Ellen Goodman wrote the Culture of Thin Bites Fiji more than a decade ago. The article dwells on the effect the media has had on the natives and inhabitants of Fiji, particularly women. Set in 1995 and thereabout, the article discusses the transformation that has taken over the Fijian society.
The Argument Goodman Makes
Ellen Goodman, a renowned columnist looks at the effect modernity and particularly the media has had on cultures and practices around the world. She singles out Fiji Island and Fijians as some of the victims of this growing trend that she terms a menace. Goodman argues that before 1995, Fijian girls and women were fat and they were proud of it. However, after the coming of television and the programs that came along with it, the perception that a fat woman is beautiful took a different turn.
Whom Goodman Convinces
Through the article, Ellen Goodman attempts to change the perception of people, especially young women and teenagers on the issue of being plump and being slender. She attempts to play down the assumption that slimmer women are prettier than plump women are.
Why Someone Might Disagree
Goodman’s argument may likely not go down well with everyone. Other people may be of the opinion that slim women are much prettier, especially bearing in mind the manner in which the media has frequently and constantly painted slim women as beautiful.
The Use of Pathos, Ethos and Logos
In her argument, Goodman bases her opinion on factual evidence (logos and pathos). She argues that right after television took center stage among Fijians, the culture of eating was gradually replaced with lack of food thereof. According to statistics, about three years after the onset of the television, most Fiji girls were busy grappling with ways and means of cutting down on their weight. They were doing this mainly to conform to the images they saw on the television. All of a sudden, all the young women and girls who were fat and enjoyed every moment of it hated their body shapes and wanted to rid themselves of the fat in their bodies. Goodman who worked with the Boston Globe for a long time gathered a substantial and loyal fan base over the period that she worked at the media house. It, therefore, goes without saying that at the time of the release of her article (in 1999); she had earned the readers trust for writing informative and eye-opening articles. This highlights her use of ethos in this context.
Television Harms Society
The technological advancements of the 21st century are some of the reasons attributable to the change in societal practices and beliefs both good and bad. Erosion of these practices has left most people the world over without an identity as people rush to mimic what they see on their television screens. In return, television watching has brought with it all kinds of negative consequences. The variety of programs broadcasted on the television is key to some of the issues on moral decadence experienced today. In addition, research has demonstrated that too much watching of television may prove to be detrimental to one’s health in the end. Too much television watching has been linked with many of the incidences of obesity. Television sets also emit certain radiations, which may prove to be harmful to the user’s health. Apart from consuming time, television watching may become addictive and may have consequences on a person’s schoolwork or some other activity.
