A summary of a 2009 report by Object – Joining up the Dots – challenging the sexualisation of women in popular culture.  Obviously of direct interest to anyone studying the ‘continued relevance of Feminist Theory’ today – this document contains over 100 sources, many of which are research based. The main points include –

• The sexualisation of women and girls in the media and popular culture is increasingly prevalent across many forms of media, from television, video games, the internet, film, advertising and clothing to products, animated cartoons, magazines and news. It is linked to the continued mainstreaming of the sex industry and the ‘pornification of culture’.
• A growing body of research has firmly linked the sexual objectification of women and girls to a negative effect on individual health and well-being, with increased sexualisation leading to severe dissatisfaction over body image and self-esteem; high rates of eating disorders among women and girls; rising levels of women turning to plastic surgery; increased incidences of sexual bullying and damaging sexual relations between young people.
• The sexual objectification of women is also linked to the promotion and reinforcement of sexist attitudes – via exposure to media which overwhelmingly contains gender stereotyping and affects perceptions of all women. This has significant overlap with racism via the objectification of women according to their ethnicity. Finally, a large body of evidence demonstrates the connection between the sexualisation of women in the media and popular culture with violence against women.
• Popular arguments against taking action on this issue are centred around the human right of individuals to freedom of expression. However, such a right must be weighed against the need and importance of taking effective steps to protect the human right of women and girls to live their lives free of gender-based violence and discrimination.

Just a selection of some of the evidence they cite – all evidence is available via the link at the top!

On the sexualized representation of women in popular culture –

44%–81% of music videos contain sexual imagery19. Women are far more likely than men to be presented in provocative or revealing clothing20 and sexually objectified – often through imagery linked to the sex industry, such as pole/ lap dancing. Women are frequently portrayed as decorative objects that dance and pose and do not play any instruments.

Contrary to popular belief this is not restricted to hip hop or pop. In one analysis of country music videos, 42% of female artists were coded as wearing “alluring clothing”. Analysis of MTV music videos has found objectification in 44.4% of the 30- second clips analysed.

Comparison of both men’s (Playboy) and women’s (Cosmopolitan) magazines concluded that both types of magazines portray female sexuality in similar ways despite appealing to different audiences. Men’s and women’s magazines both depict women as sexualised objects whose desire is best fulfilled by making themselves into commodities that are sexually available to men. The primary difference was that women’s magazines are not as crude, aggressive as men’s magazines

 Objectification and Harm to women

The sexualisation of women and girls is linked to a range of harms – ranging from body and self esteem issues to violence, sexist attitudes and racism. The links between these issues and a culture in which women and girls are overwhelmingly sexualised is all too often neglected in preventative policy-making decisions.

 

The mainstreaming process has also served to normalise prostitution, lap dancing and other related activities60 – making the harm of commercial sexual exploitation invisible. Yet many women in prostitution and lap dancing experience violence and abuse – whether physical or psychological. Studies consistently find high correlation between routes into prostitution and a background of time in care61 and sexual or physical abuse62.

 Many women cite poverty and the need to pay household expenses as a primary reason for entering prostitution63 and report problematic drug use64. More than half of UK women in prostitution have been raped and/or seriously sexually assaulted65 and many survivors of prostitution meet the criteria for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the same range as torture victims and combat veterans undergoing treatment66.

 Working practices in many lap dancing clubs implicitly encourage men to seek sexual services from performers and women routinely report sexual harassment and violence within the industry.

 Emerging evidence suggests the sexualisation of women and girls has negative effects on the ability to develop healthy sexuality 80. Studies have shown that self-objectification on the part of young women often leads to weakened sexual assertiveness81. At the same time young people increasingly learn about sexual relationships through the media and from pornography, as shown in a 2003 study carried out by Institute of Education which found that 66% of young people reported the media as their primary source of information on sex and relationships. Researchers argue this is “reinforcing the views of many young men that women are always available for sex”.

 A 2005 study of 2,081 young people in Rochdale also found that pornography influences young men’s expectations of sexual relationships, “lead[ing] to pressure on young women to comply” and grooming young men and boys to expect sexual acts normalised in pornography

The report goes on to provide a number of counter arguments to those who would defend women’s right to ‘freely express themselves in a sexualized manner’, argues that current government policies are not adequate to ensuring gender equality and preventing harm to women and suggests a number of things the media and government could do to combat the sexualisation of women and related harms.