WHAT IS OBJECTIFICATION OF WOMEN IN MEDIA AND SOCIETY

It is frightening how deep objectification of women really goes. We must certainly combat sexual objectification. However, women are objectified in more profound ways than we realize, and we must tear down every entangled shred of patriarchy, in order to achieve our goal of being recognized as “women” and not mere “objects”.

It has been pointed out by some feminist thinkers that women in our society are more identified and associated with their bodies than are men, and, to a greater extent than men, they are valued for how they look .In order to gain social acceptability, women are under constant pressure to correct their bodies and appearance more generally, and make them conform to the ideals of feminine appearance of their time, the so-called ‘norms of feminine appearance’ (the standards of appearance women feel they should be living up to) .

Some feminists have argued that, in being preoccupied with their looks, women treat themselves as things to be decorated and gazed upon.

In being infatuated with their bodily beings, women learn to see and treat themselves as objects to be gazed at and decorated, they learn to see themselves as though from the outside.

People claim that it is the media and advertisements who are to be blamed. But, I believe, that both the media and the society are to be equally blamed for this stereotypical portrayal. It is us who are to be blamed, because, we have readily accepted and appreciated what media has been offering. Had we not accepted it and voiced our dissent, they would not have continued to do so. We call ourselves a modern society but we still are way behind when we see such practices being appreciated.

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