as the media becomes "much more pervasive in our lives" and also because "sex sells."
More worringly, Tomeo says these media messages about the objectification of women are now "targetting younger and younger" age groups and revealed that the average age for a girl in the U.S. to start dieting is 8 years old.

Asked about what solutions she proposes in her latest book, Tomeo says they can be found in the teaching of the Catholic Church and advises people "to take a look at their life and what they and their family are watching on TV."

Listen to the full interview with Teresa Tomeo by Susy Hodges: