Twin sisters Lexie and Lindsay Kite, who recently graduated from the U, have taken action against the portrayal of women in the media, including magazines and television.
The sisters started their own organization, called Beauty Redefined. They began by writing about ways women should rethink beauty and feel more confident, but the blog took them much further. Now the sisters travel across the country speaking at different middle and high schools, college campuses and groups directed at young girls. Their blog draws attention to the different standards for the portrayal of females in the media and how it affects their life trajectories.
The Kite sisters’ work has made an impact on Jessie Danninger, a freshman in health promotion and education.
“Girls are all going to look up to different types of women,” she said. “But I think it’s more empowering for women, especially collegiate women, to see strong, independent, smart women as the leaders they aspire to be like.”
The twin sisters began their company after they co-authored their master’s thesis together. They both graduated from the U with Ph.D.s in the study of body image and media. The two were unavailable for comment, but their FAQ page outlines their goal of promoting a healthy body image.
“One of the most important and far-reaching things we do is share our research through our website,” the page states. “We tailor all of it for a diverse audience of people of all ages interested in the ways media affects body image and how people can recognize and reject harmful messages.”
Danninger has mixed emotions on these messages published in the media.
“The images can be positive and negative too,” she said. “But it can be inspiring to see girls embrace their differences.”
Julianne Gentry, a freshman in health promotion and education, said the sisters’ work is “uplifting.” She has seen firsthand the effects the media can have on those around her.
“I’m not focused on looking a certain way,” she said. “Pop culture and the way women should look or do look doesn’t control my life, but it does control women around me. Instead of unrealistic images, I think we need to showcase different types of expression and showcase more talents and brains than bodies.”
The sisters challenge women through their blog to think about how much media is affecting their lives.
“We need to feel an obligation to put media under closer inspection for the influence it has in our lives,” the page states. “Next time you are flipping through a magazine or watching a movie, train yourself to ask important questions. If you don’t like the answers you find, remember you can turn away from the messages that hurt.”
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@JulianneSkrivan