Women: are we human… or are we objects?

Hannah Lacava | Class 2017

The other day, some friends and I were indulging in the shallow yet ever-intriguing topic of attractive celebrities. As the girls at the table listed off attractive older male movie stars (George Clooney, Hugh Grant, Tom Cruise, etc.), I was surprised to find that my male friends failed to name even one older female celebrity who they found attractive.

Meryl Streep? Julie Andrews? Apparently, none made the cut. These women had hit their prime long ago and may never again be seen in the eyes of the general public as “attractive.”

But does this even matter? Who cares? Old women aren’t hot—so what? Sure, on the surface, this may seem like an inconsequential fact of life. In fact, it has much deeper implications for the current social standing of women.

For men, age is no enemy. In fact, it is often met with pride. Men are marketed products such as “Touch of Grey,” a hair-dying product that promises to let men “keep a little grey.” The commercials promise a look of sophistication and experience, indicating the appeal of age in a man.

I think it’s safe to say that such a product for women would be considered absurd. Beauty and youth are far too important.

It seems that women everywhere, no matter what their purpose, are inextricably linked to their appearance.

The vast majority of successful female recording artists are not only selling their music, but also their image. Most female pop stars strip down to the bare minimum in their music videos. They subject themselves to doing whatever it takes to sell a record.

Even female figures whose purposes should have nothing to do with their appearances can’t seem to avoid the topic. Hillary Clinton is often scrutinized for looking haggard. Michelle Obama is more often praised for her fashion sense than for her efforts in children’s health. Sarah Palin (although she was one of the most imbecilic politicians to ever enter a national competition) faced what almost seemed like criticism for being “pretty.”

Female athletes are similarly scrutinized. In 1999, Brandi Chastain, a successful soccer player, took her shirt off to reveal a sports bra after winning a game. Controversy swirled surrounding the incident—many thought the act was inappropriate. They were sexualizing a simple and common celebratory gesture. It goes without saying that if a man had done something similar, it would have flown under the radar.

We can pretend all we want to that times have changed and that women and men are approaching equality. But the point is that even in our modern society, women are still valued (at least in the sphere of pop culture) for beauty above all else.

But we can change this. As college students, it’s up to us to shape a world where women are regarded not through a lens of superficiality but through a lens of scholarship, respect and artistry.

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