{"id":73222,"date":"2023-07-11T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-07-11T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/?p=73222"},"modified":"2023-07-03T09:09:09","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T14:09:09","slug":"them-ms-sexualized-media-and-emphasized-femininity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/2023\/07\/11\/them-ms-sexualized-media-and-emphasized-femininity\/","title":{"rendered":"<strong>THEM &amp; M\u2019s: Sexualized Media and Emphasized Femininity<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Over the course of the past year, M&amp;M\u2019s have been plastered all over the news, social media, and even Super Bowl commercials. In January 2022, Mars Wrigley gave the brown M&amp;M shorter heels and replaced the green M&amp;M\u2019s boots with sneakers in a push toward more inclusive marketing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/hamiltoncs.org\/sharingsociology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/FullSizeRender-compressed-1.mov\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What resulted was outrage. Tucker Carlson <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/m-and-m-s-tucker-carlson-trolling-controversy\/\" target=\"_blank\">became the face of the backlash<\/a>, stating, \u201cM&amp;M\u2019s will not be satisfied until every last cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous.&#8221; Carlson was not the only one speaking out. In a Rolling Stone article titled, \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/culture\/culture-news\/green-mm-mars-wrigley-rebrand-sneakers-slut-1287965\/\" target=\"_blank\">Let the Green M&amp;M Be a Nasty Little Slut<\/a>,\u201d senior writer EJ Dickson argues, \u201cThe green M&amp;M has spent decades building her brand as a horny, sexy bitch, and for what? For her creators to give her Larry David footwear in the name of feminism?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By September, the purple M&amp;M had made her debut. Carlson soon reignited the war, leading to Mars\u2019 temporary suspension of their spokescandies. On FOX News, he remarked, \u201cThe green M&amp;M got her boots back, but apparently is now a lesbian maybe? And now there\u2019s a plus-sized, obese purple M&amp;M.\u201d While all of these comments are nonsensical, they point to the pressure placed on women to conform to gender norms and accommodate men\u2019s sexual desires.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/files\/2023\/07\/tc1.jpeg\" data-rel=\"lightbox-image-0\" data-rl_title=\"\" data-rl_caption=\"\" title=\"\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" src=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/files\/2023\/07\/tc1-500x333.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-73243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/files\/2023\/07\/tc1-500x333.jpeg 500w, https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/files\/2023\/07\/tc1.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sexualization of Women in the Media<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>M&amp;M\u2019s were not the first nor the only gendered commercial food product. In the 1940s, the Chiquita Banana, the world\u2019s first branded fruit, made her debut. The original Miss Chiquita Banana <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/jps.library.utoronto.ca\/index.php\/prandium\/article\/view\/25691\" target=\"_blank\">was racialized and sexualized <\/a>in order to appeal to the American market. Her femininity, specifically, was oversexualized through her flirtatious winking and eye-rolling as well as her frilly dresses and lipstick.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-medium is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/arts-culture\/peeling-open-the-1947-chiquita-banana-cookbook-107775458\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/tf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com\/legacy_blog\/bananarecipebook.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"401\" height=\"401\"\/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/arts-culture\/peeling-open-the-1947-chiquita-banana-cookbook-107775458\/\">Smithsonian Magazine,<\/a> Chiquita Banana&#8217;s Recipe Book, 1947<\/em><br \/><em>Photo courtesy of Christina Ceisel<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>M&amp;M\u2019s has long employed the same strategy by sexualizing their female spokescandies. Their hypersexualization not only appears in their dress, but the erotic nature of the commercials in which they have been featured. The green M&amp;M has been pictured pole dancing, stripping, and fondling chocolate, among other overt sexual acts. What\u2019s more, the male M&amp;M\u2019s can be seen ogling her in the background, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/s12119-022-09994-2\" target=\"_blank\">reinforcing the pervasiveness of the male gaze<\/a>, in which men actively view women as passive \u2018objects\u2019 of their sexual desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Emphasized Femininity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1097184X09356904\" target=\"_blank\">Emphasized femininity<\/a><\/em> refers to a range of traditional feminine norms that encourage women to accommodate men\u2019s sexual appetites and&nbsp;desire for control. It legitimizes the gender hierarchy and upholds various forms of oppression.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As women step away from the \u201cstereotypical cultural notions\u201d of emphasized femininity, men must \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/1097184X09356904\" target=\"_blank\">negotiate the dilemma of incorporating women\u2019s resistance into their masculine identity projects.<\/a>\u201d  Therefore, when the female M&amp;M\u2019s became less conventionally attractive and \u201csexy,\u201d those that subscribe to the ideals of hegemonic masculinity felt threatened. They became angry that their sexual desires were not being satisfied, even with regard to a candy mascot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This outrage reveals that women <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0891241610364230\" target=\"_blank\">face the prospect of being labeled \u201csocially undesirable\u201d<\/a> when they possess masculine characteristics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Carlson\u2019s words, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0891241610364230\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cWhen you\u2019re totally turned off, we\u2019ve achieved equity.\u201d<\/a> In our patriarchal society, when a woman exhibits defiance or authority, men feel threatened <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0891241610364230\" target=\"_blank\">unless they can stigmatize and feminize their behavior<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When this happens, a woman is no longer a \u201cgood girl,\u201d but a \u201cbitch,\u201d \u201clesbian,\u201d or \u201cslut.\u201d Evidently, for women to be valued by men, they need to be subservient to the male gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Impact of Hypersexualization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The hypersexualization of women is incredibly harmful to young people. Adolescents\u2019 exposure to a sexualized media environment <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/rdcu.be\/dcJVl\" target=\"_blank\">leads them to recognize women as sex objects<\/a>. When women and young girls constantly see their bodies objectified, they begin to internalize the idea that the most valuable thing about them is their body. They become acutely aware that they are seen as \u201c<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/rdcu.be\/dcJVl\" target=\"_blank\">sexual playthings waiting to please men\u2019s sexual desires<\/a>\u201d and begin to feel unworthy if they do not meet society\u2019s standards. It does not go unnoticed when children see that the very candy they eat is sexualized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When people become outraged when a female M&amp;M\u2019s shoe is changed, what message does that send? Of course, a so-called \u201cculture war\u201d waged against M&amp;M\u2019s is ludicrous, but there is power behind words, and this controversy\u2019s real-world implications must be addressed. The vicious cycle of sexualizing women, mascots or not, for profit must be brought to an end, and prominent figures need to realize that the oppression of others is not a punchline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Jillian Nord is a sociology student at Hamilton College.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Over the course of the past year, M&amp;M\u2019s have been plastered all over the news, social media, and even Super Bowl commercials. In January 2022, Mars Wrigley gave the brown M&amp;M shorter heels and replaced the green M&amp;M\u2019s boots with sneakers in a push toward more inclusive marketing.\u00a0 What resulted was outrage. Tucker Carlson became [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1893,"featured_media":73243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[100647,750,55],"class_list":["post-73222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-socstudentspotlight","tag-advertising","tag-gender"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/files\/2023\/07\/tc1.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1893"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73222"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73244,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73222\/revisions\/73244"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73243"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thesocietypages.org\/socimages\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}