Blog Entry 4- Final Draft

In conclusion, I believe that as women, it is our personal responsibility to ensure our own empowerment through media's attention on our sexuality. At the end of the day, the media is transactional, and its job is to give society and our culture what it wants---however, that just happens to be at the expense of our sexuality (but it doesn't have to be). Being a young woman myself, I am aware that embrace of one's sexuality and determinism is scary---it takes courage to be able to determine the altitude of your sexuality and establish your sexual identity in correlation with the mind, body and soul---however, it can and should be done.

Fear, I would say is the number one thing prohibiting women to freely express their sexuality and to identify themselves as 'sexy'.  The sexuality of a woman is not just the sex appeal of a woman, but the celebratory factor of our being. Women are sexy---this is no secret, it is the embrace, expression and empowerment from being sexy that is shunned and exploited in the media. I believe this fear is derived from society's expectations and limitations on what women should and should not do. However, if as women, we play into these stereotypes, we are then only limiting ourselves. I consider a woman's sexuality the 'elephant in the room'---everyone (society) is very aware of women, in general, however no one wants or is bold enough to express and talk about it. It is not just anyone's responsibility to express, determine and celebrate the sexuality of women, but our, as women, personal responsibility to ourselves to embrace and empower ourselves through the celebrating of being a woman.

In researching, the contending sides of my line of inquiry intersected, further affirming 'From Exploitation to Empowerment: Politicking the Personal.' I learned that the evolution of a woman's sexuality (from repression to celebration) began in the Victorian era (Women and Sexuality pg. 48). Ironically, the details of lingerie brand/store Victoria Secret is said to be inspired by the Victorian era---from the detail in the store, to the detail in a 'bio-fit' bra---evidence of the evolution of women's sexuality > from exploitation to empowerment. In further research, I learned of the Women's Liberation Movement and it's active responsibility of literally 'Politicking the Personal' for women, working to gain rights and freedoms that were already granted to men. Women's Liberation Movement is responsible for the advocation and encouragement for women, everywhere, to liberate themselves---through freedom of expression (sexuality).

Before venturing research, I had already made the assumption that the media was responsible for exploiting and objectifying women in a embarrassing way---and that there was nothing women, personally could do to refute this. However, post-research, I realize that through embracing media attention, we as women can empower ourselves and take back control of our lives by 'Politicking the Personal'. In finding freedom and empowerment in embracing our sexuality as women, we are then able to contend the stereotypes and stigmas attached to us as women---it takes courage and confidence to celebrate being a woman. If we, as women, cannot tend to our personal responsibility of empowering and celebrating being a woman, we cannot expect the media or society to do it for us either. It is our job as women, to define and express our sexy.