Promiscuous, but coy. Curvy, but fit. Independent, but submissive.
These requirements are just a few of the unrealistic standards society has forced upon women and girls. The media has oversexualized women, turning them into sexual objects to be desired for brief pleasure and short-lived satisfaction. This form of prejudice, fueled by today’s pop culture, causes women to be viewed as expendable objects measured by their appearance. Women not only feel insufficient and worthless because of this mindset, but this distorted way of thinking also prevents women from being able to vocalize their ideas or lead others without facing ridicule for not meeting the media’s “accepted” standards. Often, female journalists are critiqued for being too sexy or not sexy enough. Frequently, female politicians are judged by the type of clothes they wear. Society judges women not by their ideas or successes but by their attractiveness. This behavior would never be acceptable if it were a man being judged by the color of his tie or the amount of gray in his hair.
The cycle of determining a woman’s intelligence, worth, credibility and ability based on her appearance must come to an end. The disillusioned perspective society has toward women, that they are sexual objects that must maintain the correct social fad, affects all aspects of our culture. As a result of this treatment, low self-worth is a rising problem among women, primarily in adolescent girls who are struggling to gain what is accepted as a beautiful body and self-esteem. Although the sexualization of women is not the only cause for insecurities, it is a major factor. The sexualization of girls has created unrealistic standards that many strive to reach. When some realize their efforts are in vain, they often feel invaluable and worthless because they do not live up to the tight stomach, the long legs, the golden curls, or the petite figure the media say is desirable. This injustice causes girls to look for their worth in other places—boys, drugs, etc. Often, these other methods of self-assurance continue the cycle of insufficiency.
Another result of these feelings of inadequacy caused by the sexualization of girls is the belittling and bullying between each other. Frequently, girls target others because they are jealous. This causes even more feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy because the girls are either comparing themselves to others or are being targeted for their appearance. Instead of dragging girls down, we should be empowering and encouraging them to work together to accomplish great feats and feel proud of themselves.
These negative, discriminatory actions breed even greater consequences. Girls are not the only ones being taught they must look a certain way; young boys are also picking up on that mindset. These boys grow into men who value women based on their appearance, and the cycle continues. Women are harassed, abused, and raped because they are seen as objects, not equals or individuals. Scantily dressed women in music videos, video games and TV shows reinforce the twisted perspective that women are to be judged by their appearance and treated as objects. Instead of conforming to and encouraging the sexualization of women and the cycle that it creates, we need to stand up and end the mistreatment. Women should be respected as leaders, innovators, and businesswomen, not judged by skirt style, hair color, or body size. Women should be admired for their ideas, actions, and accomplishments, not ridiculed for dress cut, sleeve length, or make-up color. Women should be treated as equals, human, and important, not insufficient, inferior, or worthless. It is time for us to stand up for what is right. The sexualization of women stops with our reaction to the media’s twisted view of girls. It is time to ask ourselves if we are OK with treating women as worthless objects instead of worthwhile individuals.
