Regular readers know I find most feminist complaints of "objectification" kind of hypocritical, vague and just off-base. Especially concerning e.g. ads in magazines aimed at women. (I'm definitely not speaking for Olga here.)
Judith Warner's column in today's NYT is a great example of mental backflips justifying why it's nonetheless OK for her to ogle Obama without making her less intellectual, high-minded, etc.
Of course it's OK. We all desire, as well as think. No one's accusing her of starting down a slippery slope that leads to rape and battering. Why aren't men given the privilege of that same benefit of the doubt?
Can men have the same privilege too? Well, I have two responses.
ReplyDeleteOne, men are not the only ones who publish or promote images which objectify women.
Two, although these statistics are a bit dated, I imagine they present a relevant picture of circumstances in the US (I'll look for ones more current):
An estimated 91% of victims of rape are female, 9% are male and 99% of offenders are male. (Bureau of Justice Statistics 1999)
I agree with you that objectification occurs in all directions, and it is hypocritical to object only when it is directed at women.
However, if objectification of women (and yes, we need to discuss this term at greater length) is one of the direct or indirect causes for the disrespect towards women that results in behavior such as rape, slavery, or discrimination, then clearly it needs to be decried.
Objectification may affect or influence its varied audiences in different ways and have different repercussions for its diverse subjects.
Ultimately, my answer to your question is simply another question: can women can have the same privilege of being objectified without it leading to abuse, please?