Week 2: Examples of “Objectified” and “Empowered” Sexuality

This week, the topic for my sexual imagery posting is “examples of ‘objectified’ and ‘empowered’ sexuality.”

After reading - Dworkin, A. “Against the male flood: Censorship, pornography and equality, Dines & Jensen “Pornography in a pornographic culture,” McElory, W. “Individualist feminism: A true defense of pornography,” Hartley, N. “In the flesh: A porn star’s journey” and Monet, V. “What is feminist porn?”

– I have come to realize that despite my own ideas of what it means to objectify or empower one’s sexuality, ultimately my thoughts are influenced by other social perspectives. The perspectives from the authors previously mentioned have greatly influenced the ways in which I hope to construct this blog post. Throughout this blog post and in future blog posts I will be referencing to numerous articles written by authors presented to me by my course instructor, Jil Freeman.

Since starting this class, I have made sure to pay extra attention to detail within the media. Particularly, the way women are either objectified or empowered by mass media. Without the help from Google I doubt I would have noticed a single glimpse of a woman’s empowerment. I was able to consume many artifacts of which were objectifying women. These women were objectified by their figures being turned into nothing more than an object, many of which were heavily sexual. It pains me to self identify with these images because of my gender identity as female. I do not agree with the persuasive and perverted argument that the media displays as women as sexualized objects. I do not enjoy the humiliation that these specific artifacts display relevant to women. Take a look at these next four examples of objectified sexuality:

Keep Her Where She Belongs

I found this image on Ms. Magazine’s blog. First by looking at the woman, you can see she is lying down, in a position of mercy. Her facial expressions show disappointment, sadness and her eyes lack enthusiasm. The shoe is placed near to her face as if she’s meant to identify herself with the shoe. If that’s the case, the slogan is hinting that she is in fact a singular object, a shoe. “Keep Her Where She Belongs” says to me that this woman in the advertisement is meant to be on the floor, worthless as only one shoe and not a pair as well as in a state of shame.

Photo courtesy: Ms. Magazine Blog

Women as Objects Inside a Vending Machine

I found this image on The Frisky. This image is an advertisement for REDTAPE a men’s shoe collection. I visited their website where I found many images that objectified women. In this particular image, the women are being shown as an object set up for display and to purchase inside of a vending machine. My interpretation is that men deserve the option to choose whatever he is craving, meaning that he can return to the machine and purchase another if he is unsatisfied, also he can purchase multiple at a time.

Photo courtesy: The Frisky

Furniture Shaped Like Female Bodies

I found this image on The Society Pages. This image is one of many types of furniture which are designed to resemble a woman and in fact objectify women. Here, an Ipod music player is shaped like the bust form of a woman. The speakers as the breasts and the jack or input at the vagina. This is highly sexualized and objective because the woman’s body is shown as an instrument meant to play with, get noise out of and insert things into.

Photo courtesy: The Society Pages

Nine Inch Nails "Meet Your Master"

These lyrics were found on AZlyrics.com. I first heard this song by Nine Inch Nails inside of my brother-in-law’s car. I didn't think much of it at first and then I began to listen carefully to the words. These song verses translate to me as a man having complete control over a woman, by saying things such as “You do what we tell you, You do as you're told.” The singer consistently refers to himself as the master over this woman, claiming that she is meaningless and without power.

Bow down in position

Against the polished steel

This is something different

You'll like the way this feels

No time for asking questions

No time for wondering

We've had enough of you now

You've heard everything

You want to play a new game

You put on this blindfold

You do what we tell you

You do as you're told

Used to be the leader

Now comes the time to serve

Maybe we'll show some mercy

Maybe you'll get what you deserve

[Chorus:]

Count down to the end

Gotta make it come faster, faster

Right around the bend

Is a coming disaster

Count down to the end

And we're headed their faster

Come on down my friend

It's time to meet your master

You've left quite a mess here under your stewardship

You thought you figured it out but you'll learn your place in this

Might take some convincing for you to see the truth

There are so many things we've got in store for you

[Chorus]

Come on down

Previously I mentioned the authors whose articles were assigned this week. I found Dworkin’s article, “Against the male flood: Censorship, pornography and equality” to have the most accurate definition of objectification. He described women as being presented as sexual objects in numerous ways, sexual objects who enjoy humiliation, who like to be physical hurt, who willingly submit themselves to sexual acts and exhibit their body parts. All in all he describes women as being reduced to nothing more than a simplistic object. The artifacts above showed how women can be reduced as such in many ways, through advertisements, furniture design, music lyrics, etc. These women are shown as not being fully human and without integrity, this is the opposite of how I hope to viewed in society.

In society, I would like to be viewed as empowered. In class, we talked about how women with power are rarely considered within the mass media. In recent years I’ve noticed specifically, female music artists taking a stand and using their voices as a message of assertion. Most recently, Beyonce released her musical hit known as “Single Ladies.” A few years back, India Arie used her voice to share with the world that she is not your average woman, which translated to me as she would not back down and be objectified. Below is a link to the music video in which she shares her passion for individuality and self respect, two concepts that every woman deserves.

The India Arie "Video"