For years the media has often been blamed for objectifying women, however some studies suggest that the media is not the only culprit in doing so, but also maybe the way in which our brains are wired. New research has shown that upon first look, the human mind processes women as parts, but men as a whole. What this means is that when someone looks at a woman, different parts of her body, like her breasts, will be studied first and then her whole body will be looked at. Men, on the other hand, are seen as a whole when someone gazes at them, therefore they do not need to worry about having every inch of themselves involuntarily scrutinized from top to bottom, which probably partially also explains why we see more women’s than men’s magazines on shelves.
After viewing a slideshow of 100 Years of Female Objectification we’re not convinced that women will ever stop being the object of everyone’s affection, but we are hopeful about a more positively empowering twist in the way in which women are being portrayed and perceived. The most recent example of this change in times is the induction of Kate Lanphear, previous style director at T magazine and Elle, who became the new Editor in Chief of Maxim Magazine , the once top selling men’s magazine that’s seen significant declines in readership over the past six years. And yes we also ironically share a name we with this magazine that became most popular for it’s sultry, nearly-naked magazine cover shots of powerful women, the exact opposite of the archetype of a woman we encourage our readers to be. You can read here about how and why we very differently chose our name.
To our delight, Maxim Magazine’s new goals are more in line with ours, in it’s mission to turn the magazine in to a lifestyle brand that provides readers with more information about the people featured in the magazine, while trying to influence the way female beauty is viewed by men. Lanphear wants men to fall in love with the women featured in the publication, rather than just see them as a pretty face or sexual object. In an interview back in February with NY Mag, she is quoted as saying,
“We want to celebrate women’s physical beauty because it’s an essential part of the brand, but we also want to celebrate their success and tell their stories. They’re as successful and energetic and driven and confident as the men we want to speak to. My vision is to show women who will be a partner. She’s not oiled up on a surfboard, she’s carrying the surfboard to the back of the truck you’re going to go to Montauk in together. That’s the fantasy and the aspiration.”
Women’s beauty and what is defined as beautiful has been a topic of discussion for centuries ranging from “acceptable” female body shapes to fashionable makeup trends. What remains a constant in feminine beauty discussions is that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, however it is often still strongly influenced by external forces, like media publications. We fortunately now have the ability to positively impact as well as alter the messages that are being transmitted to the public, and especially those towards women.
Revamping a men’s magazine is no easy feat, however with a woman taking the reigns, it gives females hope for a brighter future. This is another ironic point of relation in the development of both Maxim brands given our Founder is a male who asked his daughter to partner with him to help bring a feminine perspective to his revolutionary male vision for feminine products.
A few generations ago a woman was expected to look after the home and she was not encouraged to work. The old mentality that “women should be seen and not heard” is slowly changing and evolving into something positive, in which females are gaining more power in the workplace and are starting to be viewed as strong beings, beyond just their look. Objectification and the old-school mentality of appreciating women more for their looks rather than their ideas or spirits is becoming a thing of the past, giving all of us Fierce Women something positive to look forward to! Only time and the increase in sales of Maxim magazine will tell if the readers of this once #1 ranked publication and the general male population will feel the same….
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