Food for thought. Huffington Post recently ran an article entitled: ‘The Sexy Lie’ We Should All Be Talking About: Sexual Objectification.
The post included a Jan. 2013 TEDxYouth San Diego talk given by politics professor Caroline Heldman who opened her talk with the following statement:
“I’d like to talk specifically about the lie, or the idea, that being a sex object is empowering.” She went on to discuss the consequences of objectifying culture, and namely, the consequences to women who are taught to think that being a sexual object is empowering.
In a moment of poor (or rather, dollar driven) judgement, HuffPo chose a feature image of seven supermodels in their underwear to grab readers attention and encourage them to click. We know this as clickbait. Except the photo backfired. Instead of clicking the link and watching the video, the HuffPo Facebook page erupted with comments that only further objectified women.
We’ve compiled the comments from women (though men certainly chimed in), that chose this as the right platform to police other women’s bodies. The result is profoundly disturbing and internecine, no matter the number on your scale.
Patty Evans: For the love of God….Feed the hungry!
Debbie Maupin: Looks like “Starvation Nation”
Kelly Marie Holmes: Somebody needs to throw those girls a burger and fries…or six.
Kelly Marie Holmes: That girl in the middle doesn’t look healthy AT ALL…hence the comment. Look at her legs…no healthy fat whatsoever.
Vicki Panos: These girls look like skeletons with skin. Not sexy or pretty, ugh
Cherie Felten: they all look sickly not sexy at all.
Cindy Shaw: These women look just awful, starved, anorexic, unhealthy, malnutritioned. Nothing sexy here.
Spozdzial Prema Janice: they look like malnourished with hair, look sick to me
Waltitia Hollman Bosquesillo: The ladies pictured. Outside of the Western world, everyone would think they were sick or extremely poor.
Wendy Devore: Anorexic much? This ain’t right.
Margie Chiechi: How skinny can skinny get?? They look terrible
Sonja Shelton Story: They look gross
Karen Maguire: They’re all anorexic. How is that sexy?
Karen Maguire: Right. Most models have poor diets and are a disgrace to children growing up sending the wrong message about body image. No one has to look like this. They look like they were born in a third world country.
Meghan Kelly: I want them all to eat a hamburger!
Cynthia Coleman: I would rather talk about how all of them need a cheeseburger.
Shelby L Horton: are those survivors of Buchenwald?
Twila Pritchett: anorexic looking females—MY God, EAT!
Karen Maguire: Eating disorders shouldn’t make you into a model.
Mirsada Buric: Wow, all of these women look sickly thin!
Tracy Vasquez: It’s really sad to think this is what society wants girls to look like!! Gross!! I’m glad I’m a healthy girl..
Lisa Lynn: Why are they doing a picture of stick people? Couldn’t they find real people.
Judith Stephens: There is nothing attractive about women who starve themselves so they can look like this. Real women have curves.
Michelle Techno-Honey Williams: When did skeletons become sexy? No wonder people are starving themselves!
Leann Whitefeather: anorexic
Jackie Hines: They all need to eat a sandwich..
Suzette Bookal: Nothing sexto about these skinny anorexic women!!!
Vicki Panos: These girls look like skeletons with skin. Not sexy or pretty, ugh
Vanessa Luis: Someone feed these models a steak!
Mary Best Bauer: More skanky than sexy.
Linda Baker Ward: Photoshop or anorexia? Your guess.
We think this is best summed up by Katrina Weaver: Article: Stop objectifying women and judging how sexy they are. Comments: Objectifying women and judging how sexy they are.
Katrina Weaver: -Random comment making fun of people’s weight.
