BrooklynnEarly
JohnKubler
English114
25January2015
ModernDayObjectificationofWomen
Imaginethelastmusicvideoyouwatched,Nowthink...weretherewomeninthisvideo?
Werethewomeninvideofullyclothedorhalfnaked?Todaywomenssexualityisusedto
advertisejustabouteverythingandmakeaprofit.Womenarebeingusedasobjectsinorderto
makemoney.Itisbelievedthattheobjectificationofwomenhasaclosecorrelationtothe
violenceofwomen.Thewaysinwhichwomenareportrayedaffectstheselfesteemofwomen
andevenhowmalestreatfemales.Aswomenseeadvertisementsandothermediaofsocieties
idealbeauty,theygotoextremestotryandfitintosocietiesboxofbeauty.Theobjectification
ofwomenisdangerousandteachesmenthatwomenarenomorethansexualobjectsorprizes.
Theobjectificationofwomenhasleadtoanincreaseofmedicalproblemsinwomenand
themistreatmentofwomen.Itisbelievedthattheimageofwomeninthemediaismisogynistic.
MisogynycomesfromtheGreekrootwordmisowhichnotonlymeanshatred,butalsomeans
half.MarinaDelVecchio,awriterwhoseekstotakewomensresearchfromscholarshipto
mainstreamassertedthatItisclearthatwomenarepresentedashalfhumanandobjectified.
WomenillustratedinAdsarentwhole,theareusuallyjustatorsoorlegs.Ifwomenarelooked
atasonlyobjects,ratherthanhumans,itmakesitthatmucheasiertodevalueandmistreatthem.
StephanieNichollBerberick,aresearcherfromtheUniversityofBuffalobelievesthatthe
objectificationofwomennotonlyinducesstatesofshameandfearinwomenitalsopromotes
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thetreatmentofthemasinhumanplaythings.Womenfearthattheywillneveramounttothe
mediasstandardofbeauty.Infact,from20002009,theAmericanSocietyofPlasticSurgeons
reportedaneightfourpercentincreaseintummytucksandasixtyfivepercentincreaseinbreast
lifts.TheNationalEatingDisorderAssociationreportsthattenmillionwomenaredistressed
withanorexiaorBulimia.Thesestandardsofbeautyareallaroundusremindingusthatweare
notperfect.
Menalsoplayahugeroleintheembodimentanddangerousportrayalofwomen.InAds
andmusicvideos,womenareusuallyperformingactsformenorseenpleasingmenasifthatis
theironlypurpose.Ifmenareconstantlyviewingwomenasobjectsthatmustbepossessed,
theywilltreatthemlikeso(Berberick8).Nowonderwhywomenandyounggirlsarevictims
ofmaleviolence.KanyeWest,averywellknownandpopularrapperandproducerwhohas
receivedtwentyoneGrammyAwardsreleasedamusicvideothatsupportsDelVecchioand
Berberickclaimabouttheobjectificationofwomen.InhisvideotohissongcalledMy
BeautifulDarkTwistedFantasy,therearenumerousimagesofbeautifulDEADwomen.Inhis
video,womenarenomorethanobjects,herbodyexistsforhimwithoutheractuallybeing
present.VeryDisturbing(DelVecchio1).Itisportrayedasifher(meaningwomen)
mind,thoughts,andvoicearenonexistent.Thisverypopularsongandvideotellsyoungmenand
womenthatwomenarenothingmorethanapleasantphysiqueandmeaninglessintelligence.
Asawomen,Icompletelyagreethattheobjectificationofwomenhasgoneoverboard.It
issadthatthishasbecomethenorm,thenewwayofthinking.Itishardforfemaleslivingina
societythatonlyseekstoremindthemthattheyarentgoodenough.Societyshowsusthatwe
arenomorethanlonglegsandnicelips.Noteveryoneunderstandsthatthisisanissue,infact
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becauseithasbecomethenorm,theexploitingimagesofwomenwillonlyincrease.Plastic
surgeryhasbecometheavenueforwomentobuythebodythatsocietytellsthemisacceptable.
Lastly,Iagreethatthereisacorrelationbetweentheviolenceofwomenandtheobjectification
ofwomen.Ifmenseethatwomenarenothingmorethanbrainlessobjects,theywonthavea
problemabusingthem.Thevalueandrespectforwomenhasenormouslydecreased,thereforethe
disrespecttowardswomenasinevitablyincreased.
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WorksCited
Berberick,StephanieNicholl."TheObjectificationofWomeninMassMedia:Female
SelfImageinMisogynistCulture."TheNewYorkSociologist5(2010).Web.25
January.2015
DelVecchio,Marina."TheMediasContributiontoViolenceAgainstWomen."
TheNew
Agenda
.N.p.,10Apr.2011.Web.25Jan.2015.