Mediated examples of femininity as specifically sexualized

Within media, femininity is all too frequently exploited as sexualized portrayals of stereotypes, gender roles, and rigidly oppressed. We see femininity rendered as both attainable and desirable to men and women. It reinforces the norms of patriarchy and male dominance. Females are objectified, and this objectification is usually the means of exploitation, such as a female garnishing a mainstream hip hop video as or to sell a product in an advertisement.



This photo graph is quite literally objectifies the female form; it transform the female genitalia into an object. The production of this photograph shows a woman holding a mouse with split fingers, and the mouse cable splits the screen like a slight parting between a woman’s legs. The scroll button (a revealed clitoris), the design of the mouse and of course the hand suggestion is an almost perfect replica of the vagina. Playboy uses an everyday object we use, and compares it to the sexual pornography of smut and XXX porn, affirming the ubiquity of sexualized femininity throughout almost all facets of culture.
This is some post-modern-post-objectification-sexualization type shit right here.



This photo uses a female to support the power of the males featured. The female presents herself as sexually and highly desirable. Her clothing is almost useless here. More important is the positioning of the female here, seemingly on her knees, submissively in front of one of the males. This position suggests she is about to, or already has been performing oral sex on the super star. The album name is “I <3 Your Girl,” which probably relates to the girl in the photo. It upholds male dominance and how sexy female submission can be.



Here is a female and male together in their underwear, I do believe. The way these sexy beasts lay together in a utopia and land of nothingness is unbelievable. They are together, and nothing else impedes this. But I can’t help to see the depictions of the two. The female rests into the male, clutching his side, as if she is pulling herself in for even more protection. But why!? There seems no threat at all in this land of solitude and bliss. But that is just it. Society has normalized females as always being the inferior, and helpless without the presence of the male. So yes, there is no threat, but socially constructed roles tell a different story. And these two characters of this story make it look damn sexy as well.



Oh look, an activist! Wait, not really. It’s just Eva Mendes, naked. Peta, how dare you! Exploiting the sexuality of women to help save the lives of innocent animals!? What kind of mad twilight world are we stuck in? But she said it, I guess. So maybe Peta and Eva are innocent… because the social construction of acceptable sexual imagery of women is so profound and pervasive, they may not even realize they too are infected. I’d love to give them that benefit of doubt, but I feel I’d be a fool to do so. I knew there was a reason I hated Peta.



So I know porn is too easy to give a critical analysis of, especially when considering femininity as sexualized. But I couldn’t keep myself from using this last photograph. I believe it is a still shot from a porno scene, which seems to delve into some BDSM. Attire is being worn, but it’s useless. Or maybe it is functional, to give greater form to the female, to augment her bust and bottom, and make her seem skinnier, idealized, and even sexier than she already might be. The icing is “Fuck Hole” written on her ass in lipstick. Lipstick is already established an object created from the exploitation of female imagery. Females should have huge, luscious lips, and if not, lip stick will help you with that. And lip stick has been around forever it seems, and accepted into feminine culture. Now we’ve finally hit rock bottom- females are nothing but lipstick and fuck holes… or maybe I guess we could consider this as a utopia resulted from sexualizing females.

Mediated examples of masculinity as specifically sexualized.

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Socially constructing "appropriate" sex.

In our culture, sex is widely constructed through visual imagery and other vehicles in the media, such as movies and popular music. While discourse about appropriate sex is healthy, there are certain ideological views which pervade intentions to set the right type of grounds to have this discussion. We may have sex education in junior high school, but we also have television shows which glorify underage sex and even early adulthood for those who now have to deal with the consequences of unprotected sex. We also have unprecedented events happening across the country in more recent years, pushing for greater equality for LGBT. And then we see all throughout entertainment and media, still the idea that true love exists really between male and a female, such as this first image.




Here we see the male and female signs entwined. Below the signs remade into hearts is a statement “Belong Together.” This immediately assumes love is between male and female, and any other relationship that doesn’t fit this structure ultimately does not “belong together.” And if any of this was confusing for you, the appropriate colors have been used to define gender roles in the way we are told which colors are fitting for which sex.




This next image is from an old cartoon, which immediately appropriates the female and male. Though the male in this image would be depicted as a dog, the message is just that. The female should show off her body with an almost non-existent skirt and emphasize her bust. It is then shown as completely fine for the male to overly gaze at the female, with tongue and drool hanging from their mouth. Here, even though cartoons may seem harmless, we must realize the target audience is children. And we are already setting the standard for both males and females to this young audience; females should be sexy, revealing, and willing, while the males should fear not to be blunt in their gaze and howl all they want at females they deem sexy (or at least what society creates for them as “sexy”).




Similar to the last image, we see a depiction of the “male” brain, which reinforces almost all male roles. But most importantly, it legitimizes that sex should be of the utmost importance for the male. It also suggests that sex goes without consequence, such as the footnote at the bottom reads- the “listening to children cry in the middle of the night” gland is not shown due to its small and underdeveloped nature.” And speaking about underdeveloped nature, which ever genius created this image used “it’s” wrong in the footnote. Way to go. So we are now told the least a man should worry about is having children, or having to ever deal with them (defining female roles), and sex should always be on the mind, and never let the two be part of the same school of thought.



Next is a highly eroticized image from the True Blood cast on the cover of Rolling Stone. Immediately this image recalls an orgy. One would have to be blind to not agree. Two males and a female, a three-some, are stark nude and groping one another. It is important to draw attention to the female completely engulfed by the males, just as a pornographic orgy typically is depicted. They are covered in blood, which is raw and substance that comes from the human body (gosh, it’s strikingly similar to a hell of a “money shot”)… here as well, do we see a correlation with BDSM. This photo is a straight winner for socially constructed appropriate sex.




I cannot tell, nor can I find really any information on this photo, whether or not this photo is really intentional or its portrayal is an accident. Either way, because it is available for public viewing, it gives acceptance to the image. It may be completely harmless, two bicycle geeks showing off their attire and bicycle, or whatever the intention was. But it is far too close for comfort that the bike seat has transformed into a male erection and seems to be penetrating the female from behind. The female as well has assumed a position which seems to be accepting and submissive of this act, and even enjoying it. The male grabs the female from behind in the same way we are shown in pornography the sexual position of doggy-style. Though this image is probably more comical than anything else, it still indeed exists out there in the world of imagery, and can easily send the wrong message.