MTV and Sexual Objectification

MTV was launched in 1981 and transformed many parts of entertainment and news. However, it was criticized for its sexual content, especially of women. Since then, there have been content analysis studies as well as audience centered studies. From these studies, researchers concluded that sexual objectification is very prevalent in the content of MTV shows. Sexual objectification is defined by Dianna Russell, a feminist writer and activist, as “the portrayal of human beings – usual women – as depersonalized sexual things.” Studies have also found that adolescents use the content they see on MTV for socialization.  This can be extremely damaging among young adults with the sexual objectification so prevalent in what they are watching.

Questions about Women and Music Videos/Lyrics

The sexualization of women in media has become extremely popular and continues to increase today. In what ways do the sexualized portrayals in rap and R&B music videos and lyrics affect public perception of young women? This is a very difficult question to answer. There have been many studies done by numerous researchers to find out more on this topic. And this is a very important issue to consider. Viewers of this type of media are greatly affected by the content and can lead to detrimental effects in the long run. By looking at various studies and reports, one can acquire a greater understanding of the power of these effects.