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There's a lot of attention around the objectification of women. Objectification is a problem. What people fail to appreciate is that objectification of men happ
by farginay 13y ago
There's a lot of attention around the objectification of women. Objectification is a problem. What people fail to appreciate is that objectification of men happens also but it isn't as overt as a wolf-whistle.
Women are objectified sexually. Men are objectified by status. A sexually attractive woman always has to ask herself "does he like me because of my looks?" A man with status often asks himself the parallel question "if I was poor or a nobody would she be with me?"
It doesn't happen with a wolf-whistle, but it is just as insidious.
- marquis 13y ago> it is just as insidious. As a woman I completely agree with this - which is why it's hard to see issues like this on HN. The argument suddenly turns to "but men have it hard too!" instead of "wow, we're messed up, let's all acknowledge this together".
- farginay 13y agoYes, acknowledging is good. I wonder whether we'll ever be able to "fix" it. Objectification is a cognitive function. We all do it to some degree. When our attention turns to a person, it isn't always at their core. For instance an employer might see her employees in a utilitarian way at one moment and appreciate their humanity and feelings the next. The big issue is whether it's hurtful or the dominant mode in a person.