During the past few weeks, it feels like society has taken a huge step back in the way we perceive/treat/look at women. As a culture, we are obsessed with beauty and celebrity but mostly surrounding women. How women are portrayed in media? It’s getting old. Seriously.

Women objectified, depicted as sex objects, prancing around topless. Men around them, fully clothed. First it was the explicit video of this stupid song:

Then Justin Timberlake hit a new low with his video:

And yesterday this post just floored me:

There is too much to talk about here, from the issue of objectifying women to people’s crazy and unrealistic perception of beauty and society’s obsession with physical appearance.

In media and advertising, women are projected as sex symbols, or like the recent music videos, merchandise. Sex sells – the more explicit, the better.

While Robin Thicke’s explicit “Blurred Lines” video got booted off YouTube, Justin Timberlake’s Tunnel Vision” didn’t get censored. YouTube said, “While our Guidelines generally prohibit nudity, we make exceptions when it is presented in an educational, documentary or artistic context, and take care to add appropriate warnings and age-restrictions.”

When is the line crossed between “artistic” and “sexual” content? Ok so Justin Timberlake’s video is considered “art” by some. Riiiiiight. BORING would be a more appropriate description.

How many times have you ever seen a music video of naked men dancing? It would look ridiculous. Degrading to men perhaps? Then there are those who respond by saying, “those women chose to do those videos”, or chose to model those clothes. It’s their choice. Does that make it OK?

The blurred line is when women objectify themselves as an expression of their empowerment over men. Does this help or harm the cause? Here are some images of how women have recently been portrayed in media and advertising.

Thank God today for this – for reminding me that there are people out there who are with me.

and this: