Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Objectification of women in modern society
Objectification of women in modern society
Essays on the fashion industry advertising and body image
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Objectification of women in modern society
Apart from being racialized and classed, women’s bodies in the fashion industry are sexualized. It is noted that the production of racial bodies cannot be discussed without considering the gendering and sexualizing bodies (Ahmed, 1997). According to Stephen (1997), bodies are sexed in the biological sense that they are either male or female. Besides, these sexed bodies would be seen to show particular gendered behaviour. Finally, “bodies can be sexualized because they engage in certain sexual practices, for example, heterosexual or homosexual sex (Stephen, 1997)”. It is also noted that all sexuality originate from or develop in relation to a male heterosexual drive (Stephen, 1997). Therefore, men are considered as active sexual agents while …show more content…
Hence, in the contemporary fashion industry, the sexualisation and objectification of women’s bodies remain, which means female models and their bodies are sexualized as a beautiful object offering pleasure to others. It is noted that sexualization also means the frequent erotic presentation of women’s bodies in the public spaces (Gill, 2007). Fashion media are more likely to disseminate beauty and images of women’s bodies, which provides a lot of opportunities for people to see the female body as an object. It is worth noticing that men still are dominant in the fashion industry, although this industry is mostly catering for women. For instance, most of head designers who are the main image-makers in the industry are men while women are at the bottom of this industry (Wilson, 2005). More importantly, models’ bodies are always viewed by others in this industry. Their bodies are displayed in the catwalk shows, in the fashion magazines, in the campaigns on the streets, etc. As a consequence, gazed by dominant men in this industry and many consumers all over the world, women need to be read as objects for meeting their demands. Also, female models selected by dominant men need to be meet the standard of beauty that formulated by these men. Their bodies need to be coded sexually with specific meanings by men as well. As Gill (2007) …show more content…
For instance, Liu Wen, a Chinese female model, entered the list of “New Supers” in the famous fashion website, models.com. “New Supers” lists models who are not merely as industry icons, but they are new legends in the contemporary fashion industry. The majority of popular Asian female models, such as Liu Wen, Feifei, Soo Joo Park, have baby faces as well as slim and flat bodies without obvious secondary sexual characteristics. Their appearances are sexually coded with particular meanings. Their slender and flat bodies and baby faces make them look like tamed teenager girls. Thus, their innocent and submissive baby faces and their slender bodies can meet men’s sexual desires. In other words, their bodies are sexualized as objects for heterosexual men’s desires. Compared with Asian female models, black female models tend to be sexy, confident and mature because their curvy bodies with plump breasts and butts are also coded with these meanings. The sexy, confident and mature image of black female models would increase feelings of the stress of men. This is one of the reasons why East Asian female models become more popular than black female models in recent
Throughout time, bright designers, world-known magazines and famous models, where few are only African-Americans, had represented fashion. The fashion industry is one of the most demanding industries ever created. On one hand, designers have to be unique, professionals, consistent and most important, famous, to keep up with the industry. On the other hand, models have to be beautiful, with unique personalities, and most important, skinny. Before the Civil Right Movement, white Americans models and designers represented the fashion industry until famous models such as Naomi Campbell, and Iman Abdulmajid entered the industry. They were the most influential models in the 1980’s and 1990’s with their personal contribution on the industry. Beauty did not only brought goods and happiness; it also brought controversy and discrimination.
Fashion is a constantly changing industry; what is trendy one day is outdated the next. The 21st century has been a catalyst for a large movement in fashion. Paris, New York, and London are some of the main contributors to the fashion industry (“Fashion Capitals”). Along with being the main influences in fashion, they have significantly connected the world on a global level. Even on a local level, students and young adults indulge in fashion as a way to express themselves. Some people may argue that fashion helps express one’s imagination; however, fashion has become one of the major influences that promotes an unrealistic image of women that is detrimental to their bodies. This unrealistic image can lead to health problems, a negative body image, and a society based on appearances which is disadvantageous to our culture as a whole.
References to Kurt Freund’s studies to “assess sexual arousal in men and women” and Alfred Kinsey’s “sexual orientation” scale are made to further explain how sexuality and asexuality are not solid concepts with strict definitions of their own but rather more multifarious. For
The community plays a key role when it comes to erotic plasticity, and the person’s sexual identity. Women’s sexual identity is seen as be adventures. Exploring ones sexual attitude, desire, decisions, and behavior. There sexual acts do not defined them, and can go through life without their high sex drive decreasing. However it is different for men when it comes to exploring their sex drive. Male sexuality is evolutionary and biological factor playing key roles in their life course. When a man experience sex with another man it is assumed they will always be gay. The so called deviant act, unlike to women defines their sexually identity. (McElwain, Grimes, & Melissa L. McVicker, 2009, p.
“My lips and fingers were blue because I was so thin that my heart was struggling to pump blood around my body”, said teen model fashion Georgina (Carroll 1). The new skinny has become excessively scrawny. Is it definitely not normal for today’s society models to walk around with blue fingers starving themselves until their organs start failing! As for the model agencies, they couldn’t care less of the pressure and dangerous practices they put the models through in order for them to stay thin for the runway. Even fashion Designers continue to produce the smallest couture sample sizes and scout for the slimiest bodies to wear the designs not aware of the consequences of the pressure they not only put on models, but on the society girls to look like these starving models. And when the models continue to get offers from the most important fashion industries like Prada, it motivates them to keep doing what they are doing to stay in the shape they are in (Carroll 1). But little did the outside world know what this pressure had on the models and what they were doing to their bodies to peruse their modeling careers.
