What is degrading and objectifying about a woman's body?

Question

I understand different people will perceive and view a woman's body differently depending on their belief system, values, personal issues, upbringing etc. There are lots of talk of a woman not being in a bikini or covering up to respect herself. What's so disrespectful about skin? And What's so degrading about a woman's body? And I'm curious if those who view showing skin disrespectful have been to other countries like France, where a woman's body, sensuality and sexuality are celebrated, not forced into shame.

Laura: Can you be an eye candy and lawyer at the same time? Or do you feel that we need to walk around and emphasize on our brains at all times?

I actually don't care to be remembered for my brains by strangers on the beach. I care about the person who is with me on the beach to know there is more to me than my body, but I don't feel the urge to prove anything to people I don't know. If they like what they see, good for them.

Twilight: That may explain your open mind because I see more similarities between the attitude in the US and the Middle East when it comes to a woman's body than I do between the US and Europe.

Answer 1

Nothing degrading at all. Thank you for posting this.

I find it ironic in the utter extreme that many of the people who find nudity such a taboo are censorious Christians who conveniently forget that God first twigged on to Adam & Eve eating the apple because they "were ashamed and hid their nakedness with fig leaves"

(Edit - countries I have lived in or visited: England, Scotland, Wales, Eire, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Israel, The United States, Australia)

Answer 2

I don't think that showing skin is degrading to women in general. I wear a bikini when I go on the beach. I don't believe it is unreasonable to say that I am considered a very attractive woman. I just don't show all, which is my particular preference. Perhaps it is an American phenomenon...

Additionally, my particular views have more to do with magazines whose sole purpose is to play to the stereotypes about what a woman should look like, and, like The Violinist said, place unreasonable standards upon women.

Many of the men who are buying magazines such as Playboy, etc. are not thinking "wow" she must be so empowered to be able to do this. They are thinking "nice "...", nice "...." Usually the "nice" things are bought and paid for.

And as for the "careers" that are started by that magazine... I can't really think of that many famous people who started out there and made it huge. There are certainly plenty of women who were already semi famous and then posed in there. The only person I can think of off of the top of my head is Gene Simmon's wife, who also did soft porn.

Answer 3

Absolutely nothing. (It may surprise you that I'd say this.)

Degradation is linked to acts and objectification is linked to attitudes. There is nothing wrong with the body or with nudity.

The problem is when certain forms of depiction express or encourage objectifying attitudes.

As for self-respect, that's actually a separate matter. It relates to one's attitude toward being perceived sexually (some people are more, some less accepting of this, and neither sensibility should be condemned) and one's attitude toward the allocation of responsibility in such situations (some put all of the responsibility on the woman for "inciting lust", some put all of it on men for being "lecherous", and some recognize that it's really in between).

Answer 4

Nothing at all, the female anatomy is absolutely beautiful, I could admire it for sexual, as well as, non-sexual purposes.
Your statement is along the lines of what I am thinking - culture, beliefs, upbringing, personal issues, etc., all of these contribute to shaping one's attitude towards female nudity, but I think that ultimately it comes down to personal choice - each one of us chooses to accept these norms established or form our own views and opinions.
I also think that some or most elements of conservatism (many with religious roots) have been instrumental in popularising the subjugation of one's human nature, including sex/nudity, equating repression with decency (or respect).
I was thinking of moving back to Europe if another hawkish or war-hungry person is elected as president here in the U.S., but the idea seems all the more considerable now, hehe.

Answer 5

I agree with Laura- a bikini on the beach is one thing, a micro version of one is another. And women should cover themselves in professional situations. Do women want to be remembered for the great work they do or for showing cleavage or belly. I am not condeming anyone but I know the unease that unprofessional dress has in the workplace.

Edit
I have traveled to every continent but Africa and Antarctica. And its been extended travel- my parents first took me to Europe at 8, and I was in Canada before I was a month old. I traveled for work, single and a professional dancer, I had a great time for 5 years after college. Then I got married and started my grownup professional life. We still traveled extensively.

I still travel- I spent most of summer 2007 lecturing at Oxford- and will be going to Thailand next summer.

