Pornification of Women in Mainstream Western Media

Introduction: Media, Sexuality, and the Pornification of Culture

Sexuality is a normal part of life for every male and female. Regardless of where a person lives, or what age they are, sexual desire is a recognized biological reality. However, Western media has been widely blamed for exacerbating and distorting this aspect of human life. Back in 1811, Jane Austen's novel Sense and Sensibility mentioned the word "chaperon," reflecting a social norm in which a young woman and a young man were never left alone without a chaperone present ("Poisoned by Porn; It's," 2010, p. 14). Why was this the case? The answer lies in the historical understanding that sexual desire requires social guardrails. Women of that era were regarded as individuals deserving honor, respect, and protection. Over the course of two hundred years, as humans have advanced technologically and educationally, nearly all of those restrictions have fallen away. Far from defending a woman's honor, the media today portrays women as objects adorned with sexuality and beauty. Most women are encouraged to aspire to be sexy, hot, and beautiful rather than respected, educated, and intellectual.

The culture we live in today is being influenced by pornography to a dangerous extent. Pornified imagery has infiltrated language, fashion, advertising, film, magazines, television, and even video games. Gone are the days when boys had to go to any significant trouble to obtain pornographic material; in one form or another, it is now delivered to them (Sarracino & Scott, 2008, p. x). Pornography has become mainstream, and in fact mainstream culture itself has become thoroughly pornified. In the nineteenth century, boys were taught by their fathers and grandfathers that immoral behavior would carry consequences in this life and the next. Young girls were lectured by their mothers and aunts that sexual activity existed solely for reproduction, and that any woman who engaged in it for other reasons was considered a prostitute (Sarracino & Scott, 2008, p. xii). By contrast, in contemporary culture, any woman who appears to lack strong sexual urges is regarded as abnormal, and men who appear similarly disinterested are labeled homosexual.

American teenagers find themselves caught in a contradictory situation. While parents and health classes advise abstinence or caution, the internet and media present sex as something deeply desirable and pleasurable. This leaves adolescents confused about where to turn. They frequently turn to media as their primary guide, which then teaches them that sex and pornography are achievements to pursue, and that dressing "sexy" is both normal and desirable (Sutton, Brown, Wilson, & Klein, 2002, p. 26).

Many researchers have discussed how pornification has led to increased sexual demands from both men and women, regardless of age. A study cited by the Matrimonial Lawyers Association found that the more men viewed pornography, the more difficulty they had sustaining sexual relationships with real partners (Balan, 2010). The central concern is that pornography degrades women's role in intimate relationships. The cruelty and brutality depicted in pornographic material affects the way men conceptualize and treat women (Balan, 2010). Many women whose partners regularly consume pornography report feeling as though they are being cheated upon, and they are made to feel inadequate by partners whose expectations have been shaped by unrealistic on-screen depictions (Balan, 2010).

Body Image, Cosmetic Surgery, and the Sexualized Ideal

The media promotes an extremely narrow and specific body ideal, conveying the message that women must be toned and thin. With the spread of pornification, the desire to look overtly sexy has been layered on top of this already unattainable standard. Being slender and toned is now deemed insufficient; women must also project overt sexual desirability. A 1993 survey of women between the ages of 18 and 70 found that 50% viewed their own bodies negatively (Cash & Henry, 1995). A study conducted on female undergraduates found that exposure to images of extremely slender women in magazines produced feelings of guilt, stress, and depression (Stice & Shaw, 1994). The pornified ideal of looking "sexy" leads women to question whether their education and professional accomplishments will matter at all if they do not also meet an impossible physical standard. Many women conclude that no matter how accomplished they become — as doctors, lawyers, or intellectuals — they will be undesirable if they are not also thin and sexually attractive.

The statistics on cosmetic surgery reflect this cultural pressure starkly. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, breast augmentation procedures increased by 45% between 2000 and 2011. In 2000, approximately 212,500 people underwent this procedure; by 2011, that number had risen to 307,180 (ASPS, 2012). Similarly, buttock lift procedures rose from 1,356 in 2000 to 4,546 in 2011, an increase of 235% over the same decade (ASPS, 2012). These statistics clearly indicate that pornification is shaping women's physical choices in profound ways. Women seek to acquire bodies that resemble those of film or pornographic performers because those bodies have been normalized as the definition of "sexy." This phenomenon is most acutely observed in adolescent girls, who have not yet reached physical maturity but feel urgent pressure to conform. Many adolescent girls believe that attracting a desirable romantic partner depends entirely on the shape of their bodies.

In earlier decades, being sexually active was considered shameful for most young women. Today, thanks to pornification and a media culture that frames sex as a prized achievement, this dynamic has reversed entirely. A high school senior named Anastasia, for example, uploaded details of her sexual encounters with her boyfriend online for public consumption (Stern, 2002, p. 266). This illustrates how pornification encourages women to treat their own sexuality as a spectacle and a source of social currency, and encourages young men to seek out and reward such display.

Hypersexualization, Violence, and Gender Relations

While the sexualization of both men and women in media has increased, a study by University of Buffalo researchers analyzing forty years of Rolling Stone magazine covers found that women have been significantly more sexualized than men in that period (Willard, 2011). Hypersexualization — the saturation of media imagery with content that evokes sexual associations — does not merely reflect cultural attitudes; it actively shapes them. Some argue that the ready availability of pornography helps relieve male sexual frustration and thereby protects women from assault. The evidence, however, points in the opposite direction: hypersexualization increases the likelihood of violence against women and fosters anti-women attitudes and sexual harassment (Willard, 2011).

Pornification raises expectations for men, and particularly for young boys, who often treat pornographic scenarios as a template for real relationships. This leads to elevated and often violent expectations within romantic partnerships, contributing to higher rates of date rape and relationship violence. Most pornographic scenarios involve aggression against women, and research suggests that men exposed to such material attempt to replicate those scenarios in their own relationships (Groote, 2011). Men who regularly consume pornography are disproportionately likely to view women with contempt and to lack empathy for women's suffering. This dynamic extends to internet pornography, where violent imagery normalizes the idea that aggression enhances sexual pleasure (Groote, 2011).

Experimental research supports these findings. A study of 120 male undergraduates found that after watching an aggressive erotic film, participants expressed greater willingness to administer electric shocks to women. The results demonstrated that exposure to aggressive-erotic content — the dominant category in contemporary pornography — significantly increased both aggressive attitudes and willingness to cause harm to women (Donnerstein, 1980). The evidence is clear that media is actively worsening the pornification problem.

Conclusion

Female celebrities have played a major role in bringing the pornographic element into mainstream media. The dresses of Lady Gaga, once considered obscene, are now among the most sought-after and expensive designs by Prada, Armani, and many other brands. These celebrities — with their artificial nails, hair extensions, surgically altered bodies, and revealing clothing — secure prominent placement in magazines and commercials that directly shape the aspirations of millions of teenage girls and the expectations of adult men alike. Given the current trajectory of both society and media, it is hardly surprising to see an underwear advertisement by Victoria's Secret bearing a slogan such as "Let's Talk About Sex." The pornification of mainstream Western media is not a peripheral phenomenon; it is now central to how women are defined, represented, and understood in contemporary culture.