Objectified

So, I was working on homework in the library the other day when I glanced up at the magazines racks, only to find something that both shocked and horrified me. There, on the top of the magazine rack, was Rolling Stones magazine. On the cover? The entire band of 5 Seconds of Summer (I believe that's what their name was) completely naked, with only their hands or small objects to cover their private parts.

Not to insult Rolling Stones or 5 Seconds of Summer, but was that really necessary?

This is only one of numerous examples where men and women are being objectified by being portrayed as "sexy" through their lack of clothing.

Now, I used to think that it was only women being heavily objectified and sexualized in our society, but I have come to realize that men are being objectified too. Women are put on the covers of magazines like Shape and Vanity, making sure they have minimal amounts of clothing to emphasize their breasts and butts, and men are made sure to have nothing less than their shirt off to show their huge muscles and "sexy" v-shape body.

But when we see those, are we actually registering them as people? Or do we just see figures meant to be used as sex-objects?

I truly believe that this one of the biggest problems in our first-world culture. Not only are we molding an image of our celebrities that suggests their worth is only in how they look, but we're teaching our generation the same thing. Teenage boys and girls, and even children, see these images of half-naked celebrities being called "sexy" and "amazing" and they believe they need to do the same thing. Our young people start thinking their worth is tied into how they look or how well their body fits this "hour-glass" and "v-shape" figure.

I don't think it's a coincidence that our suicide and depression rates among young adults and teenagers have gone up with the increase of media's presence in our lives. I don't believe that it's just chance that millions, of teenagers are following fashion trends that actresses and actors have begun. It's definitely not coincidental that I see numerous scantily clad girls and boys without proper clothing on my college campus every single day, even when it's below freezing out. They've somehow gotten it into their heads that showing off their body is even more important than their health and safety.

Why are we allowing this to happen?

Someone please tell me why thousands of those magazines are still being sold every day. Tell me why Teen Vogue and Vanity are still on the shelves and being sold to girls who haven't even gone through puberty yet. Why are we allowing this indoctrination of "I have to look like that" and "I need to be sexy" to reach our generation? Why are we allowing them to objectify themselves?

Now, I'm not saying that we need to dress frumpy or that we cannot allow even an inch of our lower arm to show, but I am suggesting that we start revolutionizing the fashion industry, that we start taking over media and magazines. Instead of letting magazines that objectify human beings--valuable, precious human beings that are smart, funny, helpful, compassionate, etc--why don't we start advertising magazines that uplift girls and boys, that tell them their worth has nothing to do with the way they look.

Whether or not you agree with this or not, their worth, and YOUR worth, has to do with a loving Father that saw all the junk and mess we were and decided to die for us anyway. It has to do with a great Creator that designed us to be exactly who we are--strengths, flaws, and all--and saw us as perfection.

That's right, teenage boy, twenty-something young woman, or whoever is reading this, you were created for perfection. Don't let anyone or anything else tell you otherwise.