Essay three workshop

In the story Oomah Loompah, we learn about a young girl named Lovey.  In lovey's life, she takes everything and judges it against what she has learned from the media.  The media has shown her what is beautiful, ugly, accepted, and what your supposed to eat , drink and think. The little girl in the story has internalized on how her life should be according to what she has been shown to her through media. 
In the beginning of the story we find Lovey getting her hair done by her mother. This is where it becomes apparent that the media has told the young girl how she is supposed to look.  The media tells people that if you buy a product, use it , you will look just like the person that is promoting the product.  At least that is what people hear.  But in all actuality, what is said is that by using this product you may, or might, or results may vary.  I have a young girl at home who is, much like Lovey, very connected to the media as well. She wants the skinny jeans and the cool shirts, and just recently the shorter skirts.  This is the media telling her that these things are what she wants.  I know this because it is November and it's cold. Who wants to wear a skirt in the winter?
The way that Lovey takes images from media and uses them to compare real life with fiction, is not uncommon.  Many children, and even adults, compare their own lives to that of the lives of fictional or famous people in the media.  This is one way that a person can feel like they have a connection, or similarity with someone famous.  If you wear the same jeans that the famous person wears, you will look like that person.  This is how big companies make their money, through good marketing. This is what is happening to Lovey, she has been targeted by big media, she is buying what will make her look a certain way. This is how companies make their money, they find a group of people that can be manipulated into thinking that they need something to help fit in, or look better, to be socially accepted.  In Lovey's case this didn't work out, she ended up staying home. 
Even when something looks bad, Lovey turns to the media.  When she describes how something looks bad she calls it Oompah Loompah, which is a reference to the movie Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the funny looking short people in the movie.  She uses this imagery to help explain her distaste of what she sees.  The funny clothes that her father wears, grandma has orthopedic shoes, her friends banana seat bicycle, these are all Oompah Loompah. This child is emmersed in what the media is has shown her what is acceptable and what is not.