Language

English (en)

Prize Year

2024

Document Type

Unrestricted

Abstract

From music to novels, the sexualization of young girls and women permeates our media. Many magazine models and actresses are posed in ways that transform them into sexual objects, even without their knowledge or consent. Miley Cyrus was fifteen when she posed seminude for Vanity Fair. Fiona Apple was only nineteen when pressured to strip on camera for her first music video. This phenomena of perpetuated sexualization of women in media is referred to as the Lolita effect, coined by media studies scholar M. Gigi Durham. With a focus on Fiona Apple’s “Criminal” music video, this research paper explores the relationship between the sexualization of women in the media to female autonomy and sexual assault. Through the visual and lyrical analysis of the “Criminal” music video, this essay explores questions such as: to what extent do young girls and women have autonomy over their images? Is it the responsibility of the sexualized subject to regulate and conceal their sexuality or the responsibility of the audience not to sexualize certain subjects? Real world manifestations of the Lolita effect are explored, including how adolescent perceptions of women in media strengthens the culture of eating disorders and body image issues and the victim-blaming of female victims of rape.

Comments

Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize, 2024

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