I wanted to write to you to voice a complaint about the article in the USF Oracle entitled “The rise of super-grainy-cleavage-selfies.”
This article shames women who express themselves in a specific way. It blames objectification on women, and represents men who objectify women as a sole reaction to how they present themselves through photograph or dress.
This is an awful message to send to readers, and it is harmful in that it promotes the response that the victims of objectification are the ones who bring it upon themselves.
I believe that it is also relevant to note that the author has grainy, shirtless photographs on his own Facebook page. This seems to promote the message that it is okay for a man to present himself in this way, but that we must stifle the right of a woman who presents herself in a similar way.
I also want to mention that all viewpoints are not equal. One that harms groups of marginalized people such as gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, disabilities, etc. can continue to uphold and justify the marginalization of people.
Thank you,
Madison Turner
Madison Turner is a Tampa resident.
