1
Media Project
Stephanie Castilllo
University of Kansas
CT807: Multicultural Education
Dr. Cheryl J. Wright
December 8, 2023
2
Media Project
“This is not a pipe” is a phrase that was written underneath a painted depiction created by the
Belgian surrealist painting called the Treachery of Images by Rene Magritte from the early 20th
century. So what exactly did the painter want the viewer to think about with this statement. He
wanted to challenge ideas regarding the relationship between reality and representation,
providing the idea that an image or representation is not the same as the physical object it
depicts. By examining the title itself, treachery is defined as betrayal. How much are images of
objects perfidious?
By looking at social media and modes of representation in the 21st century, how much can
individuals be misrepresented or misunderstood? Most importantly, how has the objectification
of the female image influenced the woman in the postmodern world? The focus of this
presentation will be how the woman is affected by the female image through social media and
how different forms of representation are used to construct realities and manipulate the
audience’s perception of societal norms and the female identity resulting in objectification.
What is the distinction between the object and its representation?
The caption or context provided with an image can surely influence how it is perceived.
People often form perceptions based on images without knowing the full reality behind them.
Individuals can also manipulate and curate versions of themselves that are not accurate or
represent the actual truth. Depending on the experiences of an individual, associations are
made which influence how one sees the world, understands information and forms beliefs which
shape perspectives. As seen in a Dolce & Gabbana advertisement where a woman clothed in
what seems as a black bathing suit or undergarment and wearing black high heels is being held
3
down by a man on her back while three other men are in the background watching, what various
perceptions can be formed regarding what is happening in the photo? I asked the question
“What do you see in this photo?” to two different people I know. One- I asked a man over forty
and Two- a woman in her young twenties. The male correspondent responded “I see a
prostitute” while the woman correspondent replied by saying “I want to be skinny like her”.
How can there be two distinct ideas that are somewhat contradictory associated with this
woman? The real question should be “What does the one who created this representation of both
women and men want others to see and think?” In both cases, the individuals saw something that
is commodified, something that one must obtain or get.
The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines an object in several ways: something material that is
perceived by the senses, something that when viewed stirs a particular emotion, and
something mental or physical toward which thought, feeling or action is directed (Meriam
Webster, 2023). In a consumer-based society, the economy is mostly driven by the buying and
consuming of goods and services. The desire for objects plays a significant role in modeling
behavior, values and structures. What happens when the objects are people?
We can see this happening under the capitalist system where the socio economic pieces are
based on supply and demand. A free flow of individual interests have created a standard for
what is supplied to individuals for profit. Is our post modern society actually consuming the
images of people through these new modes of media such as Instagram, Tinder and Tik TOk?
What about free cams and pornography sites? Are people also meeting the demand by providing
a supply of endless images to those that desire to gaze at them?
4
When a democratic system allows freedom for people to choose mixed with a socio economic
society that bases its value on profit, the result is a hierarchical system and/or oligarchy where
power overrides morality, and through the workings of propaganda, the manipulation of the
masses through well constructed advertising by corporations can control the narrative of the
female identity. You may be skeptical but let's take a look at what the father of Public Relations
says regarding the ways to control a free democratic system.
Edward Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, took the psychological findings of his uncle
and came to the United States in order to work with the government in order to implement
strategies for control over a free democratic society. His book “Propaganda” discusses the role
of public relations and manipulation of public opinion. Bernays delves into the techniques and
strategies employed to shape public attitudes and behaviors. He states “In some departments of
our daily life, in which we imagine ourselves free agents, we are ruled by dictators exercising
great power. “ (Bernays, 2005).
In the 2002 documentary produced by filmmaker Adam Curtis titled Century of the Self Part 1
Happiness Machines, Edward Bernays is portrayed as a man with great power who used his
belief that the conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the
masses is an important element in democratic society. The campaign he initiated in 1928 titled
Torches of Freedom increased the female market through the manipulation of the woman’s desire
to have more freedom and in turn enhance the American Tobacco Company’s profit (youtube,
2016).
.
5
Now, let’s fast forward to the 21st century. The objects that seem to become so important
now are the images or the representation created by people to post on social media sites in order
to be looked at. The Netflix documentary called The Social Dilemma produced by Netflix
discusses the ways in which social media networks manipulate individuals into being the
products for advertisers stating (2020) “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the
product.”
