Nora Fatehi a great dancer and an infamous actress known for her glamorous dance movements in songs which are called as item number in Bollywood. She was labelled dirty because of her appearance in item songs and glamorous roles. In a show called “Troll Police” on MTV, she exposed the derogatory comments she had received from a fake account on Instagram on her photos, even shocked at the rape threats. The perpetrator justified his comments saying that she should face such comments and threats for exposing or revealing herself in item songs and he even further defended himself by saying that it’s his right to comment on such people. This is how women are being portrayed and this is how patriarchal forces defend their abuse over women and the objectification of women and their bodies.
In television, films, print media, commercials, music videos, there is persistent increase of sexual objectification and exploitation of women. Along with objectification, media and advertising houses have established false and unreal image of women’s physical appearance, body image, and beauty. Today, across television, billboards, glossy pages of magazines, and social media we can see hyper sexualized and unrealistic perfect female forms. Such depiction of women and their bodies dehumanize girls, women and portray them as commodities. Women’s bodies are used to sell everything from car tires to entertainment!
The media has played havoc on the mental health of young women. The women are forced to feel that their appearances are never up to the mark and they would be accepted and loved only when they fulfill and confirm themselves to conventional beauty standards. This leads them to be underappreciated and immensely affects their confidence.
Women in the west yield to their own objectification as the demand and pay for porn is alarmingly increasing. Thus, their bodies are materialized and objectified. Many women implicitly consent to such objectification because of the pay and popularity. Thus, patriarchy have victimized women and has increased the violence against them
According to UNICEF “The objectification and sexualization of girls in the media is linked to violence against women and girls worldwide.
Media normalizes the act of dominance and aggression against women by constantly showcasing them as objects of pleasure. Boys and men tend to internalize that message, and it influences their subconscious biases of how they view women. They tend to legitimize violence, harassment, and anti-women views and behaviors.
Boys, from a very early age, are exposed to unrealistic, sexualized images of women everywhere. The roles, and behaviors of women in films, music videos and commercials are too stereotypical and a far cry from equality. Along with objectifying women, glorified male masculinity, male dominance in media and mass media have deep impacts on shaping up a children’s mind.
If a child is exposed to certain experiences as a part of his/her normal developmental dynamics, they tend to normalize it and develop a lot of unconscious biases towards that experience. These children would grow up to replicate those experiences in their lives as adults. Boys/Men’s learn to dehumanize women and to view them merely as bodies or body parts of pleasures. It causes mental health issues among boys and their unrealistic expectations from women. Women’s sexuality and body interfere with their ability to have a healthy and functional relationship as adults.
The dirty world of media and social-media have become traps in this world to victimise women. The dirtiness of this world is by virtue of what one wishes to go with what one sees and which is dictates by the entertainment, fashion, beauty and lifestyle trends which objectifies the bodies of women.
Prayer
Dear Lord, let us be content with who we are, what we have and where you are leading us. Help us to have a mindset of confidence, courage and thankfulness. Lift all women around the world who are struggling today whether emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. May we recognize our true worth and value especially when others put us down. Amen
Author: Edith Karishma Martin
About the Author: Edith hails from Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh. She belongs to Church of North India Jabalpur Diocese. She completed her Bachelor of Divinity from Bishop’s college, Kolkata. She worked as an Administrative Assistant in CNI. Presently, She is pursuing Master of Theology in the department of Christian Education from United Theological College, Bangalore.
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