In her novel “Beauty Myth”, Naomi Wolf argues that the beauty and fashion industry are to blame for using false images to portray what beautiful woman is. She believes the magazines are to blame for women hating their bodies. Wolf states, “When they discuss [their bodies], women lean forward, their voices lower. They tell their terrible secret. It’s my breast, they say. My hips. It’s my thighs. I hate my stomach.” (Wolf, 451) She is focusing on how w...
Most Asian models pursue justice to attain society’s approval in the inequitable fashion industry of the 21st century. In recent years, asian fashion has been escalating, ““We're calling it right now: Asians are making serious waves in the fashion pool. All of these game-changers are unique in that they always seem to catch a trend before anyone else does and rock it, whether it's a cape, a futuristic hairstyle or a theatrical design. ( Jaques ) “ Although naturally asians aren’t looked upon as game-changers in the industry, ancient stereotypes have started to shift against them.
1 Sex Drive: Is It Biological or Cultural Miranda M Marion Black Hawk College 2 Abstract This paper references two peer reviewed articles that compare and contrast the aspects of Sigmund Freud’s ideas about psychosexual development and if they are biological behaviors or just learned from our culture. Both articles have similarities, however, they disagree that sexual behavior is either biological or cultural.
The Fashion Industry can be described as a glamorous world with cameras flashing, beautiful models strutting down the runway, in stunning and grand designs. What really goes on behind fashion’s dolled up doors is only an illusion compared to what reality is. Beautiful people, stylish clothing and timeless sophistication all make up the illusion of the glitz and glam of the fashion industry, but behind the curtains countless of models and designers constantly fall victim to this industry’s ever changing wrath. Fashion can be defined as a popular trend especially in styles of dress, ornaments or behavior. A model is a person who poses or displays for art purposes, fashion or other products and advertising. Fashion models are used mainly to promote products focusing mostly on clothing and accessory. The two main type of modeling in the fashion industry is commercial modeling and high fashion modeling. High Fashion models usually work for campaigns, designer’s collections and magazine editorials for high fashion designers. Runway modeling also known as “catwalk modeling” is displaying fashions and is generally performed by high fashion models. In my research paper, my main focus will be the multiple effects on high fashion models based upon the industry’s unregulated standards.
This essay will discuss the ways sexuality is gendered and their impacts towards both men and women by exploring the contemporary heterosexual scripts from a sociological perspective on three main aspects; i.e. sex drive, desire and power. It studies how men are deemed to have a higher sexual edge than women, who acts as the relationship gatekeepers. This essay analyses the theory that women predictably pursuits love and relationships while men are more sexually controlled by lusts and cravings. Sexual dominance and passiveness is another traditional script inspected in this essay, focusing on how men are always expected to be the prevailing initiator thus devouring more power in relationships while women stays being the weaker, submissive receivers.
For my research investigation, I will be exploring into Women’s Fashion magazines. I have decided to focus on and investigate the generic sexual representation of females on indie and mainstream fashion magazine covers. My main choices of magazine covers are Rihanna’s Vogue May 2014 cover and Daria Werbowy’s ID cover, I will also be using Beyonce on The Gentlewoman cover and Miranda Kerr on the cover of ELLE as reference. Through my thorough examination of these covers I hope to gain a great understanding of the codes and conventions that are used to sexualize these women and how they differ. Through my study I would also like to reveal why women are represented differently in these genres.
Nowadays, the fashion industry is such a negative push on teenagers’ standard of beauty that it is now becoming an unsolved dilemma for our society. Firstly, Sarah Murdoch, the representative of Bonds underwear, is of the opinion that the fashion industry encourages “unhealthy body images” (Dunkerley, 2008) that are thought to be unrealistic and unhealthy for most women and girls. Besides, the fact that most designers prefer to choose thin models than bigger size ones (Bolger, 2007) shows us an astonishing phenomenon that there are series of clothes from size 0 to size 4 seen not only in the fashion shows but also even in the sale markets because they think that there will be “stigma attached” when doing something for “plus-size people” (Stevens, 2010). Naomi Crafti, representing Eating Disorders Victoria, thinks that teenagers are becoming obsessed with “the very skinny models on the catwalk” in the fashion shows (Stevens, 2010) which gradually leads to “eating disorders, mental health” and “negative body image in young people” (Stevens, 2010).
Not only is dress determined by gender, but also other factors such as social status, role, and age, which is then determined by the designs, style, and colour. Furthermore, fashion and dress are a form of communication. In order to be a part of the 'group'the style required a young, thin and energetic body, However, the androgynous style brings both female and male bodies, seen as 'one'due to the same outfits were worn, style, design, colours, and decoration. Garments are clothing items made by people, designers, which make a clear distinction in the construction of gendered difference that society plays.
Image is everything in today’s society as women are increasingly putting more emphasis on their appearance. Women today are growing more conscious of how others perceive their outward appearance. Even in a relatively Oriental society like Singapore, it does not come as a surprise to see women going to Botox clinics during lunchtime hours to receive their dosage of Botox, a chemical used to paralyse certain muscles to prevent wrinkles. Furthermore, beauty advertisements nowadays feature women models that are barely out of their teens. Even with older models, they are usually models featuring in slimming centres or skin improvement advertisements.
Moreover the sexuality of women is seen as an essential part of their body, and the debates are centred on women dressing to please and attract men, ‘this ignores the fact that sexuality is not an essential feature of bodily display and dress, but an effect of the reaction of others’ (Bakare-Yusuf, 2011:123). It also ignores the fact that women might be dressing to please and express themselves or that their sexuality is not heterosexual...