With the 4th wave of feminism alongside the rapid advancements in technology,
self-subjectification of women through language that depicts sexual liberation creating a false
sense of empowerment among women, especially among the youth who have been
indoctrinated into the use of cellphones and the internet for knowledge, news and rules of
Behavior. With so many digitized images and photos integrated into the global contemporary
culture, the impact on women has become a major concern with rising cases of body
dysmorphia, eating disorders, and insecurities along with the increase in male aggression through
the male gaze and etc of men.
Advertisers are the ones who pay for the services, and it is the consumers’ attention that the
sites are selling. Hence, it is in the interest of social media sites to keep consumers on the pages
for as long as possible. Armed with the knowledge on which posts users like and have engaged
with, social media sites are well-equipped to constantly recommend content tailored to the
individual’s liking. This is usually how users end up unknowingly spending long hours on
Facebook or YouTube.
My interest in the is topic and this analysis has been rooted in the concern with the way
propaganda in the form of advertisement has influenced the self-subjectication of women
6
through language that depicts sexual liberation creating a false sense of empowerment among
women, especially among the youth who have been indoctrinated into the use of cellphones and
the internet for knowledge, news and rules of behavior. With so many digitized images and
photos integrated into the global contemporary culture, the impact on women has become a
major concern with rising cases of body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and insecurities along
with the increase in male aggression through the male gaze and etc of men. How does the
identity of our real self depicted in an image or photograph that is transformed into an object
distort the perception of women by both women and men?
These issues are important in the education field because we have many young girls from
different cultures in the education system who are being educated through means of social media
and on line sources regarding how they should behave as women in society which is advertised
from a source that does not have their best interest in mind but instead are seen as objects to be
commodified for profit. I believe that much of the constructed narrative regarding the ideal
female identity and online platforms that pressure females to participate in the narrative needs to
be addressed since much of this construct comes from corporations with power. Education is key
to e empowerment and the value that should be promoted in women is such. How does the
identity of our real self depicted in an image or photography that is transformed into an object
distort the perception of women by both women and men through the use of advertisements in a
consumer-demand society?
7
Review related Research LIterature
1. According to Levine and Murnen (2009), mass media and marketing, intentionally or
incidentally, contain the following messages: “being sexually attractive is of paramount
importance” (p. 14) This statement comes from the study conducted by Ross Krawczyk at
the University of South Florida titled Media that Objectify Women. Although this is a
submitted dissertation, it provides sources like the one above that can be used for further
analysis on the topic and sources for literature.
2. Understanding that a photograph and image are objects.. They are representations of reality
but are not reality. They can be manipulated, and distorted to promote a narrative which in
turn can have multiple interpretations depending on surrounding context and subjective
realities of the viewer. Susan Sontag’s book titled “On Photography” includes several
essays that discuss the implications of photos being used to control narratives in society.
3. The article titled “Objects Don’t Object: Evidence That Self-Objectification Disrupts
Women’s Social Activism” written by Rachel M. Calogero discusses the findings across two
studies supporting the novel proposition that greater self-objectification predicts more support
for the current state of gender relations and less participation in efforts that would serve the
interests of women as a group. There was also evidence that support for the gender status
quo fully mediated the link between both trait and state self-objectification and gender-based
social activism.
8
4. Objectification Theory: Toward Understanding Women’s Lived Experiences and Mental
Health Risks written by Tomi-Ann Roberts presents the objectification theory as a framework
for understanding the experiential consequences of being female in a culture that sexually
objectifies the female body. The perspective of self can lead to several effects such as
anxiety and shame that interrupt internal body awareness states.
5. Objectification, Sexualization, and Misrepresentation: Social Media and the College
Experience by Stefanie E. Davis examines two Instagram sites specifically targeting
traditionally college-aged individuals. Through a textual analysis of the social media sites
objectification of female college students and submissiveness of female college students and
emphasis on a young white college experience provide evidence that a constructed narrative
can have severe implications on male and female behavior promoting male gaze and
sexualization of women.
6. Empowerment without Feminism? Sexual Objectification Post-feminist Style is an
article written by Ashley Mckay, Shannon Moore and Wendee Kubik where they examine how
the post-feminist rhetoric of “empowerment” and “choice” is drawn on to get women to
purchase products and engage in beauty practices. For women, failing to conform to
Western beauty norms is socially consequential. Gill (2009) discusses the ways in which
“women are presented as not seeking men‟s approval but as pleasing themselves, and, in
doing so, they just happen to win men‟s admiration” (p. 148).
