chapter 1 How We’ve Seen History Ourselves People have been communicating with each other for thousands of years What began as rock carvings has slowly changed into books newspapers magazines movies radio TV and the Internet Together they are called media These media outlets have a powerful effect on how people see themselves Movies advertisements in magazines commercials on television and even books all affect a person’s body image 4 21st century skills library
Although commonly depicted as slender pharaohs and queens of ancient Egypt were often overweight In the Ancient World In ancient Egypt 3100 332 bce slender women were considered beautiful But not all ancient societies thought that way Ancient Greece 800 500 bce put greater importance on women who were heavy Women who were too skinny were considered ill or underfed Greek society favored men with broad shoulders bulging muscles and strong facial features These features made them look like heroes The ideal body for ancient Egyptian men was similar The best male bodies were depicted to have broad shoulders a narrow waist and a clean-shaven face Body Image in the Media 5
Women featured in Renaissance art were often represented as being heavier An Image of Wealth During the Renaissance 1300 1700 CE in Europe heavyset people were considered to have the ideal body At the time famine was common So people who were heavier were thought to be healthy and rich In the early 20th century Americans walked less as cars became more common Heavier people during this time were considered wealthy as well Weight in a woman meant she was beautiful and fertile Weight in a man meant he was powerful 6 21st century skills library
Many historians agree that Renaissance paintings of women were the men’s way of publicly displaying their family’s power and wealth 7
