The Objectification of Women

What are the easiest and the most effective way to impress a girl?? Well don’t bother purchasing an expensive car and no need to suit up, just spray an AXE deodorant and voila! You’ll have the hottest girls swarming all over you in no time. Similar is the case in mattress ads. Such advertisements have infested the daily broadcast. These ads are created under the impression that female models in skimpy and exposing outfits compel the user to buy the product.

The portrayal of women in such ads and the mentality of the ad-makers is offensive, to say the least. Most of the condom ads portray women as an ‘object of seduction’. The deodorant ads show them as brainless maniacs, who run after whatever smells good. The movie and TV industry is obsessed with boobs (Game of Thrones) and most of the nudity consists of naked women. When we see or hear the word ‘prostitute’, I am pretty sure the only image that comes to our mind is of a woman ready to sell her body. But, male prostitution is as common (remember BA Pass ??).

Majority of the female characters are shown as wives, girlfriends and mothers instead of them being characterized as working class women which, in reality, well.. is a reality. Female leads in a movie are rare. Even women-centric movies have women playing a subsidiary to a male character.

Girls are referred as ‘item’, ‘maal’ etc. in a commonplace conversation. They are ogled at the same way the iPads and the iPhones are drooled over in a gadget store. This is objectification in the clearest sense and indicates the mentality of the society and the level it has stooped to when it comes to respecting the better half. Female models are heavily photoshopped displaying an unrealistic beauty, just to please a few eyes. Objectification of women is common in the mainstream media, in the form of posters, billboards etc. using a female character to sell a product.

In everyday conversations, our ideas and dialogues are dominated by male pronouns. Every dog, horse is a ‘he’. The supreme position in an organization is referred to as ‘chairman’. That seems to be the stereotyped convention. And until recently, the President was a ‘he’, blatantly dismissing the idea of a female supreme. Every change is seen from the point of view of a man. Women’s ideas, needs are overlooked. The corporate world is still getting used to following orders from women at a higher post.

Girls, women are the most creative masterpiece on the planet. They need to be respected, loved and cared for. If we get pissed off when our girl friends, girlfriends, sisters are stared at, then we should refrain from doing the same to other’s girl friends, girlfriends and sisters. Break away from the stereotypes treating women just as objects meant to gratify the masculinity. The images of women the media serves on a daily basis are far from reality. The society is changing, finally embracing the idea of a woman in a commanding chair, though it’s still a long way to go.

Also published on Campusghanta.

Spicy Saturday (30 Nov, 2013)