The Sexy Lie (Discuss)

[Tuesday Afternoon]

Being A Sex Object Is Empowering. Oh, Wait, No It’s Not. Here’s Why.

Any time I share content that focuses on the ways in which women are objectified or held to absurd physical standards, I hear from people who say that's just the way it is, that it's been this way for decades, that women should learn to ignore it.

I disagree. Caroline Heldman, the speaker in this video, does an incredible job explaining the objectification of women, how it's gotten worse, how damaging it is, and what we can do to address it. This video is for women and men. We should all expect better.

Her seven-step test is compelling. She begins talking about how we can fix the problem at 9:05. Seems so simple...
At 11:00, she begins sharing success stories — instances when people who'd had enough decided to take action and made a difference.

[cinnabonbon]

1. Yesss I love it when TED videos are posted here

and I love it even more when they kick ass like this one does.

[Squinch]

2. Very good observation: Men's magazines are filled with scantily clad women, and women's magazines

are filled with scantily clad women, so something other than "sex sells" is at work here.

Nicely put.

[nomorenomore08]

5. I hereby advocate for more scantily clad men! And I'm straight, so you can't say I'm biased...

(Not to make too much light of an important subject. Though I must say RE: "men's magazines" that it's not the cheesecake photos that bother me, so much as the dumbass articles on "How to Get A Hotter Girlfriend" and so forth that seem aimed at slow-witted sixteen-year-olds.)

[ismnotwasm]

3. Never helped me

Hard to get rid of assholes.

[nomorenomore08]

4. Seems like another instance where people can't tell fantasy from reality.

And rather than realizing, and accepting, that a real human being will never live up to their ideal fantasy-object, they chase that fantasy - consciously or not - everywhere they go.

[redqueen]

6. She is so spot fucking on.

I need to find a transcript.