The Effects The Media Has On Women:

The report of the APA task force on the sexualisation of girls showcases the effects
of over sexualisation and objectification have on young girls in todays society. The report
discusses the media and its influence on the sexualisation of females. Members of the
organization stated there is considerable evidence that self-objectification is common among
young girls and women. For example Slater and Tiggemann (2002) have even found girls as
young as 12 years old placed a greater emphasis on their bodys appearance than on its
competence. This implies that sexual objectification throughout the media can lead a girl to
begin objectifying herself. Would you agree or disagree with this argument? Support your
argument using research and examples.

Yasmin Senouci
Carmen Garcia and Russell Stoll
28 October 2014

Sexual Objectification is defined as viewing or treating an individual as a sexualized

body, or as sexualized body parts, available for satisfying the needs and desires of other
people (Allen, et al). This is incredibly dehumanizing, as it means an individual is seen as
nothing more than a body with no feelings. A Sexual Objectification today is more prevalent
than ever in our society; many young women grow up in this culture and do not realize that
anything is wrong. There are a multitude of reasons for this, specifically the media which
targets women. Young girls are taught through the media that being viewed as a sexual
object or the ideal women is an important part of life; that it should be wanted. Many
women even find it empowering to be seen as a sexual object by men, this is a huge issue
because as a result of objectification many women suffer eating disorders, body shame, selfesteem problems all of which usually result in self-objectification. The messages that are
portrayed throughout the media objectifying females play a significant and damaging role, in
not only how men view and treat women, but amongst young women and how they view
themselves.
Advertisements and commercials are incredibly influential within our society; women
are often exploited sexually by advertisement companies to help sell a product. Individuals
are exposed to an eclectic array of advertisements such as billboards, posters, flyers, the
internet, magazines and TV. They can be seen almost anywhere, by anyone. The ads can be
subtle in their objectification but many are incredibly explicit. Many companies have used the
idea that sex sells and incorporated that into their ads creating incredibly over sexualized
commercials. Many claim that using sex to sell is a strategic method however they do not
understand the consequences that begin to occur when people are treated as things. Selfimage is heavily impacted, and this causes many issues amongst young women and their selfesteem. The ads that objectify women's bodies range from clothing to cars, and even include
popular food chains. Carl's J.r is notorious for explicitly using women's bodies in sexual

manner to sell their cheeseburgers. Two sisters, who run a company named Beauty
Redefined, are huge advocates for women's rights. The company are extremely against the
objectification within Carls J.r ads and when "Beauty redefined asked Carl's Jr. about sexism
in the chains ads. The franchise responded that "women are not the target audience and Carl's
Jr. doesn't care about the sexist portrayal of women" (Young). This shows how Carl's Jr. does
not care about the message they are sending, they are just doing whatever it takes to make
themselves money, regardless of whether it objectifies women or not. The franchise also
stated "we believe in putting hot models in our commercials, because ugly ones don't sell
burgers"(Ibid). This shows that not only do they use women to sell their burgers, but they can
only use the hottest models to ensure that men are attracted to them. Meaning there
ultimate goal is to please men. By releasing statements like these, Carls Jr. sends the message
that if one does not look like the girls in those ads then they are not considered beautiful or
hot. By stating ugly girls dont sell, Carls J.r promotes the idea that not conforming to
societys idea of beauty means you are undesirable. The clothing brand, American Apparel, is
also infamously known for the over sexualisation of women in their ads. Their ads typically
feature models scantily clad, in an array of vulnerable, weak and often sexual poses, that
usually only focus on certain body parts. Many of these ads are also repeatedly seen showing
defenceless looking women being stepped on by men, suggesting that men are able to walk
all over women; men are seen as all powerful beings, whilst the women is seen as fragile and
weak. This is a significant difference between how males are portrayed in ads and how
females are portrayed. Men are showcased as strong, independent and powerful beings,
whereas women are viewed often hiding behind males or objects as if they are trying to
disappear. Ads like this tend to glamorize sexual violence, and cause men to think they are the
dominant ones, which ultimately results in the treatment of women as sexual objects. The
Advertising Standards Authority responded to the many complaints being made about a

