Elitsa Yaneva

COMM 240
3/4/2017

HYPERSEXUALIZATION OF WOMEN IN THE MEDIA

Specific Purpose: To make a statement about the representation of women in the media and
how it is constructing the society we live in.

Central Idea: Women are being hypersexualized in the media.

Introduction

I. (Attention Getter) All through the years, women have faced many monumental types of
unequal rights.
II. (Audience Adaptation) From unequal pay to over exploitation.
III. (Purpose) As we all know and witness daily, women are hypersexualized through every
aspect of mass media.
IV. (Preview) Today in this podcast, I will discuss the following.
A. First, I will discuss how hypersexualization of women in the media has
progressed over time.
B. Second, I will look into the mass media entertainment represents women and the
impact on our society.
C. Third, I will show the impact that hypersexualization of women in the media has
on our youth.

TRANSITION: Now let me discuss the progression of this issue and how business mindset of
sex sells as a justification for this obscene material.

Body

I. Human beings are sexual creatures who are biologically programed to lust after one
another for reproductive purposes. As we all know, sex has become a recreational
activity that individuals often desire.
A. However, activist and writer Jean Kilbourne states, The problem isn't sex, its the
cultures pornographic attitude of sex.
B. Businesses have picked up on this sexual impulse that is embodied in our society
and utilize it to advertise their products. This idea that sex sells is seen all
throughout media and is a useful method for increasing sales.
II. The womans body has always been the target for seductive advertisements and this
sexualization makes an statement that appearance is the only important aspect of the
female population.
A. A 1973 Pantene ad showed a woman with long beautiful hair and on the side has
text saying If your hair isnt beautiful, the rest hardly matters.
B. This advertisement was just one of many at that time that stated to women that
they must hold to a certain appearance in order to be accepted by the society
they live in.
III. According to Jean Kilbournes Ted Talk The dangerous ways ads see women, this
representation of women in advertisements has gotten worse over the years. Women
 Elitsa Yaneva
COMM 240
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today are not only told to meet society's expectations of beauty, but they are also given
unrealistic examples of this.
A. Company advertisements have become more revealing, showing women in
minimal clothing or in a provocative pose that are nearly pornographic. These
images are used to sell a variety of products from clothing to fast food. With
advertisement companies being more powerful now than ever, these images are
being spread throughout all forms of media, exploiting and objectifying women.
B. The development of Photoshop is a big factor of the increase in
hypersexualization of women because it is a tool used to create an unnatural,
sexy, ideal woman as the model for the product.
1. Womens waists are being narrowed, unattractive blemishes are being
airbrushed, and in extreme measures their breasts are being enhanced or
are given a thigh gap.
2. These images increase pressure on women in our society to look young,
thin, and beautiful while being given unachievable and artificial examples
of what this entitles.

TRANSITION: Advertisements arent the only means of hypersexualization of women, this

representation of women as being sex objects is seen in all forums of mass media and
entertainment.

IV. With the internet giving us easy access to pornography, our society begins to adopt the
same highly sexual and degrading images throughout other forms of mass media. We
have accepted this as a new norm in our modern day society and is appearing in all
forms entertainment.
A. Celebrities are beginning to emulate porn stars with sexual behaviors and music
videos are showing graphic images of women undressing which a male figure
then objectifies them. Their pornographic gestures and lack of coverage is being
shown in mass media seen by a large population every day.
B. This exposure to such images shape our society and how women are perceived.
The passive and submissive body language of these women send the message
that their bodies are objects to the mans desire.
1. Women live in a world defined by threat of sexual violence. This
hypersexualization and objectification of women shapes the possibility of
danger and normalizes the idea of a mans control over the womans
body.
2. According to United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund
article Not An Object: On Sexualization and Exploitation of Women and
Girls, when the media reinforces power dynamics that degrade and harm
women and make violence toward them seem trivial, it reduces the
likelihood that acts of violence, especially acts of sexual violence, will be
reported.
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COMM 240
3/4/2017

TRANSITION: Next I will discuss with you the impact of media on youth.

V. Girls are getting the message at an early age that they must fit societys requirements of
beauty and that they are going to fail. This is impossible because of the unnatural female
role models they look up to.
A. Kids are getting sex education from the media and are learning that their sexual
behavior is rewarded.
VI. In some cases, the children are so impacted by the sexual advertisements around them
exposing womens bodies, that they too are being presented in this manner.
A. Young girls are showing up in high fashion magazines and posed in the same
manner as the older female models.
B. 10 year old Thylane Blondeau is an example of this. A spread in Vogue
magazine was published with Thylane laying on a bed, wearing red lipstick, high
heels, and a short dress. Everything, to the seductive look she gave to the
camera, was hypersexualized and made her appear as if she was years older
than her true age.
C. According to Jenna Sauers article Controversial 10-Year-Old Model's Mom
Doesn't Quite Get It, it's not some kind of accident that Thylane Blondeau has
ended up being presented in magazines in wildly inappropriate, sexually charged
ways, and it's not "reading into" these images to notice the things that were put
there, intentionally, by professionals.

INTERNAL SUMMARY: Now that you are aware of the ways women are hypersexualized in the
media, lets review some of the main points we discussed.

Conclusion

I. Today, we informed you of how advertisements have progressed over time, the
entertainment industrys reaction to societys normalization of pornographic material, and
the impact it all has on our generations youth.
II. Thank you for listening!
References

Kilbourne, Jean. The dangerous ways ads see women. TED. May 2014. Lecture.

"Not An Object: On Sexualization and Exploitation of Women and Girls." U NICEF USA. N.p., 10
May 2016. Web. 04 Mar. 2017.
<https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/not-object-sexualization-and-exploitation-women-and
-girls/30366>.

Sauers, Jenna. "Controversial 10-Year-Old Model's Mom Doesn't Quite Get It." J ezebel. N.p.,
10
Aug. 2011. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
<http://jezebel.com/5829680/controversial-10-year-old-models-mom-doesnt-quite-get-it>.