By CINDY ZHU
Whether it is exaggerated slanted Asian eyes or the lightening of African American skin, minority women have always been the victims of oversexualization in the media. The oversexualized portrayal of minority women is problematic because it not only affects minority women’s perceptions of their self-image, but also perpetuates existing sexism and racism.
Oversexualization emphasizes objectification, which is where female bodies are viewed as objects of sexual pleasure. Objectification often involves the exaggeration of certain physical traits and encourages fetishization, which makes men obsessed with women who possess racially-linked features. The “male gaze” is the most pervasive form of oversexualization, in which men evaluate women as passive objects to fulfill patriarchal desires. Due to the practice of harshly critiquing minority women’s physical features, women from minority groups often experience frequent gender-based microaggressions alongside potential racial harassment.
Such fetishization presents differently between various racial groups. For example, black women are often attacked for having skin that is “too dark,” and , Asian women are regarded as “undesirable” if they do not have skinny bodies. Consequently, minority women are more likely to experience low self-esteem due to self-objectification. For instance, women of colour often experience dissatisfaction with their body type and anxiety surrounding their skin tone at higher rates than their white counterparts. Similarly, Asian-American women have frequently reported body image disturbance, in which they suffer mental health problems, such as anorexia, stemming from the pursuit of the “ideal thinness” as portrayed by the media.
A consequence of colonialism, Eurocentric beauty standards portrayed by the media further exoticize and exclude the diverse physical features of minority women. Sometimes racial features are exaggerated in the media. An example is black women’s stereotypical curviness and Asian women’s facial distinctions. Whereas, other times, the media deliberately excludes minority women with darker skin tones. In both cases, this problematic media portrayal can lead to self-esteem issues among minority women. Under the exaggeration of their racial features, the toxic aspiration of ideal ‘European beauty’ with double eyelids and narrow nose further promotes body shaming sentiments. As Western beauty standards instill the belief of promoting fair skin due to white superiority, colourism applies to all minority races as lighter skin tone is regarded as more attractive.
The lack of representation of minority women in the media further emphasizes, and thus normalizes their sexualization. For instance, in the Disney movie Aladdin, Princess Jasmine is drawn with a tiny waist and wears a revealing but historically inaccurate outfit. Contrary to her midriff-baring two piece outfits, women in Pre-Islamic Arabian society wore loose dresses and veils over their heads. The flawed portrayal of Jasmine encourages the eroticization of women with “oriental” and “exotic Asian identities.
The misrepresentation of minority women in the media encourages the oversexualization of minority women. However, as the film industry becomes more diverse, minority women are portrayed more comprehensively in movies and shows such as Killing Eve and Black Panther. This milestone is significant as minority women are gradually featured in media to challenge the established misconceptions of the audience. Such increasing representation will help to demolish the problematic fetishized perceptions against minority women gradually by combatting Eurocentric beauty standards in North American society.