Barbara & Shannon Kelley: Are Women "Pornified" by Popular Media?

Barbara & Shannon Kelley: Are Women "Pornified" by Popular Media?: "A new study by University of Buffalo sociologists suggests the answer is yes, indeed. This may be well-tread territory, but we think we need to go there anyway. One reason is what we call the 'tyranny of the shoulds.'

The study, entitled 'Equal Opportunity Objectification? The Sexualization of Men and Women on the Cover of Rolling Stone', will be published in the September issue of the journal Sexuality & Culture. The researchers, Erin Hatton, Ph.D., and Mary Nell Trautner, Ph.D., analyzed covers of Rolling Stone magazine over the past three decades and found that 'sexualized representations of both women and men increased, and hypersexualized images of women (but not men) skyrocketed.' They chose Rolling Stone, in particular, because of its long lifespan and because its covers have featured a broad mix of pop culture icons -- from celebrities to politicians -- of both genders. According to the University of Buffalo News Center, here's what they had to say about their findings:"