General Discussion

BainsBane

(53,015 posts)

3. Absolutely

Sun Feb 23, 2014, 02:03 PM

Feb 2014

It is creating a commodity out of representations of female body parts and even female bodies. What is astounding to me is how many people can't imagine their own sexuality apart from capitalist commodity fetishism. They insist it is inherently biological or has "always been this way," when objectification as we understand it today is fairly recent, largely a function of the second half of the 20th century (WWII onward). It has emerged as a backlash to women's increasing economic and political power.

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Mass objectification is a result of commodification which is....... [View all] socialist_n_TN Feb 2014 OP

I don't think the roots mzteris Feb 2014 #1

I agree with you, but with capitalism, it's more prevalent because there's plenty of $$$$ Sarah Ibarruri Feb 2014 #6

Which is the reason I said "Mass objectification"......... socialist_n_TN Feb 2014 #38

Yes. And I do agree it is turned into a horrific problem by capitalism. nt Sarah Ibarruri Feb 2014 #43

My point. mzteris Feb 2014 #45

Yes. nt Sarah Ibarruri Feb 2014 #46

Exactly. Certain people (women, slaves, etc.) were considered PROPERTY. nt redqueen Feb 2014 #21

You don't need to blame capitalism for the mingling of sex and commerce. Rex Feb 2014 #2

However, for it to become a mass commercial industry... Scootaloo Feb 2014 #4

True, good point. Rex Feb 2014 #5

Absolutely BainsBane Feb 2014 #3

Good post, and I agree that objectification is part and parcel of unrestrained capitalism... Sarah Ibarruri Feb 2014 #7

thanks for injecting some sense into the clusterfuck. El_Johns Feb 2014 #8

Objectification is not, in itself, a bad thing. rrneck Feb 2014 #9

Objectification means treating a human as an object. El_Johns Feb 2014 #11

Yes. And we all do it for any number of reasons. rrneck Feb 2014 #12

Can you give an example of objectification that is good because it's done for the proper reasons? El_Johns Feb 2014 #13

I dunno. I never tried. rrneck Feb 2014 #14

Not sure what you're saying. Is it that objectification is OK if it's done to workers and soldiers? El_Johns Feb 2014 #15

No. rrneck Feb 2014 #18

In what way is it (being a thing) part of being human? El_Johns Feb 2014 #19

Well, rrneck Feb 2014 #20

Your body is your body, part of "you", who is a human. I think we're talking past each other. El_Johns Feb 2014 #22

I think it's because rrneck Feb 2014 #23

Objectification means dehumanization: to make a human a thing. I don't know how you're using it, El_Johns Feb 2014 #24

Doesn't look like it. rrneck Feb 2014 #25

I'm Batman The Straight Story Feb 2014 #27

Who is the living being batman objectifies? Does batman stand in for all men? El_Johns Feb 2014 #29

SI did a bit on batman The Straight Story Feb 2014 #30

right. El_Johns Feb 2014 #31

It all boils down to the individual and their abilities The Straight Story Feb 2014 #32

"the individual and their abilities". Ja, richtig. El_Johns Feb 2014 #33

The OP is about commodity fetishism and the theory of alienation. joshcryer Feb 2014 #41

You're way ahead of me. rrneck Feb 2014 #44

It's all true, of course, but applied wrong. Think of "sonder." joshcryer Feb 2014 #47

+1 and "Social progress may be measured precisely by the social position of women." Karl Marx Zorra Feb 2014 #10

You ALWAYS get a star Comrada Fox......... socialist_n_TN Feb 2014 #35

Would you say it's a Mass Effect? Warren DeMontague Feb 2014 #16

Capitalism and patriarchy TBF Feb 2014 #17

+1. Workers' Power had a women's pamphlet...... socialist_n_TN Feb 2014 #36

I have Engel's book - TBF Feb 2014 #48

Agreed. And Engels is actually a LITTLE easier than even Lenin......... socialist_n_TN Feb 2014 #53

Consumerism is not capitalist. joshcryer Feb 2014 #26

Agreed, though I want to emphasize that DU is also a business. Starry Messenger Feb 2014 #28

When you run a business there's a cost benefit anaylsis. joshcryer Feb 2014 #39

Big words doesn't make you educated or sensible! whistler162 Feb 2014 #34

And neither do small words...... socialist_n_TN Feb 2014 #37

Exactly! Thank you! Well said! scarletwoman Feb 2014 #40

Capitalism. Interesting. This in regards (further) on the objectification of women (the SI issue) flvegan Feb 2014 #42

If you pay someone you TBF Feb 2014 #49

Not correct. stevenleser Feb 2014 #50

A reasonable analysis from a Marxist position.... Adrahil Feb 2014 #51

Marxists did a pretty good job of objectifying 6 million Ukranians to death Nuclear Unicorn Feb 2014 #52

Stalinists (which include Maoists, as Mao took the party organization model from Stalin)...... socialist_n_TN Feb 2014 #54

Marxists are funny. Nuclear Unicorn Feb 2014 #55