I believe I speak for all women, and very few men, when I say I know what it feels like to self-objectify. But how do I know I’m self-objectifying? Well, I ask myself this: “Do I think that the prettier I look, the more lovable I am?” In other words, have I somehow learned that if I get my hair and makeup just right, and if I hide all of the flaws on my body well enough, and if I am passive and doll-like enough, then he’ll fall for me harder or want me more? Well, time to unlearn.
Remember the lyrics to this classic song? It may sound dated because it’s so straight-forward, and marketing is so much more subtle nowadays, but believe me, we’re still getting the exact same message.
What’s cute about little cutie?
It’s her beauty, not brains
Keep young and beautiful
It’s your duty to be beautiful
Keep young and beautiful
If you want to be loved
Don’t fail to do your stuff
With a little powder and a puff
Keep young and beautiful
If you want to be loved
If you’re wise, exercise all the fat off
Take it off, off of here, off of there
When you’re seen anywhere with your hat off
Wear a Marcel wave in your hair
Take care of all those charms
And you’ll always be in someone’s arms
Keep young and beautiful
If you want to be loved
Sexual objectification is nothing new. We see it every day – in magazines, on television, plastered to the sides of buses. The objectification of women is such an utterly common thing that most people rarely ever notice it (at least consciously). They never really step back and wonder why there’s a half-naked model in that beef jerky commercial, or why breasts are the focal point in that ad for shoes. That’s just how it is, we’re told. It’s human nature.
The images we see on billboards and in magazines present the ‘ideal’ image for women, as created by the advertising media. Depicting the ideal woman as young, sensual and “perfect”, the images create the subconscious thought that women are judged according to looks alone. Because the “young, tall, flawless, thin, and hot with a tiny waist, big round boobs and a round butt” ideal is almost always unattainable, real women go through impossible dieting and compulsive cosmetic surgery procedures to become significant in society.
The increasing sexualization of little girls has also led to the increasing rate of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. And then, there’s the existence of double standards that expect women to be innocent yet seductive, virginal but experienced.
These same images that objectify women and eroticize violence, often lead to violence against women and a general lack of respect for the gender.
Ads showing women without heads or without faces reduce them to nothing more than loose body parts – choice cuts of meat to salivate over.
And in the end it’s us, the consumers, who keep the process going. In consuming we only reinforce these crude commercial tactics.
Objectification is a phenomenon that not only changes the way we view models or actresses, but also how we see every woman — and ourselves.
The skyrocketing sales that result from ads that objectify women further affirm to marketers that this method is the way to go, fiscally speaking. It’s easy to imagine how one business, noticing the success of another, might adopt the same advertising model and embrace sexual objectification as a means of selling their products.
It’s a vicious cycle that’s brought society’s view of women to a whole new, perverted level.
And while that old adage ‘sex sells’ may be true when marketing to men, it’s not sex that brands and the media are marketing to women — it’s self-objectification. It’s the idea that in order to be desirable (and, ultimately, lovable), you must act/look/dress/etc. like this (this being the ‘ideal’ du jour). Oh, and if you don’t, well then you’re the only one to blame when you’re an unhappy, unmarried, dowdy 40-something spinster — right? I mean, they told you how to be sexy. You really should have listened! /s
‘Sex sells’ when it comes to men, but self-objectification sells when it comes to women.
We buy glossy magazines that tell us what clothes to wear and what overpriced perfume to buy if we really want to ‘sell ourselves’ and get the guy we want. Through the media, advertisers define what’s sexy and what’s beautiful. They set the standard for every woman; poster girls we all need to measure up to.
But how can we all? Not every woman has a 23-inch waist and a C-cup, and not every woman should! What’s more, these depictions are almost always digitally altered (blemishes concealed, cellulite removed, waist tightened, face reshaped, abs added), making it impossible for anybody to reach this so-called ‘standard of beauty’. No wonder so many women experience debilitating insecurity, self-objectification, depression, eating disorders, and sexual dysfunction after looking at these images.
Is it really about teaching women how to be attractive, or is it more about tapping into female insecurities?
Objectification is what makes girls and women feel the need to look perfect in front of peers and prospective dates. It fuels our insecurity and says, “Hey, you’d be more desirable if only your thighs were more toned, your skin was more tanned, your abs were flatter, and your lips were fuller. Go hit the gym — or just buy this product NOW!”
On the other side of the gender line, it subconsciously gives men the idea that these models are what a really ‘beautiful’ woman should look like. It tells them that they’re not man enough if they can’t ‘score’ with a woman like that. As both women and men begin to internalize these images, they begin believe it’s okay to treat women as objects or tools, and the problem worsens.
So, can you guess where we find most of these objectifying ads? Women’s magazines.
When I was a child, I used to look at the cover of Cosmopolitan and get angry. I couldn’t articulate exactly why, but I knew something was very wrong. Although reactions are varied when it comes to the topic of objectification, most women feel offended, degraded, and disregarded by the way our society accepts this objectification — even if they don’t yet consciously realize why.
Many women feel that worrying about these issues is rewarding, and by transcending these commercial standards of beauty, they can ‘feel sexy’ on their own terms. But it’s hard to argue with the fact that no matter how conscious we are of the facts, our brains have an intellectual side, and a lizard-brain subconscious. And it’s been proven that no matter how educated you are, it’s near impossible to escape the effects of advertising.
