Sexist Comments Research: Focus on Physical Appearance/Bodies

To help continue educating the public on what sexism looks like, I am publishing a series of LinkedIn articles that share a sampling of these comments. This fifth article focuses on comments that center on objectification, and particularly the focus on physical appearance and bodies. Here is some general background about this research: To better understand women’s experiences in the state of Utah, researchers Robbyn Scribner, Dr. April Townsend, and I collected and analyzed a wide variety of sexist comments women have experienced. Overall, about 1,750 comments were provided from nearly 850 participants for this Utah Women & Leadership Project (UWLP) study. The goal of the research was to educate the public (both men and women) on the many forms that conscious and unconscious sexist comments can take, from shocking statements to those that are more subtle.

Description

In this study, the “Objectification” theme included comments in which women were viewed or treated more as objects than as human beings. Notably, many of the comments coded in this theme were much more explicit and vulgar than those included in this article. Additionally, not all responses were limited strictly to sexist comments; some respondents also reported sexist situations and behaviors such as unwelcome touching, grabbing, or groping. The analysis of the responses within the Objectification theme produced seven specific categories. This article will center around the first—the focus on physical appearance/bodies, which was the most common category and included 251 distinct comments. Comments in this category were most commonly made within the workplace by a man who was between 46 and 59 years old and was in a position of authority.

Comments

First, prevalent among comments in this category was the idea that women’s bodies were viewed as sex objects:

• “The first time we met, he said, ‘What a surprise. I thought you’d look a lot older than you do. You’ve still got a good 10 years of sex kitten left in you!’”
• “The bishop said, ‘You have no idea what you wearing those shoes does for me!’ The bishop said that!!!”
• “In a presentation to all the young women about modesty, she said, ‘Sometimes, if you wear clothes that are too revealing, it can make boys turn to mush and they might as-sault you and lose control of themselves. Modesty is a protection.’”
• “I was 7 and playing outside with my cousins. It was a very hot summer day, and we were playing with water balloons. My male cousin, who was 13 at the time, said ‘Wait, I don’t know if it is a good idea that you play with us. Your shirt is white and will get wet, then it will be see-through.’ . . . This is the first memory I have of realizing someone may look at me differently as a woman.”

Second, other comments were likely intended to be compliments, but they made women uncomfortable because of the setting or context, or how the statements put the focus on a woman’s appearance rather than her abilities:

• “A professor I worked with told me that although he knew the comment wasn’t appropriate, the shirt I was wearing that day was particularly flattering.”
• “In an interview with a candidate I was representing he said, ‘I’m old and have forgotten a few things, but I still recognize a beautiful woman.’ And pointed at me.”
• “A manager asked, ‘How do you keep that slim figure?’”
• “I was the only female on a video sales call. We were talking to a CEO in his fifties, and he stopped the conversation to say, ‘You have a nice smile.’ It was the only thing he said to me the whole call. It isn’t wildly inappropriate, but I am a director at a company, and it seemed clear he looked at me as lesser than my male counter parts.”

Third, this category also included a number of negative, non-sexual comments about women’s bodies:

• “In a setting with friends and family, this man commented that women shouldn’t serve as president because ‘once every month, the country would be in deep trouble’ (referring to a woman’s monthly period), insinuating that a period and any moodiness associated with a period makes a woman unfit to hold the presidency.”
• “He said, ‘You’re getting a little fat here (grabbed the back of my arm in the triceps area). I bet you could . . . run on your lunch time.’”
• “He wanted to know how they could let me, someone who is ‘homely and looks like a sad old man’ work the front desk when there was a real looker in the other office who could be in my place.”
• “He said, ‘You are not to be seen by clients while you are visibly pregnant.’”

Fourth, another topic that emerged was the idea that women’s bodies were somehow the property of men, or that men had certain rights to women’s bodies:

• “My bishop said (over the pulpit) that his pretty wife was a reward for him being a good missionary, so the young men in the ward needed to be good missionaries.”
• He said, ‘Women shouldn’t be insulted by catcalling and constant requests for affection or physical contact because it is a compliment and women should accept the compliment.’”
• “Upon meeting for the first time, a man said, ‘My wife is here somewhere. She used to model, but she was too weak to get back into shape for me after the kids were born.’”
• “I was at a party chatting with a fellow about shaving off my hair. This fellow, whom I had previously considered a friend, became visibly upset and began to yell at me, . . . using expletives and telling me that I couldn’t cut my hair.”

Finally, comments in this category revealed the idea that women’s looks were the most important thing about them:?

• “She said, ‘It’s our job as women to stay skinny; it’s why I eat so little.’”
• “I had travelled to work at our company booth at a trade show and a man came by and asked if there was someone he could talk to about the product. I said I would be happy to help him. He said, ‘No, someone who knows what they are talking about—not a booth babe.’”
• “He looked at me and said, ‘You? But you’re a cute, little blonde thing. You can’t be a mayor!’”
• “A male coworker said, ‘Of course the meeting went well, have you seen her?’ He was suggesting that his colleague’s success was due to her looks alone.”

Speaking up against sexism can be a powerful force for reducing gender inequity around objectification, as it can help others challenge their own biases and model more equitable forms of communication. Further, being prepared to respond to everyday sexism can help women feel more confident in their interactions with others. To learn more about the research and ways women responded, read the brief, “Sexist Comments & Responses: Objectification .”

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Dr. Susan R. Madsen is a global thought leader, author, speaker, and scholar on the topic of women and leadership. She is also the Inaugural Karen Haight Huntsman Endowed Professor of Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the Founding Director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project . Thanks to Robbyn T. Scribner and Dr. April Townsend for their great work on this study!