The Widespread ‘Normal’ by Maureen Bowen
Casually, I glance into a clothing store window, seeing what the store has to offer. I am confronted by an ad showing a man modeling a smart casual outfit, his body framed by the widespread ‘v’ of a woman’s naked legs, his hands grasping her ankles, holding them open. I glance back down, carry on walking, disturbed and uncomfortable.
Almost every moment of the day people are pummeled by media sources: movies, tv, the internet, magazines, and advertisements. Media reflects our culture, our norms, our expectations. So when women are depicted as submissive, sexual objects, a pair of widespread legs, this should raise the question: do we want our culture to be dominated by incessant sexualization of women? We may classify most of our media consumption as passive, but the normalization of what we see is internalized. Normal is good. Normal determines our priorities. This mindset is imbued into human nature but is treacherous when normal is toxic. It is why we see women cling to cosmetic procedures promising to extend their youth. It is why we see girls lose their love for STEM. It is why we see women stare at their bodies in the mirror relentlessly, picking apart what they see until nothing remains. It is why we see girls looking for validation in a man’s comment about her appearance. It is why we see women feeling forced into a sexualized ideal at the cost of their self-respect and their societal respect.
Our perception of who women are is developed by media, a business where women are grossly underrepresented. Instead, women are marginalized and given the role of boosting sex appeal. For example, most American game show hosts are male accompanied by a woman whose job is to stay quiet, look pretty, spin wheels, and frame prizes. Women are overshadowed by a fixation on their physical appearance. Magazines focus on an actor’s body and fashion over her talent. Sports color commentators body shame or make sexist jabs, ignoring the skill of female athletes.
The hypersexualization of women in media has established a negative feedback loop. Media promotes sexually idealized images of women defining their identity by their body. Sexualized media images consumed by women are seen as culturally acceptable, socially beneficial, and a pathway for success and fulfillment. However, these sexualized media caricatures set unrealistic standards and outcomes for women. But we can be anything if we just try hard enough, and so the spiral continues downward. This vicious cycle leads girls to self-sexualize, striving to make themselves look “hot” or “sexy”, instead of finding identity in their personality, knowledge, talents, and interests. They don’t realize that by dedicating their efforts to chase media’s mirage, they are sacrificing their self-fulfillment and happiness.
When adapting to media’s hypersexualized standards, girls risk diminishing their self-esteem and distorting their body image resulting in serious consequences. A 2019 study by the NIH found that 10% of young women in the United States suffer from eating disorders. An APA report states that girls
exposed to these idealized standards are more likely to develop depressive moods. The pressure to meet media perpetuated ideals set up girls to fail from the start. A life dedicated to reaching the ideal sexualized body forsakes a life spent in self-discovery and personal growth.
It is crucial that media presents a healthy reflection of American society for its people. While solutions to this issue may not be simple, it is necessary if we want to foster an environment in which equality is possible, in which stereotypes are not perpetuated, and in which a woman is recognized for her capabilities. At the heart of it all, this culture of sexualizing women needs to stop. It needs to be denormalized. However, this can’t occur without proper media education for all people. Individuals need to understand that while media does shape our outlook on life, it doesn’t limit the possibilities of life. What we see in media should not rule how we desire to act, look, or live. Women specifically need to be educated on how to scrutinize the media they see and not let media dictate their decisions. We need to support programs such as the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media or Girl Up, which empower young girls and women and encourage them to realize their self worth, pursue their ambitions, and encourage gender equality in all aspects of life. I look forward to the day when these are the only widespread images of women, the US media displays.