9
7. OBJECTIFIED WOMEN AND FETISHIZED OBJECTS written by Paula Keller which looks
at the statements that sexual objectification reinforces capitalist social structures and male
sexual desire generates a belief about women. Similarly, commodity fetishism reinforces
capitalist social structures, involves agents forming the belief that commodities have value
inherently, and produces evidence supporting this belief.
8. The main issues found in the above research discusses whether or not the portrayal of
sexual liberation in media especially in the context of women expressing themselves is
perpetuating the female body as a commodity therefore affecting how women see
themselves and are being treated. The problems include: the female body image in turn
body itself is something to be consumed in a capitalist society rather than a figure that is
intelligent, educated and can make a significant contribution to the progress of society, the
pressure to conform to becoming an active participant in online media platforms that display
images of self can have severe effects and consequences on ability to meet beauty
standards set by those viewed by spectators - other females and males who gaze and rate
beauty based on the constructed narrative, and While sexual liberation is an important aspect
of women's rights, the ways in which it is portrayed in media and online platforms should be
critically examined to ensure that it empowers women rather than perpetuating harmful
Stereotypes.
The Project Methodology
I selected the resources based on what would support the answer to my main research question
which is “How does the identity of our real self depicted in an image or photograph that is
10
transformed into an object distort the perception of women by both women and men through the
use of advertisements in a consumer-demand society?” By looking at several different aspects
of this topic by breaking down the parts of the question. I wanted to evaluate how society is
constructed and what part of society dominates culture. Since we are living in a globalized world
where mass media now is administered to all parts of the world and influences all cultures,
values are being changed depending on the impact advertising has on those individuals. The
power of advertising has changed from traditional modes to post modern forms and social media
sites are a huge part of narrating norms.
Understanding what is considered objects is a key aspect. The self does not necessarily
become an object until it is represented as one. The Treachery of Images, a 1929 painting
by Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte He is trying to express the idea that how we
define things by the words we used to name them creates a word-image series of conflicts. In
the case of my study, sexual liberation to men could mean a very different thing than sexual
liberation to women. Those that are in power of the narrative, in this case advertising and
media, control and construct the meaning the majority or masses will agree upon.
This type of analysis is appropriate because I am able to approach the topic from a multitude
of perspectives and not only examine it from a macro-scale but also a micro-scale that
enables me to synthesize the information, come to a conclusion that supports my original
thesis based on my guiding question.
My findings support much of my original beliefs. The manipulation of media through
advertising and new forms of media in an economic system that has been promoted through
a dominant culture (powerful elite) has distorted the objectives of the feminist movement in
order to use it for profit rather than to promote equality.
11
I have learned a great deal of specialized vocabulary and knowledge related to this topic, and
this project has peaked my interest further. I believe that, as a woman, to be a true activist in
society where change takes place, we must promote values and intellect rather than our sexuality.
This belief has not changed through my research but has only reinforced it. I think that
younger generations need to understand the power of language and advertising in order to
learn and change the construct of our identity as females in order to transform the focus from
the “body” which is an external attribute that can be commodified to “valuable acts” that are
internal attributes that can contribute to the progress of society.
12
Bibliography Page
Bernays, E. L. (2005). Propaganda. Ig Publishing.
Calogero, R. M. (2013). Objects don’t object. Psychological Science, 24(3), 312–318.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612452574 ‘ Davis, S. E. (2018). Objectification,
sexualization, and misrepresentation: Social Media and the college experience. Social
Media + Society, 4(3), 205630511878672. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118786727
Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T.-A. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding
women’s lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly,
21(2), 173–206. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.1997.tb00108.x
Keller, P. (2021). Objectified women and fetishized objects. Journal of Ethics and Social
Philosophy, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.26556/jesp.v19i1.1113 Krawczyk, R. (2013). Media
that objectify women the influence on individuals’ body image and perceptions of others.
Mckay, A., Moore, S., & Kubik, W. (2019). Empowerment without feminism? sexual
objectification post-feminist style. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENDER &
WOMEN’S STUDIES, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.15640/ijgws.v7n1a9
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). America’s most trusted dictionary. Merriam-Webster.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Sontag, S. (2019). On Photography. Penguin Books.
13
YouTube. (2016, June 20). The century of the self - part 1: “Happiness machines.” YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnPmg0R1M04