The portrayal of women in media is strikingly one-dimensional, often reduced to either objects of desire or figures to be fetishized. This phenomenon extends across diverse platforms—from your go-to fashion magazines to the grittiest video games, where women frequently find themselves cast as subservient and hypersexualized entities. In this episode, we dive into the pervasive nature of this hypersexualization and its roots in larger patriarchal systems. Through a discussion on various media forms, we unravel the profound impact of these portrayals on consumers. The result? A dire outlook on the world, shaped by the affliction imposed by these depictions.
The aim of this episode, therefore, is to provoke a deeper understanding of systemic inequalities ingrained in media and to empower consumers to reshape their perspectives. By doing so, we can collectively strive for a more inclusive and equitable media landscape.
Produced and written by Adele Williams, Thoranna Bender, Eve Iulo
Edited by Adele Williams
Art by Anjelina Gonzalez
Citations:
[1] PBS NewsHour. (2013, December 21). The sexualization of young girls: What we lose and gain. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/social_issues-july-dec13-sexualization_12-21
[2] UNICEF USA. (2021, January 11). Not an object: The sexualization and exploitation of women and girls. Retrieved from https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/not-object-sexualization-and-exploitation-women-and-girls-0
[3] Blagburn, B. (n.d.). A Feminist Approach to Reclaiming Sex, Sexuality, and Sensuality. Saint Mary’s College (Notre Dame IN). Retrieved from https://human.libretexts.org/Courses/Saint_Mary’s_College_(Notre_Dame_IN)/Literature/Chimamanda_Adichie%3A_A_Research_Guide/04%3A_Critical_Analyses/4.01%3A__A_Feminist_Approach_to_Reclaiming_Sex_Sexuality_and_Sensuality_By_Brittany_Blagburn
[4] SSAIC. (2022, April 13). Emily Ratajkowski on Taking Back Her Body. Retrieved from https://ssaic.ca/emily-ratajkowski-on-taking-back-her-body/
[5] Hirsch, J. S., & Larson, K. (2020, February 1). ‘Angels’ in Hell: The Culture of Misogyny Inside Victoria’s Secret. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/01/business/victorias-secret-razek-harassment.html
[6] Masters of Media. (2020, September 28). “You Can See Me Naked After the Paywall”: How OnlyFans Transforms the Online Sex Industry. Retrieved from http://mastersofmedia.hum.uva.nl/blog/2020/09/28/you-can-see-me-naked-after-the-paywall-how-onlyfans-transforms-the-online-sex-industry/
[7] SpringerLink. (2020, January 2). Back That Sexism Up: An Analysis of the Representation of Women’s Bodies in Music Videos. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-29855-5_5
[8] ScholarsArchive. (2017, May 17). Women in Refrigerators: The Objectification of Women in Comics. BYU ScholarsArchive. Retrieved from https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/awe/vol2/iss2/9/
[9] Tulane University Journal. (2022). The World’s Oldest Profession Gets a Makeover: Sex Work, OnlyFans, and Celebrity Participation. Retrieved from https://journals.tulane.edu/ncs/article/view/3661
[10] Cardoso, & Scarcelli. (2021). The bodies of the (digitised) body. Retrieved from https://recil.ensinolusofona.pt/bitstream/10437/12305/1/CARDOSO%2c%20SCARCELLI%20-%20%20%20The%20bodies%20of%20the%20%28digitised%29%20body_PUBLISHED.pdf
[11] Kite, L. (2011). From Objectification to Self-Subjectification: Victoria’s Secret as a Do-It-Yourself Guide. Retrieved from https://www.morethanabody.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Kite-Lexie-NCA-Paper-Victorias-Secret.pdf
[12] ScienceDirect. (2023). Comparing and self-objectifying: The effect of sexualized imagery posted by Instagram Influencers on women’s body image. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144523000980?via%3Dihub
[13] Emerald Insight. (2023, January 17).Sociomaterial influence on social media: exploring sexualised practices of influencers on Instagram. Retrieved from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ITP-03-2022-0215/full/html
[14] Wiley Online Library. (2019, February 19). Sexualized labour in digital culture: Instagram influencers, porn chic and the monetization of attention. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gwao.12354
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