certain ad and their response was that [they] considered the images were overtly sexual and
that they demeaned women by emphasizing the models groin, buttocks and breasts by not
including their face (American Apparel Adverts Banned). The strategy of cutting out a
womans head and only showing parts of her body, is becoming more and more common in
our society. This is incredibly damaging because seeing body parts separately causes one to
view women separately rather than as a complete human being. Erving Goffman, a
sociologist, believes that dismembering parts of female bodies, [perpetuates] the concept that
a woman's body is not connected to her mind and emotions which is another reason why
separating parts of woman's bodies is so damaging. These ads showcase the idea that women
should want to look and behave a certain way to be desired by men. Jean Kilbourne (278)
states Devaluing women and sex, as we have in advertising [] is extremely unhealthy for a
society that is prone to gender inequality and sexual violence. It is not proven that ads or any
other form of media directly cause violence; however, 'turning a human into a thing, an object
is almost the first step towards justifying violence against that person. It is very difficult,
perhaps impossible, to be violent to someone we think of as equal, someone we have
empathy with, but it is very easy to abuse a thing. Companies do not realize how big of a
negative impact these ads are having on our society, as men viewing women as objects can
lead to a series of bigger problems such as sexual harassment, abuse, rape and domestic
violence.
Music videos are frequently accused of teaching young women that in order to be
viewed as attractive in society, it is necessary for them to behave and dress in a provocative
manner. The images coming from these music videos are very influential Frisby states
Young audiences may interpret these sexually objectifying images as important ways to be
seen as attractive and valuable to society, especially with how pervasive these videos are
throughout our culture. Contrary to many peoples beliefs, music videos have an incredible

impact on society, specifically the younger generation who have grown up watching videos
which often feature half naked women dancing in a provocative manner. Hip-hop culture
frequently shows misogynistic mistreatment of women. It has taken a toll on younger girls
who watch these women in music videos because to fit into society you have to dress a
certain way, sexualize yourself in a certain way, and look a certain way (Schmidt). By
watching these music videos, young girls have begun to believe that not only is dressing way
beyond their years to look sexy acceptable, but also necessary to make men interested in
them. Women are often shown in the music videos, but are never really doing much other
than dancing or moving parts of their bodies in a sexual way. According to Frisby and Aubrey
In male artists' music videos, female characters are often used as props, there for decoration
but otherwise ignored (69). This is most commonly seen in rap/hip hop videos but not
limited to only them. Rap artists such Tyga and Lil Wayne, have many scantily clad women
shown throughout their music videos to make themselves look dominant and often use lyrics
to demean the women that are being shown dancing around them. This projects the idea that
males are superior to women, and women's bodies are for the satisfaction of men. The over
sexualisation of women in music videos has had, and continues to have detrimental effects on
what is considered to be not only be attractive but also to be wanted within our culture.
Music videos give individuals the visual images of women scantily clad, however it is
the lyrics that emphasize and convey dehumanizing and demeaning messages towards the
women's population. Lyrics of some of the most popular songs in society have nothing but
negative comments associated with women. According to Brooks, ho is the most common
term placed upon women in hip hop. The word ho is descendent from the word whore;
meaning prostitute. Many people nowadays seem to have forgotten the original meaning of
these belittling words; they are used regularly in replacement of the word girls. The fact that a
countless numbers of women also use these words sends the message to males that these

