to tell the truth i think the best role model out there is miley cyrus. period.

the media has a huge influence on pretty much everything in society. and especially girls, who get a misconception on what beauty is, etc

the media has a lot of influence over girls. especially at an age when most girls are impressionable.

In refrence to the Tyra Banks "AMERICAN'S NEXT TOP MODEL" I feel the show influence girls as being something positive in the sense that the seasons that I've seen yeah sure their were women that were very tall and thin which is the ideal model but there were shows where their were women that weren't tall, weren't thin, or had acne to the point where after they snapped their shots they had to go back a digitalize the pimples out.

I do agree, looking beautiful isn't the most important thing in life...our acheivements and success should be focused more upon. What you think?

I think young girls have trouble distinguishing reality. They look at Paris and Lindsay and think that that is what they should be like, where as its unrealistic. If looking like celebrities makes girls feel good, they should try to achieve that same feeling through sports, the arts, other hobbies, etc. I think a lot of girls think life would be better if they lived like celebs, so they try to.

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I feel so bad for brittney and paris - the other thing that gets me is why these people can be followed day and night - That is assault on their freedoms and soverenty - There needs to be a big change in this world if America is going to shine again...heres my last words on the matter http://gregleonetti.blogspot.com/

The media can be a positive influence or a negative one. It all depends on how you receive the information that is being put out. Just because someone makes a mistake or states their own opinion doesn't make that one person a bad person. Everyone is entiltled to their own opinion and no one can take that away from them. If a young girl decides that she wants to be "just like" a person on t.v., then so be it! That is her business! So be it! She has a mind of her own and is going to make her own decisions about what she wants to do regardless of what anyone says......

This is a great topic because women are really only thrust into the spotlight when they act badly. Just in the last couple weeks you can't escape news about Paris' jail time and now Lindsay Lohan's recent drug possession.

It is true that this is the nature of all celebrity news, but it seems a bit worse for women sometimes.

Doesn't Tyra host America's top model and have her own television show? I'm not as sure about the show, but I know Top Model is widely watched and probably has a lot of influence.

As a common man, I would say that Our Television and media goes through certain channels...What we can and cannot see is restricted as well. I would also say that Any parent would let their child decide their influences, if you ask me, children are smarter than we think. I think we retard and keep hold each other back way too much. Nice Topic though, if we we're allowed to be more creative, who knows, maybe we'd still be talking about hot women...

I think the media influences girls and guys alike with images of what males and females should look and act like. I do think though that the media plays off and reinforces existing narrow ideas of what girls should be like in terms of behavior, body type, and so on. I've had lots of female friends who have been involved in really destructive behavior because they feel so pressured to look a certain way from the media. I also feel that it's even harder for girls who aren't white--the images of people who are supposed to reflect them are even more narrow. There's a page with some interesting facts on women in media from the girls, women + media project: http://www.mediaandwomen.org/problem.html

Right, but don't you think that women are influenced by both the good and the bad? I don't think this list is suggesting they are all bad role models -- but how much are we influenced in general? I think that women in the media send a VERY strong message to young women about the way we see ourselves and our bodies. Whether I am watching a scripted TV show, talk show, or reality TV,I am absorbed in a world where women exist in a very different reality than my own! I am not saying it's WRONG -- as it IS entertainment -- but it is definitely confusing . . .

I don't believe Tyra Banks belongs on this list. In fact, I HOPE she influences girls. Yes, she is a super model, but she doesn't think that all supermodels should be skinny. She also has a camp designed for girls, and she goes and they talk about all the problems girls have. She's worked really hard to get where she is and she really loves her fans.