Is it any wonder women are sexually objectified when so many celebrities volunteer to be?

[Notsosure1]

I’ve posted about this topic before , but after seeing two pop up shortly after scrolling, I am staggered by the number of articles that pop up on yahoo news that have headlines ‘celebrating’ (objectifying) female celebrities, young and old - here’s the first two of many -

‘Sabrina Carpenter is completely naked in new magazine cover, posing in nothing but thigh high socks’ (Cosmopolitan)

‘Stacey Solomon is the ultimate Bond girl in slinky swimsuit as she holidays without Joe Swash’
(Hello)

We’re trying to teach the younger generation of girls not to accept being viewed simply as sexual objects but there’s an abundance of mainstream female celebrities doing just that and are being cheered on for doing it. Talk about mixed messages. Yeah to body confidence and positivity, of course you can be viewed as sexy as well as intelligent, kind, independent etc. but I can’t believe there are still so many of these out there with such sleazy titles. There are a few focussing on men (I presume) but way down in number by comparison.

Am I over-reacting?

This is about quality of online journalism, click bait, need to drive traffic. People click on it so they publish more of it. Race to the bottom. No idea what the answer is but I don't click it.

Yes I think you’re right. Presumably they agree to it though, to be photographed etc. Cash is a strong incentive of course, but with all the discourse of men from all walks of life, including law enforcement, preying on women, Andrew Tate advocating his toxic poison, the husband in France pimping his unconscious wife out to local perverts to abuse etc… violence aimed at women in porn and expected and replicated in the bedroom - surely we should be shying away from that view if women. It’s so damaging, not to mention dangerous - mentally and physically.Gigi Hadid was in countless similar articles for months then there was one where she was talking about how upset she was that ppl judged her based on her looks and how her MH had been affected. Then back to it the following week. It’s just so weird women are still being ‘sold’ (albeit the images of their bodies, though we know all about human trafficking that exists) online, in TV and film, the music industry, and other media. And it’s voluntary.

Umm bit of an odd angle.. you're saying you think society should focus less on women's appearances, and women shouldn't be objectified, and then you're blaming the women who are being objectified for it?

I’m saying women who choose to pose or perform in a sexual way are actively participating objectifying themselves. If ppl didn’t pay for it one way another through buying the magazine/ subscribing etc there wouldn’t be the demand. Maybe they’d choose to do it anyway. But if women didn’t elect/agree to doing it there would be no material like this to buy

I agree OP.

Katie price is a prime example. Only she doesn't look appealing. It's rather sad that at almost 50 she cannot find anything else to give the world apart from trying to look desperately seductive in inappropriate outfits. She picks and chooses when she's the "victim". She knows how to play on that when needed.

There was a thread on here the other night where I got ripped to shreds along with other posters for daring to say that FWB situations are harmful to women and not In the least bit empowering and just encourage men to view women as a collection of holes.

We can't always cast women in the victim role though. We also need to discourage the objectification of ourselves.

I entirely agree with you OP. This was my argument re: FWB and "fuck buddy" situations. It's a fool who honestly has drank the kool and believes those type of western world acceptable behaviours are in any way "empowering" to women.

Same with all the "kink" BDSM becoming main stream. I don't want to see objects that are designed to hurt and humiliate women advertised like it's "normal" to do that during sex. "Kink" is just that. For a select few. Not the masses. And we wonder why men are now expecting to routinely strangle women and stick fingers up their bums on a first session . In my youth, it was all snogging and staring into each others eyes. But there again, we were thinking of the person , not just the physical acts that you needed to tick off to be cool. I really don't think this is just a male problem .

@SquashedMallow Thank you.

I could honestly bore for England the amount of posts I’ve written about this subject so I’ll try to keep it brief.

I totally agree with everything you’ve said.

It’s like a form of brainwashing perpetrated by and for the primarily exclusive benefit of men. Men are making a lot of money off it (record producers, managers etc) and also receiving the titillation. All the while continuing to manufacture and encourage this magical mantra of ‘empowerment’. I’m not saying women are stupid or insanely naiive, but it seems to be the ‘trend’(?) to show off all that you have because you should be proud of your sexuality - and bloody FLAUNT it on camera, where it counts!

As I said earlier - body positivity is awesome, but this just feels so manipulated.

Also - yes to your comments about sex - the whole Game of Thrones, Fifty Shades… etc that normalised the degradation and sexual abuse of women - and made it acceptable and expected in every day relationships is just so grotesque. There’s so much evidence of young women experiencing this stuff in their first sexual relationships and not voicing their discomfort for fear of being judged or rejected. It’s heartbreaking.

It's extremely depressing. I generally try not to victim blame and to focus the blame on the men in control, but these women are fools.

I actually take that back about Solomon - I don't have a problem with her. I was responding to Sabrina Carpenter's revolting new album cover. Really depressing.

This feels like two separate things. Sabrina Carpenter, yes, voluntarily objectifying herself by posing half naked on a magazine cover for payment. But Stacey Solomon is just a famous person on holiday in a bikini - surely that's not really volunteering to be objectified?

Yes, I agree

I think it's a great album cover. You do realise she's really smart and taking the piss, right?

I agree OP. Sabrina Carpenter’s new album and the controversy it’s caused featured on the state news here, so it’s not just the tabloids that are running with this. It’s yet another example of some women making vast sums of money out of objectifying themselves to appease the men in control, and that over sexualisation becomes the norm feeds out into society. It’s beyond depressing - we’re going backwards.

That would be the ironic, eyes rolled, 'cool girl' view. As I get older I see it for what it is. It doesn't help anyone. It isn't empowering. The album cover is clearly the result of a generation that has had constant access to violent porn.

Great post. Very eloquently put, thank you. I totally agree

She's making vast sums of money from making smart, catchy pop tunes primarily.

I wouldn't find it quite so depressing if I thought women that do this just said, 'this is how I can make use of a shitty system to make a lot of money'. It's the actual belief that this is somehow an empowering form of sexuality that makes it feel like zero progress has been made.

Never heard of Sabrina carpenter!

I should be ok with being sexually harassed on my way to work because Hello took a photo of Stacey Solomon wearing a swimming costume on a boat?

How should women appear on album covers to avoid being objectified?

And it sounds like your take on it is as about as regressive as Michael Parkinson when he interviewed Helen Mirren in 1975.

You’re assuming they are famous, then afterwards objectify themselves. Surely (in the case of Sabrina C at least), this is HOW she got famous, at least partially. That’s the most depressing part. Female pop stars increasingly need to dance around half naked simulating sex acts if they are to generate any interest. Funnily enough the blokes don’t have to do that!

I don't actually think there is anything wrong with women wanting to be sexy, or seen as sexy, and thus 'objectified' in a sense. But that album cover just glamourises abuse imo. I suppose an example of being sexual but not for the male gaze would be Madonna. I'm not saying everyone should be like her, but I can't think of anyone like that these days - everything is just pornified.

We shall agree to disagree.

Exactly. Sounds like men's rights activists again on Mumsnet. It's pretty anti-feminist to start threads bitching about other women, particularly those who are smart, savvy and very good at what they do.