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?

'Bitching' is a very sexist term. Women are allowed to criticise the behaviours of other women.

Sexy but not for the male gaze is certainly not what people were saying about her in 1983. If Mumsnet were around then people would have been making comments along the lines of the comments here about Sabrina Carpenter.

I loved Madonna from the start but my mum absolutely hated her.

Oh dear. WRONGSPEAK.

We'll wait and see how rebellious that album cover looks in 40 years' time...

I have to say, being compared to Michael Parkinson before bed has made me chuckle

But the behavior in question is Stacey wearing a swimming costume on a photo shoot. It's not even a bikini! It's one photo in a swimming costume and some photos in nice frocks. And that should be up for criticism and, yes, bitching?!

It looks more rebellious than this already AFAIC.

I find the blaming everything on the ‘system’ and the ‘patriarchy’ pretty tiresome. Heaven forbid a young woman uses her erotic capital to make money. They’re not fools - they know what sells and are cashing in. The assumption that they don’t know their own minds and are being brainwashed by the patriarchy is patronising bollocks and the height of misogyny, as far as I’m concerned. No one accuses David Beckham of being a fool who has been duped by the ‘system’ into posing almost nude for perfume ads, do they?

I've already said I have no problem with anything Stacey has done. I was referring to Sabrina Carpenter's album cover.

I have said I have no problem with a women using her sexuality to make money if she wants to. Perhaps read the thread properly?

The one of someone in holiday, you can't say that's the celebrity wanting it. They get papped wherever they go and articles written about them, they have no say in it. It's just what happens when you're famous. Wearing a swimsuit on holiday is hardly asking to be objectified. The magazine did that all by themselves.

The one posing naked for pay, yeh they're agreeing to it.

There is a problem with modern society though with women who have been brainwashed into seeing pics that used to be called soft porn as "empowering", a normal part of being a woman and basically almost expected. It's so messed up that a woman can feel there's "something wrong" with her for not feeling comfortable to make these pics and put them online/in print. I'm not surprised there's naked celebrities everywhere when women in general are being fed the message that they're somehow less-than if they aren't happy exposing their bodies.

I see this, like various other feminists issues, as confusing biology with sociology. It's not that men sexualise women, rather women are automatically sexualised in men's eyes. That's just biology.

That isn't to say that men - at least emotionally healthy men - see women merely as sexual objects. Of course not. Women are the sum of all their parts and then some. But one of those parts is being a sexual object.

There's a reason sex sells, and it's not because society has told us it does. It's because men are biologically programmed to look at women, especially pretty and naked women. That's just their wiring.

I would add that any man who tells you otherwise is just telling you what you want to hear. Probably because he wants to get a leg over...

Okay the second line was tongue in cheek, but not the first. Every living organism has a drive to procreate. In humans we call it sex drive, and it's the most powerful force in the world.

I agree, I was mainly talking about the titles of the articles - I agree there is a world of difference between someone posing sexually for sales/clicks and a woman enjoying her holiday and getting papped without her knowledge or consent. A universe.

Nope

Is this rhetorical?

Yes but David Beckham’s photo shoots don’t have a negative impact on other men. No one assumes he or they must he up for sex 24/7 bc he’s been sexualised for them to enjoy.

Women have always been attacked and raped - in all cultures and walks of life. For control, punishment, to satisfy a sexual urge - no matter what they are doing or wearing. But when women are objectified by the media it creates an ‘otherness’ to them in certain men’s minds. It separates them from their sisters and mother, wives and daughters and creates an acceptability to view them as just a pair of tits, ass and set of holes. This creeps into their view of women they do not know - a fantasy that they enjoy being thought of this way, that they are always available and are even grateful for their sexual attention as that is clearly their aspiration - the multitude of articles like I mentioned focusing on their bodies (and these start from barely legal to women in their sixties donning their bikinis and selling the photos for the celebration of the female form (I’m not talking about paparazzi taking them covertly and without their permission here) . You can see how some men assume we are as obsessed with our bodies as they are and display them for not only their attention but their approval. It allows them to think of us in a certain way and go on to treat us in a certain way.

Sex has always sold and some women use it to their advantage, and more are probably taken advantage of, but I don’t understand how (why) we are moving backwards in this area as a whole, and I do think it’s irresponsible or at least negligent that some women are being complicit in this when it affects not just them but other women and even young girls.

Miley Cyrus is a prime example of what I’m talking about. Sinead O’Connor tried reach out to her through social media and warn her of the pitfalls and dangers of selling herself in this way and being taken advantage of by the men in power. Mileys response was to write a derogatory reply laughing at her and basically telling her where to stick her unsolicited advice. When Sinead died years later, Miley wrote that she truly regretted the way she reacted to a woman who had basically gone through the system herself and was essentially looking out for her and the younger generation of female artists - as she had found her warning had much merit after all. She admitted to being exploited by males in the industry and had gone along with it thinking she was the one in control - to her detriment. She apologised and wished she’d listened.

With regards to being anti-feminist - I’m all for women taking control, but how is it feminist of women to not only offer themselves up to the masses of men who want to get off on their images but also impact other women negatively and potentially put others in danger by perpetuating this fantasy that women are primarily sexual beings and that is not only our main function but we are seeking the male gaze/approval?

On a side note - thanks everyone for contributing to this thread - some really interesting comments. We may agree/disagree but I’m glad others feel this is a subject worthy of discussion if not debate 🩷

David Beckham isn’t posing on all fours with his hair being pulled by an anonymous man, is he?

Who is even buying Sabrina’s schtick? Teen girls? The gays?

Madonna? Who put together a book called Sex and a film called In Bed With Madonna? Who sang a song about being down on her knees to take (a man) there? And another song called Hanky Panky about spanking?

(I love Madonna)

Is it rebellious to play into men's sexual fantasies? Surely in the world of entertainment, it's rebellious not to.

I want to add that I apologise for the SS reference in my OP - I didn’t click on the article and apparently she didn’t volunteer to be photographed (which is another nod to the depressing misogyny of the media) the title was just indicative of the swathes of similar references to capitalising on celebrity (and women in general’s) bodies. I am fed up seeing this shit. It’s so hard to believe we’re actually in 2025

Problem is, many of her very young fans will copy her look and behaviour with little or no understanding of that.

She may be 'really smart and taking the piss' but looking like a sex doll isn't empowering.

She's certainly smart in understanding sex sells.

100% 👏