Media Objectification of Women

If you turn on the television or flip through a fashion magazine, it is very likely you will presented with many displays of hypersexualization of girls and women in advertising images and in media. There are many components to sexualization. It occurs, according to the American Psychological Association, when “a person’s value comes only from his or her sexual appeal or behavior, to the exclusion of other characteristics.” This person is held to a standard that equates physical attractiveness with being sexy. “Sexualization” happens when a person is sexually objectified- that is, made into a thing for others’ sexual use, rather than being seen as a person with their own independent actions and abilities to make decisions. Oftentimes, sexuality is inappropriately imposed upon a person without their knowing it or consent. Sometimes, researchers use the word “hypersexualization” to describe roughly the same idea. In the article, “Media’s Growing Sexualization of Women”, hypersexualization is defined as, “The act of making something extremely sexual and erotic.”

I really enjoyed watching the documentary, Miss Representation. It was very informative and eye opening. The film explores the impact that the media has on society and the misrepresentation of women. While the media can be a place to learn and stay up to date, there is also an ugly side to it. Our generation spends a huge amount of our time on our phones, computers, and watching tv so I feel like we are affected by the media the most. The media influences people at a young age impacting their views on themselves and the world around them. Girls especially get the message that their value is on how they look. The way media portrays women in movies and television over sexualizes women and dehumanizes them. This type of media can lead women to

We live in a society surrounded by billboards and magazine advertisements displaying the over sexualisation of women. As a society, people tend to be okay with it. But the depiction of women in this way does not just end there. It may be surprising to hear that every year, approximately 460 000 people in Canada are sexually assaulted. That is over 1260 sexual assaults a day, 1 every minute. Over a third of them will never be reported. The media is one of the most trusted and effective sources of information, conveying society norms. We live in a media based society and everything we do has some impact on the media. Sexual assault victims are represented negatively in the media further promoting a problematic rape culture. This is often done

Movies, magazines, advertisements, television, music videos and even music lyrics are just a handful of media sources where I have noticed an increased focus on women being viewed as sexual objects, instead of women proposing an empowering message. Many people in our society are not aware of the extent in which sexualisation of women in the media is occurring every day of our lives; this is because we live in a culture where sexuality is more accepted; this is is having negative effects on the social aspect of our society. So, has the media and society pushed sexualisation too far? It is believed that women are hyper-sexualised in the media and this is changing the way women are looked at; but what are we actively doing as a society to reduce this issue?

The misrepresentation of women in the media has been at its highest. Reality shows such as Love and Hip Hop, have degraded and exploited women where they are only seen as objects who compete over men. They are not able to have a identity that is positive. I wanted to create a platform where you can see the true side of women. Having them tell their stories and accomplishments. Where they are seen past their physical features and given a voice. The issues discussed through the interviews are also expressed through my poetry. As women they are taking their identities back and showing who they really are, regardless of how they are depicted through the media.

The “perfect image” construction not only can create an unattainable physical appearance that the American society then idolizes, but it also can overly sexualize a woman or a man’s appearance. The sexualization of girls and women has been on the rise for a while, and the media is partly to blame for this. In an article for U.S. Catholic, author Meg McSherry Breslin stated that through the media, young girls and women have learned to believe that their self-wroth and value comes from their sex appeal (Breslin). McSherry Breslin also stated in her article that sexualization is advertised for young girls through young girls figurines. The figurines McSherry Breslin describes consist of Bratz dolls and Barbies that are dressed with short skirts,

Melt.” Kate Upton appears as sexy, thin, fit, and attractive. This common appearance of young women in the media encourages eating disorders among young girls to achieve this standard.

There has been a growing trend of hypersexualization of women over the span of all forms of media. The women within these images are made to look perfectly flawless. They are extremely thin without a trace of fat or cellulite to be found. The people who consume this media are exposed to the idea that the women they are observing are models for true physical beauty. These standards are accompanied by an alternate message from the media that pushes the idea that women’s value comes from their beauty. While some women may understand that the messages about the ideal woman are unrealistic and false, it is found that adolescent girls are vulnerable to the media’s strategies due to their lack of media literacy as well as the search for their own identity during this developmental stage in their lives. The exposure to these standards of beauty can have several negative effects on the girls such as lower self-esteem, higher body dissatisfaction, depression, and eating disorders. SPARK and 4 Every Girl are two of a growing number of campaigns that are working to fight against the sexualized images of women in the media and the negative effects it can have on the viewers.

Today, a large majority of women will admit to being dissatisfied with the way their body looks. This is because of a thing called body image. Body image is the way one thinks their body should look like, and how they think others see it. This has become a major issue mainly because of the media. The media effects body image because they use women with what is considered the “perfect body” for advertising purposes. They are all over social media, on television, and on the cover of magazines. Since the media only shows women with one certain body type, this puts pressure on other women to look that way. The media should stop pressuring the perfect body type because it can lead to self-esteem problems in women, anemia or bulimia, and can even

Throughout history, there has always been a pattern of sexism and misogyny. This predicament even dates back to the bible, when Eve was created only to appease Adam's loneliness; This is still an ongoing problem in society that is implemented in media, schools, and work places.

In the mass-market tabloids, women are overtly categorized as either victims or sexualised objects, which contributes to our understanding of gender representation in the media today, as this is a common reoccurring theme in tabloids. However, even in the elite press, female celebrities still make an appearance solely to attract a reader’s visual attention. Our national press use women as ‘news-candy’ to please the eye (Wykes & Gunter 2005). Page 3 is the main way of sexualising women in the news, and began being a regular feature in 1969 when Larry Lamb was editor. “The Sun was no longer feminised, but sexualised. Central to its appeal was the provocative image of a woman’s body. Breasts were added to the smile. Instantly this implied a readership

To begin with, the media reinforces and creates the stereotype that women are portrayed as sexual objects in order to make money

The way the media targets women is not right. They try to point out women flaws in order to make them think more lowly of themselves and create a negative body image. They then make women believe that their product can make anyone flawless and perfect. If the companies used more normal and ordinary girls to model their product, rather than the perfect, beautiful, and skinny girls, then maybe this problem would be solved.

Media has become a rampant part of the society we live in today. The media has portrayed men and women based on sexism stereotypes. The media has played a key role of socially constructed sexist stereotypes for both men and women. These socially constructed ideas have created significant impact on our society amongst men and women, and if one does not fit it that role they are ridiculed and judged in today’s society. I have implemented a project that might help combat the sexism roles/stereotypes that we depict from the media today. Since adolescents are mostly affected by the media the project that will help combat sexism depicted in the media will start with the high school education system. The project will consist of going to a local public

If you believe the media, the perfect body for women should be under 21% body fat, and have curves in all the right places. For decades, the media has influenced the way women identify themselves and their bodies. At an early age, I started to compare myself to the women I saw in the media. I wanted to look like them so I bought the right makeup, and wore the trendiest clothes. None of which made me look like the women I wanted to copy. When I looked in a mirror, I began hating what I saw. Some days I wished I could just peel out of my skin and take someone else’s thinner body. Since I would never look like a model, I started to abuse my body. I smoked cigarettes, ate excessive junk food, (or nothing at all), and lacked sleep for years. I wasn’t