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ismnotwasm

(41,919 posts)
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 09:02 AM Apr 2014

GIRLS ARE WATCHING Self-Expression or Sexualization?

Between the perennially half-naked Miley Cyrus and celebrities whose only claim to fame is sex appeal, impressionable young women are being taught that sexualizing themselves is the key to empowerment.

“We’re all seeing the same exact thing over and over again, so it’s kind of hard to avoid not replicating that,” said 16-year-old actress Winnifred Bonjean-Alpart during a panel at the Women in the World summit on the impact our sex-saturated culture is having on young women. “Of course they’re going to try to create what they’re seeing because that is what gets attention.”
Hypersexuality in the media and pop culture is a growing concern among women of all ages, as Bonjean-Alpart articulated during Saturday’s panel, which was moderated byMorning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski.
But it was actress and writer Rashida Jones, whose feature in Glamour on “the pornification of everything” inspired the panel.
“I don’t blame anyone individually for expressing themselves. I’m just worried about the collective message,” Jones said of the sexualized images perpetuated by young female pop stars and emulated by young women and girls as young as seven. “It feels like the headline. And I know there’s more to those performers than that.”


http://www.thedailybeast.com/witw/articles/2014/04/05/teaching-girls-the-difference-between-self-expression-and-sexualization.html

For some reason I couldn't find the videos to embed. LOVE this first comment

This is such an important discussion to have, but I think we need to stop focusing only women and girls--STOP holding them responsible for the hyper-sexualization of women and girls. Blaming women and girls is actually reinforcing the problem because it avoids examining the root cause of the problem. We need to start holding GROWN MEN RESPONSIBLE for the hypersexualization of women and girls. Men must be encouraged to stand up against the hyper-sexualization of women and girls. Why are they are completely invisible in these conversations about female exploitation? Because this is how unequal power structures work. Dominance operates, by being unexamined, and those in power are usually in denial, because they aren't feeling objectified and oppressed. It is like blaming slaves for their own oppression, and not holding the enslavers, the ones in power, responsible.


Fact: Adult males are more powerful then women. They hold the majority of powerful roles in our society. Look at government leadership and CEOs in our country--women hold a tiny percentage of these positions. In record numbers, men control the media, men make the decisions about what will be shown in media, in music, they make up most of the audience that support the hyper-sexualization/exploitation of women. Women all over should demand that men act to protect their wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, their female loved ones. To learn more checkout Jackson Katz's work--an ally, he is doing great stuff on this topic.
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redqueen

(115,096 posts)
1. It is so good to see more women talking about this.
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 09:33 AM
Apr 2014

It's been so painful seeing the conversation dominated by men and funfems, who can't seem to grasp the concepts being discussed.

Anyway, I do have one issue with that comment. I do agree that having male allies is very important, but this: "demand that men act to protect their wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, their female loved ones" is a mistake IMO.

Appealing to men to care about what happens to women because some of the women who might be affected are women whom these men might actually consider human and deserving of consideration and respect, as opposed to sexual objects, is a harmful message.

malthaussen

(17,066 posts)
2. Maybe baby steps?
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 09:44 AM
Apr 2014

It could be argued, anyway, that if first men act to protect women who are close to them, at some point familiarity might help create a Big Leap to the protection of all women -- or an even Bigger Leap to the humanization of everyone. Since abuse statistics tell us that many men have not even made the initial move of caring about their soi-disant "loved" ones, it might be concluded that an incremental approach is better than none.

Mind you, I've been struggling for years with the question of how to make people recognize the humanity of the not-self, and I still haven't come up with anything.

-- Mal

ismnotwasm

(41,919 posts)
14. My favorite Graphic Novel, Preacher
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 01:40 PM
Apr 2014

Actually has a subplot addressing this, the male protagonist, a very macho Texan, is deeply in love with a very capable woman (name of Tulip loL)

They have this conversation several times; she tells him she can take care of herself, he's terrified of losing her in the wake of his er, call it a quest, despite the fact she saves his ass several times.

