Sexual objectification
Sexual objectification refers to the perception of individuals, primarily women, as objects whose primary purpose is to satisfy the sexual desires of others. This dehumanizing practice reduces a person to a mere object, stripping away their complexity and individuality. Typically, it involves a power dynamic where one party—often a man—views the objectified individual as someone existing solely for their pleasure, leading to a disempowered status for the objectified person. This phenomenon is prevalent in various societal contexts, including media portrayals and cultural narratives, which often emphasize physical attractiveness over other qualities.
In popular culture, such as fairy tales and advertising, women are frequently depicted as beautiful and desirable, reinforcing the idea that their worth is tied to their appearance. Furthermore, the impact of sexual objectification can extend beyond women to affect men, as societal pressures also compel them to conform to certain physical ideals. This can lead to anxiety and self-esteem issues for both genders, as individuals grapple with unrealistic standards of beauty and desirability. The conversation around sexual objectification is complex, intersecting with feminist discourse and inquiries into the nature of personal agency and empowerment.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Sexual objectification
Sexual objectification is the practice of perceiving a person as an object that solely exists to appeal to the viewer's sexual desires. This is dehumanizing because a person is looked at as an object instead of a complex human being. Sexual objectification creates a relationship based upon power. The viewer is fully human. The person who is objectified is seen by the viewer as a something, not a someone, whose only purpose is pleasing the viewer. The position of the one objectified has no power. Usually, a man is thought to be the objectifier, and a woman is seen as the object. The man believes that the woman wants to be desirable to all men and that it will benefit her to do so. The qualities of the woman that do not relate to her sexual desirability are diminished or overlooked.
Background
Sexual objectification is a popular topic for feminists because of its widespread presence in society. Fairy tales that people read in childhood, especially those written by the Brothers Grimm, are filled with beautiful female protagonists. Many times, the hero, who often is a prince, falls in love with a woman because of her beauty and no other reason. This tells children from a young age that heroes require a woman who is physically attractive and that little girls who grow up to be beautiful will have happy and fulfilling lives. Women who are the villains often are older and ugly or losing the beauty of their youth. The pleasing appearance is what makes the women attractive to the hero of the story, and these women often are treated as rewards for the heroes overcoming struggles and strife.
Some believe that women who spend a great deal of time on their appearance perpetuate objectification. The time and money spent reinforce the view that a woman must be attractive to be pleasing to men. Others argue that women make these sacrifices for their enjoyment and that this behavior is a matter of pride in themselves.
Emmanuel Kant wrote extensively on the topic of sexual objectification. He believed that people who have sexual relations outside of marriage contribute to this kind of objectification, as they use others for their own gratification. He also claimed that women are guilty of sexual objectification, but most times, they are the recipients of this behavior.
Pornography is thought to contribute to sexual objectification because men pay for sexually explicit materials that include attractive women. These women are not viewed as people but instead are viewed as objects existing for the pleasure of men. Pornography also features attractive men, so it is available for the indulgence of women as well.
Many adult women enjoy erotica, which consists of explicit literary works. Fifty Shades of Gray by E. L. James is one of the most popular erotica novels. Literary work often depicts the emotional relationship between the characters involved. Even if the characters are problematic, they do have some character development and exist outside of being sexual objects.
Ann Rice, best known for her book series about vampires and witches, believes that women have as much a right as men to enjoy erotica. In the 1980s, she published the Sleeping Beauty Trilogy,which includes The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty's Punishment,and Beauty's Release.They were written under the pen name A. N. Roquelaure. The stories include both men and women as sexual objects. As a feminist, Rice believes that women also are entitled to indulge in sexual fantasies.
Overview
As sexual objectification pervades all forms of media, women learn to compare themselves to other women. Examples of sexual objectification are found in newspaper and social media comments. Commenters sometimes prefer to critique the appearance of a woman featured in an article instead of opining about her views. This behavior suggests that a woman must be physically perfect to have an opinion or accomplish anything of value. The covers of women's magazines frequently feature teasers for articles on weight loss, dressing for one's age and body type, and other appearance-related matters. Many women try to fit into ideals, wanting to be as sexually appealing as the women presented in television shows, movies, and books. Part of their self-worth is tied to their value as a sexually appealing object.
Many women monitor their appearance, which may cause anxiety and embarrassment if they fall short of their goals. This includes keeping track of weight, dieting, and frequently checking mirror reflections for disheveled hair or smudged makeup. This anxiety can affect productivity both in the workplace and in personal life. Women sometimes are haunted by the thoughts that they may not measure up to society's ideals and that they somehow are of lesser value than those who better meet the ideals. These behaviors and negative self-perception can deepen as a woman ages. As smooth skin gives way to wrinkles and age spots appear, women may spend more time fighting against time.
Some women sexually objectify one another. Sexual objectification occurs within families and circles of friends. When groups of women spend time together, they often critique one another's appearances as well as their own. This reaffirms the ideals of beauty. Some mothers remark on their daughters' physical attributes.
Men are beginning to feel the effects of sexual objectification. Many men place greater emphasis on their physique, monitoring their eating habits and fretting over hair loss. There is much money to be made on the peddling of diets, muscle-building regimens, lotions to promote clear skin, and products to restore hair growth.
Bibliography
Aubrey, Jennifer Stevens. "Effects of Sexually Objectifying Media on Self-Objectification and Body Surveillance in Undergraduates: Results of a 2-Year Panel Study." University of Arizona, 2006, https://comm.arizona.edu/sites/comm.arizona.edu/files/jcom‗24.pdf. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.
Burn, Shawn M., "The Harm in Treating Ourselves and Others as Sexual Objects." Psychology Today,23 June 2013, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/presence-mind/201306/the-harm-in-treating-ourselves-and-others-sexual-objects. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.
"Feminist Perspectives on Objectification." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 1 Dec. 2015, https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/feminism-objectification/. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.
Flood, Alison. "Anne Rice Backs Equal Rights for Women to Enjoy Erotica." Guardian, 10 July 2012, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/jul/10/anne-rice-women-erotica-sleeping-beauty. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.
Neikirk, Alice. "'…Happily Ever After' (or What Fairytales Teach Girls about Being Women." University of Hawaii, https://hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/hohonu/documents/Vol07x07HappilyEverAfter.pdf. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.
Rooney, Emma. "The Effects of Sexual Objectification on Women's Mental Health." NYU Steinhardt, http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/appsych/opus/issues/2016/spring/rooney. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.
Stock, Kathleen. "Sexual Objectification." Oxford Academic, 3 Apr. 2015, https://academic.oup.com/analysis/article/75/2/191/165327/Sexual-Objectification. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.
Weiss, Robert. "Men, Women, and Sexual Objectification." Psych Central, https://blogs.psychcentral.com/sex/2013/01/sexual-objectification/. Accessed 23 Feb. 2017.