rogerian letter.

Show What your Mama gave you!

There is a trend of sexualizing the body of women that is developing in the entertainment industry today. There is a robust focus on women as sexual objects rather than human beings. This trend is harmful to the society as the media builds a stereotype for the women that could affect the present and the coming generation. The media is always changing the cultural sense of dating, sex, romance and love. This activity is allowed because sex sells and the society wants to see the women being used as sexual objects in the media. In turn, it brings detrimental effects to the young generation.

During the ancient times, the body of the women were regarded with much respect. Various communities believed that the women’s body were not to be seen by the public but their husbands only. Winter articulates that the Romans sought out to protect the sexuality of their women as it was regarded a family basis and a symbol of social order and prosperity (p. 67). Virginity was treasured, and the women who were found fornicating could be buried alive. However, presently, women expose their bodies without any fear or restrictions. There are no restrictions on women exposing their sensitive body parts as there was in the past. In fact, the restrictions have been abolished in many societies

The media is contributing to the over-sexualization of the women’s bodies. “Sex sells!” Every market researcher or media personality will give you this slogan when asked why the media sexualize the women’s body in music videos and advertisements. The demographic populations of today only get an appeal from sexualized videos. As such, the American culture is using women to sell their products, services, and lifestyles by sexualizing the bodies of these women. The advertising style is not acceptable whether it is allowed in the society. It could improve the sales of the product or service but what about the hindrance it brings to the development of women’s rights and respect for humanity. The way the media objectify these women creates a mindset that a woman’s opinion is invalid (Worrel).

The effects of the exposure of the woman body in the society have increased sexual immorality. The propagation of sexualized images of women in the promotion, marketing, and media is detrimental to the self-image of the young girls and their healthy development. Classen articulates that the concerns of the sexualization of women in media today are probable to be an undesirable inspiration on the healthy growth of the young girls. Most girls want to emulate what they see in the media and end up giving a wrong impression to the society especially the men who use them and leave them miserable.

The solution to this problem is having boundaries regarding body exposure being established. In Rome, for example, a woman had no legal personality than being a daughter or a wife (Reid). They were expected to dress modestly and not expose their body parts. These restrictions can work. Rules should be established to punish any woman who dresses provocatively in public. Most important, the government should ban the production of these music videos and advertisement that objectify the female bodies.

Irrefutably, women are over-sexualized daily as a result of the influence of the media. The images on the media reduce women to objects. They bring adverse effects to the young girls who emulate what they see in the press. Amazingly enough, this has become the “Thing” of the society. This problem can only be solved if the government put restrictions on the media on what they air out. The society should also set limits on the women not to expose their bodies to the public and give penalties for non-compliance.

Work Cited

Classen, A. (2008). Sexuality in the middle Ages and the early modern times: new approaches to a fundamental cultural-historical and literary-anthropological theme. Berlin-New York: Walter de Gruyter.

Reid, C. (2004). Power over the body, equality in the family: rights and domestic relations in medieval canon law. Grand Rapids, Mich: Eerdmans.

Winter, B. (2003). Roman wives, Roman widows: the appearance of new women and the Pauline communities. Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.

Worell, J. (2001). Encyclopedia of women and gender: sex similarities and differences and the impact of society on gender. San Diego, Calif: Academic Press.