Women’s Objectification by Consumer Culture

Abstract

Since centuries, patriarchy defined women as objects to serve the needs of gender elite. In past women were confined to their reproductive function by the ideology of 'separate spheres', but with the rise of consumer culture their aesthetic function is impinged upon drastically. The rising consumer culture at the turn of the century invented 'beauty ideology' to sell its wares to consumers. Although all women across geographical, class and race bounds are expected to adhere to a standardized physical appearance but women working for mass media are the most vulnerable victims of beauty ideology. Mass media, being the main sty of consumer culture plays havoc with bodies of celebrities and models to bring them up to an idealized beauty norm to bring more consumers into its stringent clasp. The purpose of my research is to focus on the message articulated by an American writer Brian D'Amato in a well reputed novel Beauty. My intent is to examine critically how celebrities working for mass media are objectified by presenting them as 'sex objects' for global consumption. The present paper proposes to draw attention to Amato's critique of women's objectification by consumer culture.