The Media’s Sexualization and Objectification of Girls and Women.
Raise your hand if you read magazines.
Raise your hand if you watch TV.
Raise your hand if you see advertisements.
For every hand raised think of how easily accessible and how often accessed these forms of media are. A magazine in a grocery store or in a doctor’s waiting room, a tv show streamed online anywhere or on the couch, an ad in a magazine or commercial on tv. With the overwhelming presence of media everywhere, it’s no surprise that American culture is reflected and created by the mass media. These three outlets of the media bring more than entertainment, as they are plagued by the sexualization and objectification of women.
Magazine
Teen-focused magazines have increased along with a dominant theme of sexuality. To present oneself as sexually desirable and thereby gaining attention of men is promoted as a focal goal for women. Magazines teach girls how to look and dress to impress guys. Even promoting certain products as a promise of being more desirable. The point of many articles is to help girls look sexy by attempting to alter hairstyles, cosmetics, clothing, diet, and exercise. Making the reader to be only an object of male desire. The encouragement of self improvement is actually just improvement for the sake of men. The content of magazines which line the shelves of the grocery check out or the waiting room of a doctor’s office, heavily emphasis the necessity of attractiveness to be successful in relationships. Men’s magazines are just as guilty: 80.5% of the women are depicted as sex objects. (APA). Though magazines vary in genre, many are consistent in portraying negative ideas about women.
TV
In television as well, women are sexually objectified. Though the majority of TV features men, women are more likely to be attractive and provocatively dressed. 85% of sexual comments and remarks that pervade television are made by men focusing on women’s appearance. 81% of prime time television contained at least one incident of sexual harassment of women, who 78% of the time wore mildly provocative to provocative clothing. Even the most prominent prime time shows are guilty of harming women’s self image.
Cartoons have tendencies to sexualize images of girls and women. Characters in children’s shows have more cleavage and fewer clothes than previously. With exceptions, studies reveal that cartoons portray girls as domestic, interested in boys, and concerned with their appearance. Overall, children’s shows suggest an overemphasis on the self as a romantic object and possibly a sexual one. (APA). At young ages, children are unconsciously exposed, but still affected all the same.
Advertisements
In commercials, women more often than men were shown in a state of undress and depicted as sexual objects. Studying prime-time commercials, 75% of the beer ads and 50 % of non-beer were labeled as sexist and placing women in limited an objectified roles.
Magazine advertisements are just as offensive by frequently feature women as sexual objects. 40% of ads feature women as decorative objects like when they are shown standing seductively next to a car simply to be looked at. Sexual objectification occurs most frequently for women in magazine ads; for example, women are three times more likely to be dressed in a sexually provocative manner. Another study revealed that 80% of female models posed in submissive, sexually exploitative, and violent positions. Overall, research demonstrates that magazine advertisements focus on women’s bodies as sexual objects for the purpose of visually pleasing others. (APA). Constant exposure to such blatant objectifications and sexualizations, desensitizes any provocativity and translates as those actions and behaviors into norms.
At young ages, girls are not only exposed to sexualization but also depicted in it. As seen in French Vogue, a ten year old modeled provocative poses and clothing, and fell victim to sexualization. Through advertising, girls and women are frequently, consistently, and increasingly depicted in sexualized ways, allowing for an environment to be established in which being female translates to being a sexual object. (Vogue).
Consequences
The American Psychological Association reviewed that girls and women are more likely to be objectified and sexualized in a variety media outlets. The media’s portrayal of adult women, who are role models of behavior, self-concepts, and identity, affects young girls as well. (McCall). And the effects are what’s most disheartening. Seeing unrealistic images in magazines, ads, and tv left half of the girls at the age 13 to be unhappy with their bodies. As exposure continues, at 17 that number increases to 78%. The media is so strong that even children as young as ages 6-8 half of the girls and a third of the boys feel that they should be thinner. The lack of satisfaction translates to 65% of women and girls struggling with an eating disorder. With the prominence of media, bulimia and anorexia have continued to increase. Dissatisfaction of body image, from sexualized expectations results in some 17% of teens engaging in cutting and self-injurious behavior.(Missrepresentation)
Aside from self-harm, the media’s portrayal of women resulted in negative cognitive developments. As depression rates among girls and women doubled, the chronic attention to physical appearance, left fewer cognitive resources for mental or physical activities. Thus, limiting the form and effectiveness of girls’ physical movements. Objectification and sexualization also led to increased feelings of shame of one’s body and anxiety over appearance. Furthermore, it is associated with outcomes of negative mental health. (Missrepresentation)
Exposure to the media results in exposure to sexualization and objectification of women and girls. This increasing trend makes other influential social areas of family and school all the more important. We must understand the misrepresentations of women in the media, to be exactly what they are: misrepresentations, so that we are not influenced and affected by the gross inaccuracies.
Works Cited
McCall (internet source)
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/overcoming-child-abuse/201203/the-sexualization-women-and-girls
Missrepresentation (documentary)
APA (internet source)
Vogue (image)
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