Gender Matters

Since the introduction of advertising many centuries ago, women have been objectified, and in some instances, insulted or degraded. Despite the efforts of many people. In many respects, the problem has escalated. With the proliferation of photo retouching software, women's bodies are not just flawless, they are anatomically impossible. This is harmful on many levels. Advertising False Ideals Advertising, marketing, and the fashion industry have created a new type of woman that does not exist in the real world.  The "Barbie Doll" look they're selling has some recognizable features: She has no wrinkles, blemishes, or scars. She has long, smooth, and shapely legs. Her waist is quite small. Her radiant hair looks like CGI.  Her eyes are dazzling and bright. Her teeth are shining white and perfectly straight. Exploiting Learned Desires At an early age, men are programmed to desire the Barbie Doll woman. This is ...

Women frequently face objectification in daily interpersonal interactions and through the active and passive consumption of multimedia. These two main avenues of exposure create a continuous stream of sexually objectifying experiences and images Interpersonal sexual objectification occurs in the forms of unwanted body evaluation and sexual advances, the Interpersonal Sexual Objectification Scale (ISOS) measures the extent of individuals’ sexually objectifying encounters. The ISOS qualifies behaviors like catcalling and whistling, sexually insinuating stares, leering, and inappropriate sexual comments made about a woman’s body as unwanted forms of body evaluation . Research shows that this type of sexual objectification is more often perpetrated by strangers than acquaintances , and often takes place in public spaces .  The ISOS qualifies behaviors like touching, fondling, or pinching someone inappropriately against her will, degrading sexual gestures, and sexual harassme...

Objectification theory posits that constant exposure to objectifying experiences and images socializes women to internalize society’s perspective of the female body as their own primary view of their physical selves. This internalization is often referred to as self-objectification, and it characterized by varying levels of thoughts and behaviors such as self-conscious body monitoring, surveillance, and comparison of one’s body or body parts to the cultural standard or ideal. Self-objectification is even found in women who view sexual objectification as harmless or even complimentary. Research has linked self-objectification to mental health outcomes such as depression, disordered eating, and reduced productivity. So, the sexual objectification of women indirectly contributes to their mental health problems because it leads to self-objectification..  Shame, anxiety, and depression  According to objectification theory, the internalization of sexual objectification leads ...

Women have never had it easy when it comes to having their words heard in society. Men have had most things handed to them on a silver platter and have always retained more power throughout time compared to women.  This misogyny and lack of representation presents itself further in the world in the new forms of media and entertainment that have been produced in today’s world. Women are regularly objectified in today’s media. One need only open a television set to see how many sexist advertisements are being shown every day.  Since advertisements are one of the biggest forms of marketing in the world of today and due to their versatility of being able to be present anywhere and everywhere they change how we think about the ideal woman. Advertisements shape our minds and our perceptions of what the perfect woman is and how women should look and act. Women themselves become greatly influenced as well as these advertisements start to influence them as to how exactly to ac...

No woman wants to feel that the man watching her from across the room sees a collection of body parts rather than a fully formed human.  Feminists have asserted all along that  objectifying women  is unhealthy, base and unappealing. Perhaps it's because objectification seems so akin to dehumanization. What if a man's idea of women as mere tools for sexual gratification makes him physically and emotionally manipulative, aggressive or otherwise coercive? One recent  study  seems to be connecting the  dots , so to speak. The new research, published in Psychology of Women Quarterly,  discovered that  more objectification of a female partner's body is related to more incidents of sexual pressure and coercion in romantic relationships — an important area of inquiry, given the  heartbreaking toll  of intimate partner sexual violence in the United States. Psychologists Laura R. Ramsey and Tiffany Hoyt spoke to 119 males and 1...

In a recent interview, actress  Cameron Dia controversially said "I think every woman does want to be objectified." Decades of research has documented the many ways that objectification can be harmful. So why would anyone voluntarily choose to objectify themselves? The kind of objectification that Diaz is talking about is often referred to as sexual objectification. It involves viewing and treating another person's body as an object valued based on its sexual appeal, usually to the neglect of other aspects of the person, such as their thoughts, feelings, and desires.  Objectifying images and messages are widespread in American society, and they communicate not only that women's value lies in their appearance, but they also present an ideal of  attractiveness   that is  unattainable  for most women. These unrealistic standards can lead to feelings of  body shame  and disgust, and to unhealthy eating and exercise behaviors. ...