Objectified & Sexualized

In her lecture, Diem-my Bui discussed the objectification of Vietnamese women and their bodies. While Diem-my Bui focused her research on the Vietnamese woman, many of the concepts that she addressed in her lecture were applicable to many types of women. The experience of Vietnamese women is unique, but the objectified and sexualized perception of women is a prevailing issue.

            When I was in community college I took a course on human sexuality, which I related to this lecture. After taking the course I was interested in studying the sex trade and how the sex trade continues to function in our society. Just as females in the sex trade face objectification, Diem-my Bui addressed how Vietnamese women are often depicted and perceived in this objectified way. The perception of all Vietnamese women as prostitutes is a gross dramatization. When thinking about the objectification of women, whether the sex trade or sexualized/objectified perceptions of Vietnamese women, I am reminded just how often the issue is ignored.

            Many aspects of the lecture were also relatable to an assortment of topics that were covered in class. In particular this lecture reminded me of our class discussion about perception and framing. When Diem-my Bui talked about how the depiction of Vietnamese women in films created a perception of Vietnamese women that objectifies and sexualizes them, framing could be said to be taking place. In this instance, the Vietnamese woman as a prostitute is the image that is being made more salient through films.

Diem-my Bui’s lecture further tied in with the topic of physical appearance and communication. How individuals perceive or are socialized to understand physical appearance can have a significant impact on communication. Diem-my Bui talked about how she was perceived as being a prostitute for the sole factor of being Vietnamese.

Physical appearance and communication were also discussed in the article that we read, Denying Diversity. This article reinforces some of the points that were made by Diem-my Bui, although Vietnamese women were not addressed in the article read in class. For instance, the perceptions that are created about different groups of people through media outlets can have a significant impact on individuals in that group. This again ties in to the perceptions that stem from the movies with Vietnamese women that Diem-my Bui discussed.

Objectified and sexualized perceptions of women are problematic in many instances. I don’t condone this, but at the same time I have considered working in the business side of the fashion industry for a while. My interest in the fashion industry came to mind for me when watching the lecture, because in many ways the fashion industry is criticized for sexualizing and objectifying women. I do believe that there are many flaws in the industry, but at the same time there is also a lot that I respect about the fashion business. Diem-my Bui’s lecture focused on Vietnamese women, but in many ways it made me consider the abundance of sexualized and objectified perceptions of women that are present in many cultures and how this even intertwines with my own interests.