terms are acceptable; this encourages males to use them more frequently. Nicki Minaj, a wellknown celebrity, is continuously referring to herself and other females as bad bitches and hos
in her songs such as: Baddest Bitch, Anaconda and Stupid Hoe. Due to the fact that
she is a celebrity, a multitude of young people consider her an inspiration and attempt to
imitate her behaviour, leading them to forget the harmful meaning of the word bitch. Another
example is, how in the song 99 problems, by Jay-Z, he says If you having girl problems I
feel bad for you son I got 99 problems but a bitch ain't one (2004). It is famously known that
Jay-Z makes use of the word bitch a great deal throughout his songs and even refers to his
own wife, Beyonc, as his bitch. This once derogatory term is now used so commonly, it is
viewed in a positive way, as a form of endearment, and even as empowering in todays
society. Many women enjoy being referred to as a bad bitch and describe themselves as
one. The problem with this is that the original meaning of a bitch is a female dog, this is
extremely degrading. Dogs are animals that are kept as pets; often trained by their owners to
obey any rules, therefore by associating dogs with females it dehumanizes women. By calling
a woman a bitch, it causes them to be viewed as animals, ultimately stripping their humanity
away from them. Although the word is most commonly used for women, bitch is also used to
insult a man who is considered less dominant or feminine. Thus creating a culture where
being feminine is seen as weak and vulnerable. In addition it produces a society where
degrading women is accepted and praised by not only women, but also men. Men are seen
time and again referring to women using offensive terms, however it is seen as perfectly
normal and many women do not get offended by it anymore. Men use these misogynistic,
degrading terms loosely, which means women are continuously labelled as bitches, hoes and
sluts. The use of these words towards women so casually creates the idea within our
population that males are superior, dominant beings whilst women are seen as weaker, and
animal like. Numerous rappers including YG, Gucci Mane, and Two Chainz who dominate

the charts are role models for teenage boys. They talk about women in their songs, as if they
are objects that are only good for sex, this then integrates into the minds of adolescents
listening to the songs,. Another common thing seen is the music industry is that lyrics on
numerous occasions compare women to objects, specifically cars. In You Remind Me of
Something R. Kelly says You remind me of my jeep. I wanna ride it. Something like my
sound. I wanna pump it. Girl you look just like my cars. I wanna wax it. He is seen
comparing a women to his jeep, and also referring to her as it which is incredibly
dehumanizing. He then goes on to explicitly say Girl you look just like my cars this is a
prime example of explicit objectification, comparing a women directly to a car. This is
troubling because it leads women to feel like they are the owner of women and their bodies
just as they are the owners of the objects they are comparing them to. The famous band
ACDC, are also seen comparing females to objects in the song You Shook Me All Night
Long, where they say She was a fast machine. She kept her motor clean. This is another
example of explicit objectification, because he is actually calling the female a fast machine,
and once again she is being referred to as a car. These lyrics and different examples of Sexual
Objectification all contribute to self-objectification amongst women.
Movies and Television programs have for many years objectified women, caused
them to seem clueless, vulnerable and even taught them that to be seen as attractive by men
they need to fit societys idea of beautiful. Often movies are seen portraying a stereotypical
idea of beauty and anything that does not fit into the stereotype is viewed as unattractive,
Movies like Shrek where the ugly princess is green, overweight, and more masculine and
the beautiful princess is thin and extremely feminine influences kids at an early age that fat
is bad and thin is good (Kovar). This shows that even from tremendously young ages it is
imbedded into our minds to associate being thin and feminine with beautiful and being
masculine and overweight is unattractive. This tells the females that are overweight or more

masculine than others that they are not accepted or considered attractive in our society. All of
this contributes to a culture of unhappy women who feel uncomfortable in the own skin.
Children are known to have brains that are under developed which mean their minds are
easily moulded into believing what they see; Disney movies are incredibly influential to
young children. They often portray female characters in a certain way which involves them
being highly sexualized with large breasts, a tiny waist, fluttering eyelashes, and coy
expressions (Feng, Chyng Sun 2001). This implants into young girls minds that they are
supposed to look a certain way and if they dont they are less beautiful. This is not only bad
because this causes girls from a young age to compare themselves with unrealistic role
models, but because it creates young boys to have an unrealistic view on how all girls should
look. Similarly females in Disney movies are almost all princesses, who only get there happy
ending after they are saved by a prince. This contributes to the stereotypical idea that women
are domestic, fragile and needy whilst men are portrayed independent and strong; it gives
men a feeling of superiority. In the movie The Princess Diaries, the main character, a
female character named Mia Thermopolis is often referred to as a biological freak. Mia is
flat-chested, wears glasses and has incredibly bushy hair and bushy eyebrows. She has a
crush on the most popular, handsome guy in school named Josh Richter, however he does not
acknowledge. It is then discovered that Mia is actually princess of a fictional country named
Genovia, which results in her getting a makeover. After the makeover many things about her
appearance changed, she is seen with a much bustier figure, her eyebrows and hair tamed
makeup, and more revealing outfits. Once Mia has had the makeover the attention she
received from boys changed drastically, many boys now paid attention to her including Josh
Richter, who asked her to be his girlfriend (Marshall 2001). This teaches young girls that to
be noticed by males they must change themselves and compromise who they are. Thus
creating a society where females are unsatisfied with their appearance as well as feeling as

