Objectify this!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I might go over my limit on this one...

I've realized that one of the "occupational hazards" of my line of work (there are definitely more--maybe that will be material for another post) is that I am continually finding things to be pissed off about. God, sometimes I wish I could just hide my head in the sand somewhere and not find yet another instance of blatant objectification (and subordination) of women. So, I'm sitting her today putting together a lecture on sexual objectification/self-objectification (one of my main research/life interests) to give to a friend's class tomorrow, and I run across this photo. I'm relatively immune to the negative reactions that might be induced by mainstream objectifying media images by now--you know, where women are portrayed as objects, as passive recipients of others' actions, of selling yet another bottle of beer, a sports car, or anything that plays into men's (and often women's) fantasies. But, this one caught me by surprise. And now I'm pissed.

I don't claim to be an expert at deciphering or analyzing media images, but here's what a strong feminist critique might start with (or what anyone with half a brain might think, for that matter):

1) Why is the man fully clothed and the woman naked (for all practical purposes)? Wearing a suit on a beach is not going to happen, unless Bank of America has suddenly decided to have it's annual management conference on the beach in Cancun. Instead, the man is dressed in a suit to convey that he's in power. This photo would still be demeaning even if she was fully dressed, but her nakedness (compared to his attire) implies that she is his sexual plaything.

2) What does his posture say about what's going on in this situation? Is he asking, "Hey lady, please have a drink with me?" No. Instead, he is dominating her with his pose. His posture says "I'm in power. Now have a martini and I'm going to bang you."

P.S. Her tits aren't real. Normal breasts would be over near the armpit area, not standing at attention like perfectly shaped orbs. Real fat (not silicone) is movable and is subject to gravitational pull (sorry, guys--it's a dead giveaway).

In a very real way, this picture sends a strong message about gender relations. I would just like to say for the record that I am fucking sick and tired of being bombarded with messages that tell me that, as a woman, I am here for men's enjoyment. I am sick of being told via print media, TV, movies, music and social interactions that my value lies in my body--what it looks like and what kind of pleasure it can give to men. Why can't these a-holes just sell me a goddamn bottle of vodka without legitimizing female subordination and violence against women? Do you think that people looking at this ad don't internalize these male-female dynamics? Do you think that after repeatedly seeing images and listening to music (Ex: Akon & Eminem's song called "Smack that"--about smacking women's asses in the club and how much we llloooooovvvveeee it; seriously, listen to the lyrics once--it's highly disturbing) that portray women as sex objects that men don't start looking at women that way and that women don't start thinking that this is what they should expect from men? Wake the fuck up.

Perhaps some think that I overreact to this type of blatant objectification of women. Well, I'm not apologizing to anyone. This type of image implicitly tells men that it's ok to see women as sex objects. This type of thinking is what leads to rape/sexual assault because men stop seeing women as whole, autonomous human beings with feelings and intellect; instead, they only see T & A and assume that it's there whenever, wherever they want it. Women are no longer people; they are only objects. This is also a major factor in what leads men to think that they should be able to "accidentally" touch your ass/tits in a crowded bar, or sexually harass you, or give you cat-calls, or "eye-fuck" you. Are all men this way? No. But, these images legitimize many male behaviors that sexually objectify women. This type of thinking is what also leads women to think that their body is all they have to offer people, that they shouldn't worry about being strong, independent, educated people because their worth lies in how their body looks to others and how they can use their bodies and sexuality to get the "stuff" that their subordinated status often precludes them from having.

Sexual objectification is bad for everyone. This bullshit happens everyday and we don’t even recognize it. Where else is it lurking in your life right now?