By the end of the series, she flat out leaves him, although there is a lot of love between them. Of course they get back together at the very end, with him AND her in tears (meaningful in the context of the story)

He continually is working on coming to terms with idea, it's a very cool subplot-- even mentioned he's read some feminist theory. It's a very violent series, as so many of them are.

 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
4. trying to get a man to look at a woman as a human, as opposed to a thing, a tool. but.... in doing
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 10:27 AM
Apr 2014

that, it is also separating women as those we love. the humans in our life as opposed to the tools/things to be used.

yes. i get your point.

 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
8. and this is when pornification/hypersexualiztion of ALL women and girls plays a part in the
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 11:01 AM
Apr 2014

conditioning of our men and boys, to see women and girls as a thing to be used.

pure 100% cultural and societal conditioning of our boys.

 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
3. Hypersexuality in the media and pop culture is a growing concern among women of all ages
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 10:03 AM
Apr 2014

growing concern for women of ALL ages? really? it is not just the few hof making these claims, saying these statements.

i am glad to hear this. with awareness comes action.

Response to ismnotwasm (Original post)

rocktivity

(44,555 posts)
6. You're welcome.
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 10:55 AM
Apr 2014

Fortunately, these are YouTube videos -- just go to the Youtube page and copy the URL under "Share":






rocktivity
 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
9. healthy sex or the sexualization. one further step, with the feminist psychology, that i love....
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 11:04 AM
Apr 2014

not only taking the body parts as a commodity. i think where we have really gone wrong in the last couple decades is the glorification of male sexuality to god like status and relegating womens sexuality to ONLY the use to the male in glorifying his sexuality.

women do not even get to own their own sexuality.

a womans sexuality is ALL about getting a man off.

 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
10. putting money in a stock that is going down. love the woman. and how we set ourselves up for a
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 11:06 AM
Apr 2014

lifetime.

how society sets us up

hence, why women are throw aways after a certain age. and all, had better believe it.

thanks rock, for these two videos, you fuggin ....

 

JayhawkSD

(3,163 posts)
11. This is a really tough question, isn't it.
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 11:19 AM
Apr 2014

If adult women want to display how lovely they are, why should they not do so? I'm not talking about porn, here, or about strippers, but about celebrities who dress to "show off" their bodies. They are, indeed, lovely and we don't want to go back to the Victorian era where women's bodies were something to be assiduously hidden from view.

On the other hand for young girls to see that and take it as an indication to use their bodies as an asset... Yes, you make a very good point.

That, I think is where the parent or mentor is vital in any child's life; male child or female child. "What role does one's body play in one's life?" is a question that children of both genders need to learn to answer, and leaving them on their own to learn it from their peers, who don't have any better answer to that question than they do, or from television shows, or from aping the actions of celebrities is where the problem lies. The role model needs to lie a lot closer to home.

Celebrities, be they females dressing revealingly or males leaving a trail of beaten women and illegitimate children, are not the role models from which our children should be taking their clues, but absent adequate parenting that is precisely what happens.

 

seabeyond

(110,159 posts)
13. maybe start with men. bowing to the existence of it to us women, not start with the objectification
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 12:34 PM
Apr 2014

of women. you know. that telling us how beautiful women are, how much, you as a man appreciate the beautiful of who us women are. even if it is in the curtaining of decrying said actions.

saying.

even in your support you are letting us know, you are man, and use woman as thing... be it art, be it porn. but ya... there is something to this objectification thing. and see, i am still a man. appreciating the beauty of....

i say this respectfully, and not insult, snark or scorn. just is.

Tuesday Afternoon

(56,912 posts)
12. This one line says it all for me =
Sun Apr 6, 2014, 12:28 PM
Apr 2014
We need to start holding GROWN MEN RESPONSIBLE for the hyper-sexualization of women and girls.
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