The notion of women as sexual objects exists throughout the entire world, however in Italy, the female image is further degraded by the Italian media. More than ever before, there is an emphasis on physical beauty and attractiveness in Italian print and television. These chauvinist standards represented in the media have influenced the way in which women are perceived in Italy.
The unrealistic measure of beauty has influenced young women’s awareness of how their bodies can help them achieve their goals, contributing to the ongoing cycle of female degradation and loss of authentic self.
As seen on prime-time national Italian television, women are constantly forced to humiliate themselves, but what is most shocking is their allowance to do so. While in the United States, reports of sexual violence against women have resulted in movements such as “Me Too,” in Italy, it has been reported as more of a “meh” movement, not embraced as enthusiastically or seriously as American women.
Moreover, victim blaming still prevails in the Italianmachista society, promulgated by the court system and media. In Italy, sexist culture continues to be reflected in the media, influencing the way in which Italian women are perceived by men and themselves.
Italy is ranked 82 out of 144 countries for equal opportunities at work and in politics, education and health, in part due to the portrayal of beautiful, young, buxom women as stupid and shallow. Yet, women still strive to achieve the perfect body, as seen on TV through plastic surgery, losing their credibility as authentic and intelligent beings in the process.
The mass media in Italy is contributing to a dangerous culture toward women. Like in many Western countries, women are more accustomed to being exposed in the media with nude images as a means to attract consumers.
The old saying “sex sells” is the modus operandi for consumerism in Italy. With 8.2 million Italian women reporting having been sexually harassed, which is almost half of the adult Italian women population, one needs to question if this could result from how women are perceived in Italy based on their portrayal in the media.
Is the media reflective of a social norm or is that norm created by the media? Social approval is accrued by an individual if a sufficient number of people express their attitudes and behave in a similar way.
There is no doubt that Italian television has an influence on viewers, and assists in developing social norms toward women, for better or for worse. Social norms establish how a group of individuals ought to behave in a given situation and these Italian reality shows consistently humiliate women, making it an accepted as well as an expected form of behavior.
The media has the means to take responsibility toward transformation by the way it covers stories through pictures, language, and attitude toward women as culpable and weak, or beautiful and stupid. It is only in this way that men and women’s perspectives will change so women can be elevated and not sexually objectified in society.
An impactful solution is needed to end this culturally based problem, the objectification and victimization of women.
