Women as Sexsual Object
Sexism - Women as Sexual Objects
Since the beginning of time, women have always been described by men as having sexual appeal. However, most of the descriptions held a negative stigma in them. In Korea’s fairytale, there exists a mythical gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who could transform into a beautiful woman so that they can seduce unsuspecting men and eat their livers. What does this tells us? Men, beware! There are beautiful women out there who are out to trick you so that she can eat your liver. This reeks of sexism where women are held in negative assumptions. Media further reinforces this view by broadcasting shows, programs or video games that exploit women’s sexual appeal.
In the past, women are blamed if they could allure other women’s men; they are said to be wicked and bad (or to used the common word, a whore). If they are raped, it will always be the women’s fault; they wore revealing clothes, they were seducing him, etc. The men were never blamed, at least not directly. They are absolved of any responsibilities towards the women, even if the women that they had raped became pregnant and were the subject of ridicule among other people. Even when the men are punished for their crimes, the women will always bear a stigma; they are considered to be dirty and have lower status than a slave.
I watch a lot of Korean dramas. They usually are centered on the theme of love. There usually will be two types of woman characters in the story. First and foremost is the heroine. She can be a successful woman in her career, or a naïve school girl, or a woman who is facing some difficulties in her life; they will always be identifiable because they are the good girl who are kind to others or are sympathetic to other’s plight. They will always get the heroes. Then, there are the other women on the other side of spectrum. They are usually the bad girl, the one who wanted to steal the heroes. They are the scheming temptresses, are two-faced and are out to get the heroine.
Since the beginning of time, women have always been described by men as having sexual appeal. However, most of the descriptions held a negative stigma in them. In Korea’s fairytale, there exists a mythical gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who could transform into a beautiful woman so that they can seduce unsuspecting men and eat their livers. What does this tells us? Men, beware! There are beautiful women out there who are out to trick you so that she can eat your liver. This reeks of sexism where women are held in negative assumptions. Media further reinforces this view by broadcasting shows, programs or video games that exploit women’s sexual appeal.
In the past, women are blamed if they could allure other women’s men; they are said to be wicked and bad (or to used the common word, a whore). If they are raped, it will always be the women’s fault; they wore revealing clothes, they were seducing him, etc. The men were never blamed, at least not directly. They are absolved of any responsibilities towards the women, even if the women that they had raped became pregnant and were the subject of ridicule among other people. Even when the men are punished for their crimes, the women will always bear a stigma; they are considered to be dirty and have lower status than a slave.
I watch a lot of Korean dramas. They usually are centered on the theme of love. There usually will be two types of woman characters in the story. First and foremost is the heroine. She can be a successful woman in her career, or a naïve school girl, or a woman who is facing some difficulties in her life; they will always be identifiable because they are the good girl who are kind to others or are sympathetic to other’s plight. They will always get the heroes. Then, there are the other women on the other side of spectrum. They are usually the bad girl, the one who wanted to steal the heroes. They are the scheming temptresses, are two-faced and are out to get the heroine.
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