The Effects of Objectification
To all of Society:
The
correlations between sexual aggression against women and the objectification of
women in the media. are too great to be ignored.. Models in advertising are
exploited violently and sexually. Their bodies are dehumanized for the sake of
raising sales to consumers and to promote new products. The negative portrayal
of these models is a growing concern for society. There are several theories
and factors that can contribute to the significantly high rates of sexual
violence against women. Praising sexual aggression against women in the media
is one small factor.
Consequently,
reports from the National Violence Against Women survey show that close to 18
million women and almost 3 million men have been raped. In a single year, more
than 300,000 women and approximately 93,000 men are estimated to have been
raped. Although the word “rape” is gender neutral, most rape victims are female
and most rapists are male. People of all ages and sexes can be objectified in
the media. When the media objectifies women it invites people to believe that their
bodies are only meant to be abused and exploited. Only, objectification becomes
a sociological issue when sexual aggression against women is glorified. Not
only is it dangerous for women but men as well. Women are more widely
represented as sex objects in the media and in advertising. More recently men
also have become victims of sexual objectification but still are not used as much
as women.
I
chose to write about this topic because it is something that I have always
wanted to share with others. I have heard countless stories from other girls
and their experiences of rape and or molestations. Most came from my years in
high school where girls were influence of drugs and alcohol at parties and
would wake up out of their drunken states only to discover they had been
sexually assaulted. Most of them never made police reports or confronted the
men they thought did it out of fear and shame. It made me think about the people
who committed these rapes. They were the same age as these girls and most of
them even walked the same hallways as them. Of course it was wrong for them to
violate these girls in such a way but I wondered what kind of things had
influenced them to do so.
Accordingly,
the people who look at these ads repeatedly begin to see patterns and
ultimately get one strong message from these ads; that sexual aggression or violence
is okay to use against women when trying to gain something. For example, a
strategy used by marketers in propaganda is to make the woman in an ad vulnerable,
weak and sexually attractive, while the male's only hope of having that woman
is by buying the product. Advertising doesn't physically harm a person when
seen;. the actions influenced by these ads do. Some of these ads depict women
and men posing in such a manner that often times mimics pornography or S&M.
The difference between pornography and sexualized ads is that the ads don't
directly show pornographic images they mock them which is the only reason why
these ads are "socially acceptable". The models used in the ads are
attractive and young. Even though they might be representing a clothing company
or if the ad is fashion related the models rarely have on much clothing.
Instead the marketers rely on the models' slim figures and pretty faces and
overly sexualized posing to gain more clientele.
As a result, the sole purpose of including sex
in photography in the fashion industry is to hope that once the consumer views these
images they long to have the same lifestyle as the models. When a woman is
being objectified in a manner that promotes rape and violence it creates a
hostile environment for woman's safety.
Studies show that men are more likely to be accepting of sexual aggression involving
women and believe in rape-supportive ideologies when exposed to ads that
portray women as sexual objects. There are many myths and theories as to why
men are more likely to abuse or rape women. One of these theories being that
the men viewing these ads might feel ashamed and uncomfortable with themselves
and want to use whatever product the ad is selling for the sake of a woman's
attention. In reality not all material will make a person more successful when
strictly seeking sexual acknowledgement from the opposite sex. Already these
people subconsciously feel the burden of trying to be someone they are not.
These men also become victims of sexual exploitation as well, but only in a
different structure.
For
instance, in the article, "Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt" Jean
Kilbourne, addresses the different tactics marketers use in advertising. There
are three different ways of objectifying a woman. I do agree with some of her
theories but not entirely. Kilbourne claims that women are the victims when it
comes to objectification in the media. The marketers and fashion designers are both women
and men who are behind these demeaning ads. If women are the victims by
Kilbourne's standards then isn't it fair to say that these women can also be
guilty of objectifying themselves too? The models in the ads are like puppets
to designers. They are there to present a product and do nothing more. In
Kilbourne's essay she uses images from model Kate Moss' Calvin Klein campaign
from the 90's which went on to become the most controversial ad in the fashion
industry. Moss was known for her waifish figure and was branded with the knick
name, "heroin-chic." In the ad it shows a black and white photo of
Moss lying down on a sofa nude with minimal makeup, gazing into the camera
expressionless. Kilbourne claims that because of Moss' androgynous figure the
ad attracted pedophiles and glamorized child pornography. Recently an article
published by Vanity Fair quoted Moss saying, "...they were like, If you
don’t do it, then we’re not going to book you again. So I’d lock myself in the
toilet and cry and then come out and do it. I never felt very comfortable about
it." Moss continued to talk about her feeling self conscious about her
body and explained the pressure she endured during these photo shoots to pose
nude. She was only 17 years at the time of her campaign where she had to pose
with then singer Mark Walberg (Marky Mark). The photographers and her modeling
agency would threaten her with losing her career if she didn't do what she was
told. Not all models want to subject themselves into doing these things. If
Moss is only one example of a model feeling pressured to do something outside
of her comfort zone; all the rest are unaccounted for. Although, Kilbourne does
have a point. What does Kate Moss nude on top of a couch have anything to do
with selling a fragrance? The bottle of perfume isn't even visible in the shot.
Given
these points, it is not too late to educate each other on this sensitive
subject. Marketers and designers need to know that what they are doing is
proven to affect the brain in many negative ways. As people we need to stand up
to the those who objectify our bodies and use them only to sell. Our bodies are
not for sale. The better understanding society has on the abuse of advertising
in the media, the sooner we can help those who have become confused by the
messages they send.
Works Cited
Burt,
Martha R. "Cultural Myths and Supports For Rape." Personality and
Social Psychology 38.2 (1980): n. pag. APA
PyscNET. American Psychological Association, 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012 .
"Kate
Moss: Sex, Drugs, and Johnny Depp." Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair, 31 Oct. 2012 . Web. 28 Nov. 2012 .
Tjaden,
Patricia, and Nancy Thoennes. "Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Rape
Victimization: Findings From the National Violence Against Women Survey." Extent,
Nature, and Consequences of Rape Victimization NJ (2006): 1-46. NCJRS.
National Criminal Justice Reference Service, Jan. 2006. Web. 28 Nov. 2012 .
