The Sexual Commodification Of Women - 1424 Words

A major goal of feminists is to challenge the sexual commodification of women. In contrast, commodity feminism has adopted the brilliant idea of using feministic principles as a valuable marketing strategy; women are assured that when they purchase what they want they exercise their freedom of choice. Unfortunately, this kind of feminism operates within a system of capitalist relations where women are sexually objectified under the guise of empowerment and liberation. In this paper I will show that commodity feminism is a significant factor in our day to day purchasing decisions, as it uses psychological warfare against women and girls. As well, I will detail how it affects young girls and women, and by describing some critiques of this theory. I will also discuss how the consumer is persuaded into thinking that because feminist themes are becoming more visible in the mainstream, society must therefore be making progress at reducing sexism and calling additional attention womenâ€⠄¢s issues. The first significant instance of Commodity Feminism was perhaps Edward Bernays’ ‘Torches of Freedom’, which was the public relations stunt for Lucky Strike Cigarettes in 1929. In the documentary The Century of the Self, it shows that at the time it was almost illegal for women to smoke in public, so that on that one fateful day in 1929, Bernays had thousands of women march to the street smoking cigarettes. This step was presented to the public as a liberal act for feminists; suddenlyShow MoreRelatedEssay The Commodification of Volleyball800 Words   |  4 PagesThe popularity of Volleyball has increased dramatically over past years. This is a result of commodification. 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