We all know women who endorse this messaging and openly self-objectify, not realizing that they are slowly (collectively) damaging not only themselves, but society. While feeling sexy is something every woman should experience, there is a difference between expressing sexuality and being used as sexual object.
A woman’s sexuality is a reflection of her own self-image. It becomes more difficult for women to develop self-confidence when they are regularly bombarded by perverse depictions of the female body.
But in the new MeToo world, this is slowly starting to change. Women are getting educated and choosing to support companies like Aerie (which uses real-ish un-retouched women in their campaigns) while Victoria’s Secret’s sales and runway show viewership is on a downward trend. Sales of magazines like Cosmopolitan are down, and a new breed of unconventional models are becoming well known.
Change can only start if consumers take a stand against sexual objectification by boycotting products of companies that practice it. Hopefully a day will come when women can be confident about their naturally given attributes, rather than worry about the size of their breasts or the circumference of their butts.
Want to learn more? Here are a few great videos:
For more information about the above film, visit their website at MediaEd.org
Below is another great, 8-minute video on the topic (you can watch the full 90-minute film here):
…and a 16-minute TED Talk about this topic:
I refuse to buy from companies that demoralize women! If these companies have so much confidence in their products, they wouldn’t need to objectify women to “sell” and “earn”.
The images you included make me feel sick. Sadly, we live in a patriarchal society that degrades women to their lowest value 🙁 Terrible…
Applause! I guess the best way to start creating change is really not patronizing products of the companies that objectifies women! We can do something, we are not helpless!
Thought-provoking piece! The more people understand this, the better. Women objectification has been normalized and encouraged in our society and IT REALLY NEEDS TO CHANGE.
Respect!
Shame on these companies who objectify and exploit women! But is it right if I say, shame on the models for allowing themselves to be treated this way??!! I understand economic reasons push these models to be “exploited” but is it really an acceptable reason?!
I think it’s high time that women education be prioritized, this is the only way I can think of to lessen and eventually stop all these…
Sadly, objectification does not only affect the model, the actress and the product endorser. It objectifies ALL women and even young girls. Objectification in ad sends the message to everyone that it’s the right way to treat, regard, view and use women.
I don’t have to personally appear and be objectified on ads. I’m already objectified simply by being a woman in a society where negative images and ads like this are normal and widely accepted :cry::cry::cry:
Think for yourself. You really don’t have to be offended. Everyone is different and no one should give in to “group thinking” regardless of what side it’s on. What offends one person won’t offend another. I assume the women in these ads would not agree. Some women celebrate and use their sexuality and sexual nature and enjoy it. Others get offended and will say those women were brainwashed, raised wrong, etc, etc. In other words, think for yourself. And kudos for being brave to post your opinion!
Well, I’m thinking for myself!!! I understand that we are different, but I feel and agree with Anne Dawson!!! When I see a friend, man or woman, holding a magazine with ads objectifying women, I can’t help but feel ashamed!!! And instead of approaching that friend and starting a good conversation, I would just walk away because of that offended feeling!
I think the media using women to sell sex contributes more to women and girls being slut shamed. When a girl is accused of being a slut she is accused of “giving her body away for free or for a cheap price” unlike girls who are using their sexy parts to make a lot money.
Once a girl’s sexuality is used as a commodity it is not empowering to other women, or herself…an object cannot have power. People judge us on our sexual activity, and the more partners we have the more we’re devaluing ourselves(like a car-the more miles it has the less valuable it is).
So girls who are selling sex are just contributing to the dichotomy that men want sex and will buy it and the most valuable thing a women has is her sex so she sells it. Nobody takes into account that women too are sexual subjects, and can enjoy sex the same way a man can.
Wow – great insight! That would make for an interesting article… taking notes 🙂
IMO, those men who view all women as sex objects are entirely responsible for any consequences or abuses stemming from that. The choices or otherwise of those women who like being objectified are not. The same must apply if we take both the gender and sexual elements out. People who consent to being objectified in some transitory way for financial gain are not responsible for the behaviour of exploitative businesses that strip workers of their rights and view them as nothing more than machines for profit.
The question of definitions is something I often get stuck on myself. If we define objectification as something that is all-encompassing and entirely dehumanising, we can conclude that objectification is just plain wrong. No ifs, no buts, no turning of the tables. However, it seems to me that things become less clear if objectification can be seen as something potentially transitory: the idea that switching between subject and object in different circumstances is all part of the negotiatory push/pull of life as we know it. But maybe that’s the thing? Life “as we know it” is pretty fucked up. I guess the answer lies in radically critiquing dominant ideas about work/workers and sex/power (to name just two key areas).
This is an informative illustration of how advertisers exploit female bodies to make money for companies that sell not just a product, but a lifestyle to consumers. Unfortunately, younger people are heavily influenced by these images, consequently developing a distorted understanding on how the female should be viewed and treated…
Sex actually lowers the ease with which people remember the brand in an advertisement. But even if it did sell, it comes at too high a cost.
Sadly, SEX sells. Whether it's objectifying women or not, I doubt this a marketing strategy that will never die.As long as people enjoy sex and barely naked women they will continue to be used in ads. Male consumers and many women don't care if it's degrading.