All eyes on you - and you don't even know it
let's talk about sex, baby
a feminist view
sexed up media portrayals damage girls
women - not sex objects
'To be recognised as a female, you have to be hot’
Women are just sex objects, and the culprits are the media and pop culture, argues campaign group Object.
" We challenge the normalising of the ‘sex-object’ culture," says Sandrine Levêque, advocacy officer of Object.
"You only have to go to your local corner shop or supermarket, turn on MTV, jump on a bus to get to school or work, and you'll be bombarded with images of women in highly sexualised poses and with vacant expressions being used to sell products, music and films."
Playboy ‘freebies’
Girls are targeted at younger and younger ages as consumers of this sex object culture, according to the group.
"We've seen MISS magazine promote fluffy pink Playboy ‘freebies’ to girls aged 10-14 year; Tesco sell pole dancing kits to children and Argos sell Playboy bedding in the children’s section of its catalogue. And at the same time celebrities keep endlessly promoting the porn industry. So-called glamour models are held out as role models for young girls. The message is loud and clear: to be recognised as a female, you have to be 'hot'."
Pornography
The trouble isn’t sex, according to the Object feminists, there's nothing wrong with that. "The problem is sexual objectification," says Sandrine. "It’s not sex that’s everywhere - it's the normalised images stemming from pornography. The fact that anyone who criticises pornography is accused of being anti-sex shows just how clever the porn industry has been at marketing itself."
Lad’s magazines techniques
Last year Bliss Magazine, aiming at girls from 14 to 17, was criticised for using techniques of lad's magazines such as FHM and Nuts to encourage teenagers to rate their own attractiveness. Readers were asked to rate their body parts, saying whether they were happy, unhappy or "hated 'em".
The Nuts website had an "Assess My Breasts" section where women could post pictures of themselves to be rated.
Emma Hoddinott was online editor of Bliss at the time, and didn't think the article was too sexual. She says: "All content for 'How sexy is my boyfriend?' is pre-moderated, so we make sure that comments are positive.”
There was nothing wrong about the article, according to Emma. Here she explains:
She continues: “Bliss and all teen magazines are regulated by TMAP (Teen Magazine Advisory Panel), so we're always entirely responsible with content. Especially with that of a sexual nature."
Another teen magazine, Sugar Magazine, runs an annual modelling competition, for girls from the age of 13.
“Exploitation comes in many forms and theses magazines are as guilty of exploiting children as any child labour procurer,” says Claire Straine, a mum-of-two, from Bournemouth. “I think society in general has to step up to the plate and take a stand.”
Sexual identities
“The problem in general, according to Sandrine Levêque of Object, is that the infiltration of the media by the sex industry is filling the gap of sex education and shaping how sexual identities are formed. If looks are all that matter, it affects all areas of life.”
“Porn infiltrates mainstream culture and the line between what used to be considered hard core and what is sold in newsagents and supermarket becomes more and more blurred.”
Choice
Mainstream media outlets glamorise the porn ‘star’ life, says Sandrine Levêque, and instead of showing the realities of lap dancing, page 3 or prostitution, the media focuses on discussions on women’s ‘choice’ to participate in the sex industry.
Pole dancing is now increasingly mainstream and not just for strippers anymore. While Object may have serious doubts about the practice, it is defended as “great exercise” by many.
Glamour models
"Is it any wonder that Parliament is 85% male, and the gender pay gap means that in effect women are only paid till October whilst men continue to be paid until the end of the year? Women are busy trying to become‘glamour’ models, not politicians and the idea that they can, or should, pursue successful careers outside of the ‘glamour’ circuit is clearly not condoned by our society."
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