Does our society want women to be sexual or virginal?

Question

I think our society tells women to be both sexual and virginal at the same time. Dress s**y but don't have s*x. Look at how Britney Spears was packaged. She was, at first, going to be a virgin until married, yet at the same time she was supposed to dress s**y and be a sexual icon. Her "people" who told her what to dress and how to behave gave her two contradictory roles, which I think has led to her downfall. How can she be both s**y and innocent? women in most ads are very s**y in appearance, and things are marketed to improve your looks and attraction to the other s*x. At the same time, women are looked down on when they are being sexual. I see many women going out in their little outfits talking down on others who are sexually active. Does anyone else think our culture is sending contradictory messages to today's youth, and how do you think this has effected women today?

Answer 1

In general, I think society wants women to be virginal, but the media wants women to be sexual...because it sells.  We have always heard that "s*x sells", well now "s**y sells' too.  Showing  sexual women using products makes women feel s**y too.

I think this feeling has massively overwhelmed young girls who have mistaken feeling attractive, for behaving sexual.  We have seen the results as they are becoming older and continue to perpetuate this.

Answer 2

Society in general in my opinion wants to test and push everything. Society wants women to appear sexual but not act on it.

The problem is when you're dealing with the youth the don't exactly have the strength and knowledge in most cases to resist and fall victim to what the perceive they should be doing.

Britney spears is an example of someone who was given everything and never was taught the importance of resisting influences.

It is a VERY contradicting message and thats where a parents influence and guidence is needed. Britney didn't have that as clearly her mother also failed in keeping her other 16 year old daughter from engaging in risky unprotected behavior.

Women will forever in our society be looked down on for being sexual because the truth is men don't want a women who they believe are  OVERLY EXPERIENCED.

I think it adversely affects women because men aren't honest with women- They aren't honest to be deceiving but instead because they are taught early that women won't handle the truth well if it isn't what they want to hear. And most men rather just avoid the situation and look down on women who don't get it.

Answer 3

Virginal in the kitchen, Sexual in the bedroom like my mother used to say.

Answer 4

I think most single men want s*x with sexual women, but when they get serious with women, they want someone virginal.

Answer 5

Society always sends contradictory messages. I don't think being s**y means you're promiscuous or anti-virginal though...

Answer 6

The US society and many others would like women to be sexual and virginal - all at the same time - which is impossible. It sets up impossible standards that no girl or woman can live up to. Perfect way to keep women in a perpectual state of confusion. No thanks.

Answer 7

I agree with you, and I think this is a contradictory, damaging and pernicious message to send to women and girls. The media and western culture frequently only values women on their looks, they are expected to be s**y, thin, and ultimately, an unthreatening stereotype of a woman: e.g. 'I'm a slave for you' by Britney Spears, Britney writhes around half naked and offers herself to men for consumption, essentially.

However, though this seems to be one of the only ways women can make money and be noticed, women are immediately chastised when it seems that they have lived up to their image and become overtly sexual beings, they are looked down upon and referred to as s***s. This is an age old double standard, men=stud ; women=s**t.

There is also another dimension to this which you touch on, which is to do with advertising. It occurs to me that the music industry, the film industry and the beauty industry are inextricably linked. Britney not only sells her records, she helps to sell millions of beauty products, boob jobs, clothes, haircuts etc to millions of women because the whole industry is set up to make women feel bad abouts themselves because they don't look like Britney/Mariah/Kate Olsen/Kate Moss etc, and as the message is that appearance is what matters for women, we go out and buy a lot of expensive products to try to get closer to that 'perfect' image. (note: I know that this works for all advertising, just specifically poignant for beauty ads).

Anyway, back to your question: I think this affects women adversely. They are damned if they do, damned if they dont. Young girls are confused about their sexuality, many become sexually active very young, many have low self esteem because of this, so many young women have been called s***s for engaging in the type of behaviour their so-called role models do...for example dressing up like Britney Spears on a night out in town might get you laid,. but its sure to get you harassed by both women and men for being easy/sluttish etc.

it sucks huh?

Answer 8

you  expected to be a virgin but you need to look s**y this by law of nature and normal. what man will say " i do not want to have a pretty virgin"

Answer 9

It's the madonna/w***e complex in a way; they kind of want both. It is very conflicted message, but many social behavoirs are. This is not particularly unique in that respect.

Answer 10

i think they want women to act coy.

Answer 11

Its a very confusing message for young girls.  On the one hand, you have softcore images in the mainstream media, but nobody likes a woman of loose morals.

Answer 12

I agree. In the Victorian era women were supposed to be chaste and confine themselves to family life. At the same time, prostitutes were shunned by society since they were so immoral - but they did very good business. Things haven't changed that much since then.

I stopped reading Cosmopolitan and similar rags a few years ago, and it helps keep me sane. *g*

Answer 13

Hilary Duff is seen as a s*x symbol , go to perez hilton and you will find the article their , however she is still waiting till mariiage and she does nto dress like a sluut compared o all the other girls .

Go to perezhilton.com and go to the section abotu hilary duff and scroll down .