Answer 6

A woman's body is not degrading. You're missing the point. Women can be degraded when they are portrayed as forms with nothing beyond that. We are more than our outer shells. There are beautiful women who go to college, grad school, law school, and so forth, but because of society's intense focus on women being "eye candy" and celebrated for nothing else, we have to work doubly hard to have our accomplishments recognized.

It's not about "skin being bad." It's bigger than that.

Answer 7

Nothing at all!!!! The media has made sex and the nude body into something to be hidden and perverted and ashamed of, but God made it and I think that the nude body of female OR male, in good shape, is the highest art form imaginable. I was a paid nude art model for a while and most people's reaction was that of thinking I was sleazy, but in truth the body is something to celebrate and not to hide.

Answer 8

None at all.
I'm from *FRANCE*,and I always wear what I wanna wear.
I know who I am.There are certain clothes that I would not wear(the ones I feel uncomfortable in).

I attract both gender,cause they like what they see.............lol.
And if I ever wear something that offend someone,just look the other way.
By me saying that,you might think that I'm "an hoochy mama"
but I'm not.I never go out somewhere with my a** all over the place.I have kids for God sake...

Answer 9

i personally dont see why you have to show every piece of your body to feel sexy. are women that attention starved?

i think it is shameful that you walk down the beach practically naked or topless. its just not appropriate. i mean i dont think its respectable to show everything to complete strangers.

there is a way to be sexy w/o showing everything.

who do u think ur fooling? why do ppl go to the beach? to get a tan or to get attention. most ppl dont go to enjoy the sites...at least the locales dont...

i mean these men who are ogling over you arent celebrating anything. and neither are you, it seems to me like ppl who feel the need to wear such tiny bikinis (i mean ive worn them too, but they covered everything, nothing jiggling or hanging out..) just want attention..and it sad that these women need to been validated by how many stares they get from guys..

-chai

Answer 10

Nothing. At a basic level, I don't find nakedness at all offensive. My family are not 'naturists' but don't have many inhibitions when it comes to skin, and as kids we all ran around naked as jaybirds at home, with no 'nasty' stuff going on.

BUT, there are drawbacks for kids raised this way ~ mainly being that others consider such an open attitude to the body to be perverted and they will try to take advantage of it.

Living in Australia during the time I grew up, was also a period when body freedom was considered less problematic than currently. Topless bathing for women is allowabale at many Australian beaches and there are beaches and areas where nude bathing for both male and female is considered OK.

The problem in all of this is always the voyeur and the prude.

Generally what I have found through my life is that it is NOT the person who is comfortable with their own 'skin' who creates problems, but those who regard it as either sinful or perverted.

These people have real problems and unfortunately, they create problems for others by making a huge deal out of something perfectly ordinary.

As for women covering up in order to show they respect themselves, well that's always going to be up to the individual woman, but I can see that point to some extent.

In a society where women's (and increasingly men's) bodies ~ especially young bodies ~ are portrayed as sexual to the increasing exclusion of other facets, and where sex is increasingly portrayed as the major focus of life's daily purpose, having respect for oneself can be seen as a matter of covering up.

It's the same as years ago (in our society) where a woman who spoke out in public was considered to be immodest. There's no REAL reason for it, except the prevailing social attitude (whether that's because of media, religion, culture or whatever).

And of course, nakedness in western culture now is used to commodify people and sell products, which I personally find offensive, and always have. But that's my own view, others will have a different attitude.

There is nothing instrinsically offensive or degrading about a naked body, regardless of who it belongs to. We bring most of the 'offensiveness' with us, in terms of how we, as individuals and as a community regard nakedness.

A good example is that in many societies around the world, people wear very little in the way of clothing, yet individuals within the group are held in high esteem and become leaders, without any thought that they are degraded or less worthy by being naked. It's a matter of perception.

Countries I've been to: Australia, Fiji (Indian women go to the beach and swim in full dress, men in shorts; Polynesian Fijian women wear full dress, men naked or briefs); Italy and Germany (people wear varying types of bathing dress, and in Germany in public parks can often be seen sunbaking naked at lunch time, in Italy I have seen people in underwear in public parks, but not naked).

Cheers :-)