A few days ago, I was enjoying a relaxing afternoon with a friend when the topic of objectification arose. The objectification, specifically of women, is reoccurring in today's society yet it is often disregarded so I was glad when my friend brought it up in conversation. Unfortunately, he did not seem to distinguish objectification as big of an issue as it truly is.
I wish my friend was right about the issue of objectification being trivial, but the reality is that objectification is destructive. Women are continuously portrayed as sexual objects in the media thus demeaning femininity as a whole. This is a huge issue because it leads to serious problems in the way females perceive themselves as well as in the way men perceive women. According to Mandy Velez, a journalist for A-Plus, "Studies have shown that the objectification of women in mainstream media correlates to the alarmingly high rate of eating disorder, body dysmorphia disorder, body image anxiety, and depression among women. Girls and women internalize these messages as what society deems beautiful and equates that with their self-worth." If you've ever dealt with any of the disorders or mental illnesses listed above, you know how hurtful this may be to one's well-being.
Due to women's portrayal in media, we often accept that we are merely sexual objects, here for others' pleasure. This sets a double standard. Women are expected to be pure, simple, and "feminine," yet they are illustrated as sex dogs with ridiculously Photoshopped features. Truth is, sex sells but that does not mean we should allow the media to use women as their selling point. Yes, it should be acceptable for women to be sexual, but it should be in our control to portray ourselves as we please. The media sexualizes women by exploiting them, and this is rather dehumanizing. As a general whole, humanity is allowing for such revolting advertisements, music videos, movies, video games, magazine covers, and the like to be displayed. As I mentioned previously, sex sells and sadly we are the ones in control of what sells.
Women and men alike can be sexual beings, but unfortunately, women are targeted by the media and objectified. I have seen some sickening portrayals of women in the media, and it aggravates me but more so, it breaks my heart because women are strong beautiful creatures that are demeaned beyond belief. I hope to one day live in a world where objectification no longer exists.
