Sex Sells… Still?
With the recent story breaking about Harvey Weinstein and his so-called “casting couch culture”, there couldn’t be a more apt time to be given the title “Sex Sells” and told to write 1000 words. The allegations towards him have caused thousands more women to come forward with their own stories of sexual harassment and abuse. Prominent public figures, from celebrities to politicians, have publicly condemned the atrocious acts he committed, and many are trying to raise awareness over the fact it’s not just in Hollywood that this happens.
It’s been mentioned a lot in the media already over the past few weeks, but the #metoo campaign on social media platforms has only highlighted the sheer amount that goes unchecked simply because of the ingrained attitude of “it’s normal” or fear at the consequences of reporting it. Just the other day at work, I was recounting to a colleague about how an ex-employee at our workplace used to make inappropriate comments and touches whenever I wore a particular dress. Whenever I mentioned it to other members of staff, and even managers, the only people that understood and empathised were the other young, female employees whom he’d made similar comments to. It then transpired that he’d been sending nude photos to another employee, who was in a long-term relationship, which weren’t reciprocated or encouraged. Everyone we told simply thought we were attention-seeking or overreacting — and that’s exactly what happens whenever people report sexual abuse or harassment, so you can understand why so many choose not to.
The perception that it’s “normal” is only encouraged by the constant allusions to sex in the media, many of these articles mention them. The commercials that show women in the throes of pleasure at simply washing their hair, or eating a particular food (*cough* Müller yoghurts *cough*). I don’t know about you, although I feel great when my hair is really soft, I certainly don’t orgasm from it. These adverts aren’t offensive per se, they’re just annoying and a tad sick-making. However, what they do is reinforce the normalisation of sexualising women, even when they’re doing the most mundane of things. It’s this normalisation that needs to stop.
My boyfriend is just finishing playing The Witcher 3, and I’ve had the joy of watching him play the vast majority of the 121 hours that he’s spent on it (I actually thoroughly enjoyed simply watching it, but that’s a whole other article). But what I noticed throughout the entire game, is that even in 2017 we still have overly sexualised female characters in video games. All the women are perfectly proportioned, completely flawless, and have enormous boobs. You can visit different classes of brothel and watch a detailed cut-scene of your time with them, and the whole premise of the game is rescuing your whiny adoptive daughter who is apparently super powerful with magic and trained in combat yet constantly needs saving? I even got irritated with her, and I wasn’t even playing it. Your sorceress girlfriend is not only immensely powerful but also pretty kinky (every guy’s dream, right?), and as long as it’s with a prostitute it doesn’t matter if you cheat on her! I get that the target audience for video games is mainly male, and I’m by no means saying I agree with that, but I appreciate that sexy female characters are a draw for them. For me though? I’m good, thanks. Not to mention that with the leaps and bounds video game developers have made over the years, you’d think they could at least make it so that a naked woman who is lying on her side has that funny boob on top that squishes down, but no, they’re as perky as ever.
And so, coming back to the subject, how is it that sex still sells? Is it because everyone* loves sex? Is it because feminism, despite being in its third wave now, is still needed to combat female oppression that seems to only get worse with the likes of Trump being elected, and Weinstein serving just a week in an outpatient rehab facility? Or is it because it’s so indoctrinated in our minds now that seeing those adverts, those depictions of mundane objects, is how they sell them? After all, if everyone loves sex, then surely sex sells even those mundane objects? Surely everyone will want to buy your product if you show some side-boob in your ads? Wrong. More people are becoming increasingly irate at having sexualised adverts shoved down their throats. Not only are they inappropriate for families and children, but they’re also just lazy forms of advertising. If your marketing team can’t come up with anything better than boobs, then maybe you need a better marketing team.
Despite the unrealistic nature of the sex that sells, it’s somehow the case that it still does. Film portrayals, video games, books, all show sex as a hot, steamy affair, in which all parties are stunningly beautiful and fit, and stay that way throughout. Everyone has mind-blowing orgasms and foreplay doesn’t really exist. Anyone that’s actually had sex knows that this isn’t the case. So many people have experienced the real deal, so is it that they aren’t satisfied with the messy, realistic version and turn to something that they can hopelessly aspire to? Whatever it is, if it doesn’t stop then society, feminism, life itself will just continue to move backwards.
Until we successfully combat this perception of women as being little else than sex dolls, how will we ever progress as a society? How are we supposed to explain to Emily Dickinson and Emmeline Pankhurst that their fight to finally enfranchise us nearly 90 years ago was only the tip of the iceberg and that the dreaded patriarchy runs much deeper than they ever could have imagined? Are we to end up like The Handmaid’s Tale
*everyone is being used in a very loose way here to emphasise my point
With thanks to Bethany Nolan.
