The Hypersexualization Of Women In The Media

In the last ten years, 83 percent of women featured on covers of Rolling Stone were hypersexualized. Only 30 percent of Rolling Stone’s total covers feature women in any capacity (Trautner, Hatton). An obsession with sexuality and sex appeal has led society to impose a number of impractical ideals on the women who make up the media. The standard of beauty that women must conform to when on screen or in front a camera is set by those who create and publish these forms of media. The creators are composed largely of men. In 2014-2015, “Women accounted for 27% of creators, directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and directors of photography working on broadcast programs” (Lauzen). When high profile media tells its female audience …show more content…
The media wants to see sexy, youthful women as the stars of shows. This not only lowers the diversity a show has, it also perpetuates the idea that old is not beautiful. Considering that “older men appear as much as 10 times more frequently than older women in the media” (BR), it’s clear to see that the media has a difficult time including older women. The media does not think older women can be sexy, and therefore, they will not be appealing to their audiences. Contradicting itself, the media shows certain older women and publishes articles on aging well while also editing and erasing natural signs of aging on those same women. This type of media gives women unreal standards of how they should age. By erasing older women from film and other kinds of mass communication, women who age naturally have no way of identifying with characters portrayed. These women may also feel subject to self-image issues. Women are not only left out in TV and movies, they are left out and misportrayed in all other forms of …show more content…
More often than not, this type of media puts women into a submissive role. Pornography eroticizes aggression against women, only showing women who find pleasure in violence that is inflicted on them, inside or outside of the bedroom. This reflects onto men because men then begin to assume that every woman will enjoy every level of aggression. Because there is no wide range of diverse women in porn, the audience is only seeing one type of woman. Instead of being exposed to various desires and needs, the consumers are shown the same stereotype in different situations. This easily translates back to men because as a result, men believe that all women like the same things porn characters do. When pornography erotisizes this aggression, it is rendering that aggression obsolete (Pornland: How the Porn Industry Has Hijacked Our