Media has been confirming traditional gender norms and perpetuating unrealistic physical, mental, and emotional standards across centuries. Women, as stated in the reading, are trivialized and both celebrated and condemned for their sexuality. Similarly, men are convinced that they should desire a particular body type and demeanor to be considered masculine. Through endless language and imagery marketed towards these culturally accepted identities, the full spectrum of human expression is underrepresented. This concept has preserved gender discrimination even in a society that has become increasingly progressive. In my Leadership Studies course, we learned about Sarah Baartman, a South African black woman who was paraded around Europe by scholars in the 19th century to show off her “over-sized genitalia”. The media referred to her as the “Hottentot Venus” and used to sensationalize black women. It justified the belief that black women are animalistic, hypersexual and worthy of sexual desire, but not marriage. As well as the idea that only pious, white women were acceptable to reproduce with to prevent similar mutations to Baartman. Exaggerated imagery of Baartman appeared across magazines and newspapers to further sensationalize her body. This example demonstrates an extreme tactic against women that has woven its way into examples of discrimination in modern society such as “desirable” and “undesirable” bodies.
Portrait of “Vénus hottentote” Sarah Baartman, illustration from the 1888 “Le costume historique’ d’Albert Racinet. (API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
I really like your focus on the media’s portrayal of women historically. I also thought your example was extremely interesting, and is evidence of the blatant sexualization and objectification of women (especially black women) that has been occurring for centuries. Feminism has been a tool that we as a society can use to look at things like this with a critical lens. It allows us to make progress by being able to call out situations where women are being used as objects to appeal to the “male gaze”. Media has a strong grip on how people and things are perceived in society, so by reversing the narrative about women (casting them in positions of power, changing the body image, etc), a difference can be made.
Thanks for sharing this example. Excellent use of media to include the image and caption.