In modern Western culture, the hypersexualization of women is hypocritically marketed as empowerment. Society encourages us to embrace our sexuality as a means of self-expression, and showing more skin is seen as a bold move that reclaims one’s femininity. But this final, paradoxical action of self-sexualization ultimately does not serve any purpose for the person being sexualized.
Hypersexualization refers to the overt placing of women’s bodies solely in the context of sexual acts. It is done in the media through song lyrics, magazine covers, or film scenes. It can also be seen in real life through objectifying comments, or a sexual portrayal of a woman.
The hypersexualization of a woman reduces her inherent value to being simply what her body can offer. For instance, if accomplished celebrities are portrayed sexually, it causes the focus to shift from their accomplishments to their outward appearance, perpetuating the idea that women must be beautiful and sexual objects to be considered worthy of one’s attention. This idea is an inherently patriarchal notion because it implies that women owe these qualities to a consumer.
So, why is self-sexualization seen as empowering? Some say that if a woman takes agency over her sexuality, she is reclaiming her body from a system that would exploit it nevertheless. For instance, if a woman sexualizes herself to receive more media attention and consequently more fame, it can be said that she is profiting off of it. But it is important to realize that by carrying the action of sexualization out, she remains a part of a system that commodifies her sexuality. Even if a woman attempts to use this system to her advantage by sexualizing herself, she is perpetuating the idea that her body is a selling point: an object to be admired and consumed.
Often, people also claim that if a woman chooses to sexualize herself with no external pressures, or perhaps as a form of self-expression, it is in fact beneficial and empowering. Though this would be true in an ideal world, it is not the case in our world today — a world where overt patriarchy and internalized misogyny make an objective choice impossible. Because no one can be separated from the society in which we live, one can always be sure that the choice to sexualize oneself is not free from external motivations, and hence, boils down to serving the same interests as any other reason to sexualize.
One could also argue that hypersexualization is empowering because a woman taking agency over her sexuality directly opposes purity culture — the idea that women should hide and save their sexuality for a future partner. There is a simple counterargument: the fact that both ideas place a woman’s value in her sexuality. Whether she is encouraged to be sensuous and own her sexuality, or asked to suppress it, both ideas use her sexuality as a focal point to define her. This hyperfocus on sexuality as a defining characteristic of one’s identity has patriarchal ties because a woman’s sexuality is generally seen as a means to an end.
Whether a man does it, or she does it herself, the hypersexualization of a woman’s body reduces her to simply that facet of her identity and is patriarchal. It is marketed as empowering to serve the interests of those who wish to profit off of women’s sexuality; true empowerment should allow women to come to terms with their sexuality however they see fit. A culture that truly wanted to empower women would not emphasize messaging that tells them how to correctly perform their sexuality, but allow them to explore their sexual identity on their terms. Until we reach such a world, the sexualization of women’s bodies will never illustrate women’s freedom of choice or agency, but continue to serve consumers.