Task D

There are always positive and negative views surrounding a topic such as the objectification of women; some are very strongly against it, some very strongly for it and some who are in the middle. One person who disapproves of the objectification of women is opinions columnist Joanna Rothenberg. She believes that women are objectified in advertisements every day. She says, “We see women being objectified daily…Women blending in an advertisement as the beer bottle. Not drinking one like “a man” but portrayed as the actual beer bottle – something that can be taken a hold of, taken advantage of.” Joanna Rothenberg could have this view because she is a woman so her views are biased by her gender. Another person who thinks like Joanna is Sarah Martin McConnell who is a columnist for the Tennessean newspaper. She believes that women are being portrayed in the media as inadequate when compared with men. Like Joanna her views can be influenced by her gender as they are the ones being discriminated against. She says, “Media’s ubiquitous objectification and degradation of girls and women delivers a clear and sinister message: that we are second-rate citizens who should look sexy, earn less and be subordinate to the men in charge.” On the other side of the argument is actress Cameron Diaz. She believes that women want to be objectified and it’s empowering. She says, “I think every woman does want to be objectified. There’s a little part of you at all times that hopes to be somewhat objectified, and I think it’s healthy.” Under the article user ameliaray said, “Oh, and who amongst you [other commenters] don’t enjoy the occasional Calvin Klein men’s underwear ad? Or is it only bad when it’s objectifying women?” A user who commented on a blog post called “What is ‘objectification’ and what’s wrong with it?” expressed their opinion about objectification in general. They believe that fighting objectification shows a deeper underlying problem. They say, “Is fighting against objectification a moral stance? No. It’s an expression of insecurity and is related to sexual jealousy, not a concern about right and wrong.”