Historically, it has been the unfortunate fact that women have struggled to be treated with value, dignity, and respect in nearly every country and culture, and this fact still conspicuously exists today in many countries, such as India or many middle eastern countries, for example. In the United States, however, great efforts have been made over the course of its history to liberate women from inequality and disrespect, and as a result of these efforts, women now possess equal rights as men. On the surface and in many respects women do indeed possess equal rights and receive equal respect and dignity on corporate, political, and legal levels. However, at its core, on an intrinsic existential level of human worth and dignity, I believe American culture has not made any progress in granting women value, dignity, and respect.First, observe sports. Football is arguably the most popular sport in America, and one cannot help but notice the bustuous, scantily clad cheerleaders employed by each team. Perhaps in its infancy cheerleading was intended for inspiring crowds. Now, however, cheerleaders exist for the purpose of being eye candy and for the sex appeal. Other sports such as boxing and car racing are known for women in skimpy bikinis walking around carrying signs or surrounding the champion. Once again, eye candy and sex appeal.
What about tv shows? There are countless tv shows that have sexy women serve no other purpose than being eye candy and for the sex appeal. One example is the hit tv show "Deal or No Deal." There is one male host and about two dozen sexy women in revealing, form-fitting dresses. None of these women have any lines. They simply stand there and hold the brief cases containing the secret numbers. Look also at music videos, the majority of which contain dozens of sexy women who are sensuously clothed (or unclothed).
Lastly, the most pervasive arena in which women's sexuality is exploited for eye candy and sex appeal is in commercials and products. Beer commercials are infamous for selling their products with bikini-clad women. Countless soda commercials film sexy women dancing seductively. The restaurant Hooters speaks for itself just in their name. And many cologne and deodorant commercials show women stripping down and throwing themselves at the men who wear the product. Additionally, numerous magazines place voluptuous supermodels or actresses on the front cover to catch readers' eyes.
How has all this been rationalized by our culture? Women have been told that wearing revealing clothing and looking seductive and sexy is a way of declaring their independence as women. The media strongly purports looking seductive and sexy, and that by doing so a woman will gain the respect of others and herself. The greatest goal towards which a woman should aspire, our media says, is to look young and sexy and to show that body to the world.
The sad truth in all of this is that so many women are deluded, especially those who are in those positions of being models, cheerleaders, and so forth. Instead of gaining the respect of women and men around them, it simply draws the jealousy of other women and feeds the sexual appetite of men. When men look at scantily clad cheerleaders and women in bikinis, they do not think, "thank goodness women have been liberated and are now viewed with dignity and respect." They do not look at them with respect and love! The honest truth is that the majority of men view women as sexual objects from which they can derive various forms of lustful pleasure. To all the women who I have looked at lustfully, I ask for your forgiveness. And on behalf of the millions of men who will never have any remorse for how they view women, I apologize for not treating you with value, dignity, and respect that you deserve. All women have been created in the image of God and are deserving of the fullest and deepest honor, dignity, and respect. Thus concludes my lament for the billions of mistreated women around the world.
