Sexual Objectification of Women If a woman today is asked if she has ever felt uncomfortable due to an unwanted compliment from a man, she will probably say yes. If a woman is asked if she would rather have the body of Kate Upton than her own, she will probably say yes. If a woman is asked if she has ever tried to lose weight or considered reconstructive surgery to get closer to an ideal body, she will probably say yes. These are all examples of sexual objectification and potential consequential feelings and actions. Today’s women are expected to live up to an impossible standard and feel shame when they fall short of it. They are seen not holistically but in parts, as if each part is an object. To objectify is to treat like an object (“Objectify”).
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The most effective technique used by the media for advertisement is appealing to sexual desire (Machovek). Objectification can especially be found when examining celebrities, actors, and other famous people who are the focal point of many tabloids. When famous women are seen in magazines, they are usually being criticised for weighing too much or too little. However, they can also be judged by the size of their busts, hips, and derrieres. By focusing on certain physical traits, the wholeness of the woman is being overlooked and she is being seen as nothing but a piece of meat. This, in turn, causes the famous women to work harder and pay more to get closer to the ‘ideal body’ that society puts on a pedestal. This snowballs into everyday, common women feeling self-conscious because they idolize these celebrities so they strive to be like them. Their ultimate failure can lead to mental health problems, sexual dysfunction, and eating disorders (Szymanski 8). Although biology is the main source for the creation of a body, the social preferences and customs also define and shape bodies in a society …show more content…
Women in advertisements wear less clothing that is more provocative in order to catch the attention of the viewer. This only encourages the objectification of the bodies of women. One relatable example of the media encouraging the objectification of women is the well-known restaurant Hooters. While on the clock, waitresses (who can legally only be female) are dressed in revealing clothing that accentuates their sexually desired body parts (Szymanski 25). In contrast however, any male employees (i.e. cooks, managers, janitors) are not required to wear clothing that draws attention to any particular body part. Hooters also advertises with women in these outfits; and, when men see the women on posters and billboards, it makes it much harder for them to see their servers as actual people leading to further objectification (Szymanski
The most effective technique used by the media for advertisement is appealing to sexual desire (Machovek). Objectification can especially be found when examining celebrities, actors, and other famous people who are the focal point of many tabloids. When famous women are seen in magazines, they are usually being criticised for weighing too much or too little. However, they can also be judged by the size of their busts, hips, and derrieres. By focusing on certain physical traits, the wholeness of the woman is being overlooked and she is being seen as nothing but a piece of meat. This, in turn, causes the famous women to work harder and pay more to get closer to the ‘ideal body’ that society puts on a pedestal. This snowballs into everyday, common women feeling self-conscious because they idolize these celebrities so they strive to be like them. Their ultimate failure can lead to mental health problems, sexual dysfunction, and eating disorders (Szymanski 8). Although biology is the main source for the creation of a body, the social preferences and customs also define and shape bodies in a society …show more content…
Women in advertisements wear less clothing that is more provocative in order to catch the attention of the viewer. This only encourages the objectification of the bodies of women. One relatable example of the media encouraging the objectification of women is the well-known restaurant Hooters. While on the clock, waitresses (who can legally only be female) are dressed in revealing clothing that accentuates their sexually desired body parts (Szymanski 25). In contrast however, any male employees (i.e. cooks, managers, janitors) are not required to wear clothing that draws attention to any particular body part. Hooters also advertises with women in these outfits; and, when men see the women on posters and billboards, it makes it much harder for them to see their servers as actual people leading to further objectification (Szymanski