Is Hypersexualization of Women a Hidden Form of Racism?

When we hear of sexiest women in today's age it has become equated with the names Kim Kardashian, JLo and Beyoncé. We are now being told a "fuller" figure and more curvaceous figure is the new trend. Nicki Minaj took that to a whole new level in her recent song, "Anaconda." Majority of these women do not fit the beauty standards of the past that were held by the fashion and movie industry.

Admittedly, I do identify with these women more in that I possess some of these traits and so was almost glad to see away with the atypical model type: extremely tall, svelte, blonde and pale. However, in recent days it has been brought to my attention that whilst having feel beautiful, on the one hand, can have its drawbacks.

Within a historical context, the raping and using of black women solely for sexual purposes during slavery ultimately led to the sexualization of black women in all forms of media. This applied in today's world has meant that being sexy gives one feminine power. How about using intellect and someone to love you for your mind and soul? Modesty would promote such a goal and, unfortunately, objectifying women has lead to the group of persons objectified as playing a more docile role in society. It becomes one of a subservient, submissive person who is role playing to a, "Master."

The Master is empowered and younger girls are becoming more sexually aware; younger mothers and less socially successful which would include in a career.

In order to be sexualized, the person is purely objectified for entertainment purposes.

During slavery times and segregation, African Americans were devoid of any presence within the advertising industry. When they began to make their first appearances, they were shown as a number of different racist images being subservient or representing some form of entertainment for white people. As such, it is arguable that the overall master has changed to some degree but the role played is similar. This overall lends itself to women being incapable of taking care of themselves by falling pregnant earlier, unable to establish careers that can sustain one's living needs in this tough economy and more prone to incidents of domestic violence for that reason.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to the advertising domain and the sexuality of an, “Asian," is more clean and submissive in a way; while Black and Brown women’s sexuality is considered more dangerous, dirty and untamed. The, "Arab" and "Latina" woman is somewhere in between those two extremes. White women’s cultural appropriation is portrayed as the champions that dominate the uncivilized Other.

As such, portrayal of women with hypersexualized images serves no real purpose other than being more submissive and repressive than what many would think is the goal of a burka.