Objectification of women creates emotional problems, cultural harm

Sexy grid girl from Czechoslovakia

While the world is getting smaller and many of us might concede there are a few good things to learn about other cultures, how we treat women in the media should be examined to find a middle ground to ensure that woman is treated as person as opposed to object to sell advertising or to promote the sexual interest of men.


Despite the government and media's propagation of material that decries Muslim culture, the fact is the Middle East that may not provide liberty to women doesn't objectify them in media advertising, and that's different. That's different from America, but still not the middle way.

In American media women are often portrayed as physical objects, with emphasis on looks, dress and beauty.

When Sarah Palin ran for Vice President in 2008, the media highlighted her good looks.  Men were interviewed in reference to their subjective opinions about Palin's leadership potentials combined with her sexiness. Much was made about her clothing, not just the cost but the looks. That has been true of other women in politics, such as Hillary Clinton, where pantsuits were highlighted as opposed to ideas much of the time.  Folks continue to examine Hillary Clinton's potential for the Presidency, while including comments about the various hairstyles she has had over the years, unlike the conversations that have to do with male candidates who might run for President in 2016.

Research indicates that there are considerable negative results from the media's representation of women as objects that include depression, anxiety, and shame about the body, sexual dysfunction and eating disorders. Objectification of women attacks women's dignity and produces a culture where women have to focus on what they wear and their overall looks. This has led to significant problems for teenagers.  Objectification is also considered a major factor in eating disorders, a problem often initiated during puberty.

Movies and television shows also go the distance in showing women in revealing costumes. Music videos are particularly graphic and celebrated by business. This brings women into situations for potential violence since men see women as objects as opposed to individuals worthy of respect. In addition, the community tends not to reach out to the victims of sexual violence because of the objectification of women by the media.

The objectification of women is sometimes influenced by the arts, including by women themselves who want to call attention to themselves beyond their talents.  But it is more often men, with their music, especially the guitar, that emphasizes the woman's body as an attraction to a song or video.

In 2006 the King of Saudi Arabia chastised the nation's newspapers for their public pictures of women, not nearly the same as those in the American press, but public portrayal nonetheless is condemned. This may be an extreme example but shows the difference. In Morocco, women are
still treated with some discretion in media representation, quite different from the nations across the Gibraltar Straits into Spain.

The Middle East and America have different cultural responses to women in the media, both somewhat outside the moderate position that keeps women's integrity and personhood intact and yet portrays them at the same level and with the same respect as men. There needs to be a balance and discussion about how the media represents women in all cultures, and the extremes of East and West need to be examined so that there is a balance where women are treated with the overall dignity as men.