Imagine a man and
woman, standing side by side. Both are dressed as superheroes. When you imagine
the man, what do you see? Does a cape sail proudly behind him? Does a mask
shield his face? Are his arms and legs fully clothed in a single color? Does he
have an eminent emblem branded onto his chest? Now imagine the woman…How high
are her heels? How much cleavage is exposed? Is she even wearing pants?
This is one example of how society over-sexualizes
the female image. This sexualization diminishes women into mere objects for
sex, which in turn creates a sexist and misogynist society. Yet, it continues
to dominate the media, advertising, clothing industry, television, and is now
grabbing ahold of America’s spookiest holiday: Halloween. According to a survey
taken by the National Retail Federation, Americans spent around $4.8 billion on
Halloween costumes in 2012.
Low-cut tops,
padded busts, and short skirts are becoming the norm for girls younger and
younger. Numerous studies have shown that this trend will lead to girls
developing lower self-esteem, physical and mental health disorders, and a
distorted body image, as they attempt to achieve the nonexistent physical
beauty that they find in the media. This objectification reduces the likelihood
of healthy sexual development for both sexes, potentially increasing sexual
violence and human trafficking.
According to a recent
study at Kenyon College in Ohio, around 30 percent of young girls’ clothing
sold in U.S. stores could be considered sexy. The clothing industry combines
both sexualized and childlike features into their clothes, making it easier for
parents to overlook the sexual characteristics.
How do we put an
end to this misogyny? It’s simple. Remove the emphasis put on appearance and
outer beauty, and bring it all in. Like how the cheesy, yet accurate aphorism
goes, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” Perhaps the scariest aspect of
Halloween this year is the realization that sexism has been unconsciously woven
into so many parts of our lives. The key is to be cognizant of the sexist
messages surrounding us and to retaliate against them.
No comments:
Post a Comment