Media and its Effect on Sexism

Brooke Peckman, Staff Writer

Sexism (ˈsekˌsizəm): prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. 

There are many misconceptions when it comes to discussing sexism in the current day, and it can be argued that these misconceptions are not mistakes at all, but are statements made out of conscious ignorance. It is a common belief that prejudice against women no longer exists, and that it ended around the time of the women’s suffrage movement in 1920. This is not true at all, and if anything, the prevalence of sexism has increased drastically. 

Social media is one of the influences of sexism, because it promotes people into believing that they can speak freely behind a screen. People continue to objectify women and those of different genders simply because they can; lude comments, misogyny, and discriminatory attitudes are examples that still occur in the current day. Additionally, there are movies such as “Pretty Woman,” which depicts a woman who has a job where she displays herself for others as part of her occupation, and while walking down the street on various occasions she gets cat called. Movies similar to this magnify the assumption that if a woman chooses to dress more revealing than conservative, it is deemed okay by society for them to be treated as if they are objects. Ultimately, the true message of that scene is that what you are wearing and how you are dressed should not determine how you are treated. 

Although various forms of media have been known to encourage this kind of behavior, there are positive figures who have spoken out about the reality of sexism. With lines such as “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can, wondering if I’d get there quicker if I was a man,” singer Taylor Swift reveals her struggle with the patriarchy. The song in the previous line, taken from “The Man” displays the truth about being a woman, discussing the hard truth that there are different expectations for men and women in society. Despite the fact that sexism is discussed more in today’s day and age, the issue is still prevalent and consumers of the media continue to ignore the reality of this behavior.