Women have historically been exploited by patriarchal systems. They have
             been reduced to sex slaves and to confined housewifery, forced either into
             prostitution or marriage. It is commonly believed that such exploitation is
             a thing of the past, and that modern women have moved beyond the
             limitations of these two options. Certainly some progress has been made,
             for women are now a significant percentage of the working population, and
             increasingly experience the freedom to do with their lives whatever they
             wish. However, to some very real degree such exploitation persists and is
             both made visible and perpetuated by the modern mass media. Today women are
             exploited by many various forms of media, from film and television to print
             and advertising; they are consistently confined to traditional roles or
             used purely as sexualized objects. Because of this exploitation, women
             become further entrapped by old stereotypes (such as those suggesting that
             a woman's place is in the kitchen), may feel pressured by the unreasonable
             standards which media upholds for the maintenance of home and body, and may
             be discouraged from generally male-oriented careers or risk-taking. Such
             media stereotypes are harmful to women and to society at large.
             The exploitation and stereotyping of women in media might be blamed
             by some not on media choices, but on the reality of our culture. "Opinions
             such as Joanna Mizieliñska's claim, that advertisements do not create
             these stereotypes; they are only used to sell the products best',"
             (Olczyk, Twardowska) Such a position might suggest that despite the fact
             that "as many as two-thirds of commercials featuring women relate to caring
             about the home and family; the others typically present women as sexual
             objects," (Olczyk, Twardowska) they are not being unrealistic -- after
             all, in the majority of situations, women still are the ones in charge of
             home and fami...