A study has found that there is a huge increase in the number of intensely sexualised images of women in the media
A study has found that there is a huge increase in the number of intensely sexualised images of women in the media.u00a0
The study by the University of Buffalo revealed that images of women on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine were 89 percent more likely to be sexualised and even "pornified" in the 2000s than in the 1960s.
u00a0
After analysing more than 1,000 images of men and women on Rolling Stone covers over the course of 43 years, the authors concluded that though images of both men and women have become more sexual, sexualised images are more frequent with women.
u00a0
"In the 2000s there were 10 times more hyper-sexualised images of women than men, and 11 times more non-sexualised images of men than of women," the Daily Mail quoted Assistant Professor of Sociology at Buffalo University, Erin Hatton, one of the study's authors, as saying.
u00a0
"What we conclude from this is that popular media outlets such as Rolling Stone are not depicting women as sexy musicians or actors; they are depicting women musicians and actors as ready and available for sex," Hatton stated.
u00a0
Hatton said it was "problematic" because it indicates a decisive narrowing of media representations of women.
u00a0
"We don't necessarily think it's problematic for women to be portrayed as 'sexy'," she said.
u00a0
"But we do think it is problematic when nearly all images of women depict them not simply as 'sexy women' but as passive objects for someone else's sexual pleasure.
u00a0
"Sexualised portrayals of women have been found to legitimise or exacerbate violence against women and girls, as well as sexual harassment and anti-women attitudes among men and boys.
u00a0
"Such images also have been shown to increase rates of body dissatisfaction and/or eating disorders among men, women and girls; and they have even been shown to decrease sexual satisfaction among both men and women," she added.
u00a0
The study, 'Equal Opportunity Objectification? The Sexualisation of Men and Women on the Cover of Rolling Stone', will be published in the September issue of the journal Sexuality and Culture.
