The sexualization of women is a big issue that affects how women and men perceive women. Everywhere, you see pictures of women in ads or shows. They seem to look normal, but they are almost always explicitly portrayed sexually, childlike, or submissive. Advertisements for cars or even sandwiches, they are hypersexualized, a term meaning that “a person’s value only comes from his or her sexual appeal or behavior to the exclusion of other characteristics” The APA Task Force on the Sexualisation of Girls found that hypersexualization leads to self-confidence issues, eating disorders, body shaming, and depression. This disturbing occurrence still happens everywhere but we just don’t notice it as much because it has been normalized.
In the book Sold, Lakshmi is a 13 year old girl sold into prostitution and had to wear makeup and fancy clothing and look submissive to men. In a 2011 photo spread for French Vogue, models were adorned with exotic animal furs, body jewels, flushed red cheeks, and look seductively into the camera. Nothing seems unusual for a high end photo shoot right? However, these models were as young as 10 years old! Media has blurred the lines of women and girls., women are infantilized and girls sexualized. According to researchers, girls are more susceptible to these messages and can’t comprehend and cope …show more content…
Also, not only do these affect women, but men too. Through these cultural messages, boys get the sense of being superior to women and begin to objectify them, even giving them unrealistic ideals for women. Worst case, these sexual portrayals have been found to “legitimize or exacerbate violence against women and girls, as well as sexual harassment and anti-women attitudes among men and boys” says sociology professor Eric
In the book Sold, Lakshmi is a 13 year old girl sold into prostitution and had to wear makeup and fancy clothing and look submissive to men. In a 2011 photo spread for French Vogue, models were adorned with exotic animal furs, body jewels, flushed red cheeks, and look seductively into the camera. Nothing seems unusual for a high end photo shoot right? However, these models were as young as 10 years old! Media has blurred the lines of women and girls., women are infantilized and girls sexualized. According to researchers, girls are more susceptible to these messages and can’t comprehend and cope …show more content…
Also, not only do these affect women, but men too. Through these cultural messages, boys get the sense of being superior to women and begin to objectify them, even giving them unrealistic ideals for women. Worst case, these sexual portrayals have been found to “legitimize or exacerbate violence against women and girls, as well as sexual harassment and anti-women attitudes among men and boys” says sociology professor Eric