though they cannot be themselves. By having a certain standard of what is beautiful and
what is not, womens ability to freely express themselves and be who they want to be is
restricted. They are left trying to fit unachievable and unrealistic standards, and when they do
not meet these standards, they are left unhappy with who they are. This is terrible for the
womens population since being uncomfortable in their own skin causes a number of issues
ranging from eating disorders to suicide.
The media showcases the idea of ideal beauty in a multitude of different ways, very
often through magazines, showcasing a look which is unachievable for most girls causing
them to become dissatisfied with the way they look. This results in many issues within the
women's population. According to The Developmental Psychopathology of Eating Disorders:
Implications for Research, Prevention, and Treatment, The average American woman is 5'4"
tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is 5'11" tall and weighs 117
pounds. Most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women (Smolak). This
shows just how huge the difference is between the average American and the models that are
constantly being shown through the media. This causes young girls who see the models, to be
unsatisfied or feel overweight because they are not as thin as that. The models seen in
magazines are altered through Photoshop, they are made to look wrinkle free, blemish free
and much skinnier than they actual are. Cellulite, acne, wrinkles, moles and many other
flaws are removed, to create a perfect looking being that is idealistic and unrealistic. In
fact the media alters everything about the models, the final looks created through Photoshop
are unreal, yet they showcase the message that to be beautiful you must look like that. Many
people do not see the harm in photo shopping pictures in the media with editor, Lucy
Danziger even claiming she only edited the appearance to make the model look their
personal best (Photo shopping: Altering Images and Our Minds). These editors do not realise
that the unrealistic images we see in the media can contribute to the development of eating

disorders like anorexia and bulimia (Body Image in the Media). Anorexia and bulimia are
incredibly common amongst teens in todays society. From young ages women have begun to
starve themselves, count calories and go on binges then purge. The main cause of these eating
disorders being so common is the constant pressure placed upon young girls to conform to an
unhealthily thin body type. The message that being overweight is undesirable is ubiquitous.
Magazines are plastered with headlines like how to spice up your sex life next to headlines
such as new diet secrets: how to get thin fast, suggesting that being thing causes a women
to be sexier. They also take unflattering pictures of well-known celebrities who have gained
a little weight with headlines such as 21 shocking bodies that will make you feel normal.
This creates the idea that gaining weight is completely unacceptable as well as teaching
people that body shaming is acceptable.
Although the media is not the only thing contributing to the issues of objectification, it
is evident that it plays a huge role in causing them. The media affects women tremendously;
it affects their views of themselves as well as their bodies. The unrealistic standard of
beauty within society through the media is simply impossible for everyone to achieve. This
is often due to their genetics, something they cannot change. This impossible standard of
beauty creates a culture which leads women to be unsatisfied with who they are. This is also
an inequality to women because they are made to believe that they are inferior to men, and
are led to believe that their worth is determined by their size and appearance. It creates a
society where women believe they will never be viewed as beautiful. This not only causes
unhappiness amongst women but also men, who are also unsatisfied due to the fact the media
is constantly showing real life examples of models in the media who are flawless.
Essentially through different means the media produces a society where women are made to
feel as though they are worthless unless they fit into societys idea of beauty.

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