Simultaneous Objectification

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The Simultaneous Objectification of Women and Agency of Men in Media Objectification of women, specifically in the media, is a significant cultural issue with dire consequences. The subtleness of the act makes it challenging to detect, yet the effects make lasting impacts on daily life. The ideology is hidden in the composition details of the piece. How the light falls on the women’s body, the contrast in texture of her hair and skin, or the color and cut of her dress are communicating a dogma to the surveyor. Because it is impossible to escape these surrounding images, men and women alike internalize them. Most often women are reduced to an object to sell a product and function as a source of pleasure for the male viewer, while the man …show more content…

Specifically, the woman is set in a way that allows her butt and hips to be pushed out, creating a feminine curve following her butt and accentuating her waist. Her arm is awkwardly searching for something to rest upon, with her hand and fingers delicately positioned just so. This is a sharp contrast to the man’s hand, which has a firm grip on the female’s upper thigh. This subtle act of aggression renders glimpses of possession and reveals a power dynamic between the two. Additionally, the man is placed in a grounded stance, one of stability. Not only does his gripping her thigh and bent knee accentuate his flexed muscles, it also gives him agency. The woman appears unsteady, as she reaches out her arm, while her other hand rests on the back of his head for support. Even more, her leg rests on his for further stabilization, translating power to him. Simultaneously, the man firmly grasps her, pulling her close, and balances him and her on his knee. Although she crosses his body with her leg, she does this as an indication of her unsteadiness, whereas the crossing of his leg in front of her body indicates an act of possession, as his head rests near her chest. This is important, because as Berger notes, the male presence is always demonstrating the “…power which he exercises on others.” There is a clear power dynamic which communicates to the viewer, the woman is in need of the man, but this is not true contrariwise. Simply put, she is his to hold, such as a trophy or prize is sequestered, and he is the

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