Advertising Quote by Naomi Wolf
““Women could probably be trained quite easily to see men first as sexual things. If girls never experienced sexual violence; if a girl's only window on male sexuality were a stream of easily available, well-lit, cheap images of boys slightly older than herself, in their late teens, smiling encouragingly and revealing cuddly erect penises the color of roses or mocha, she might well look at, masturbate to, and, as an adult, "need" beauty pornography based on the bodies of men. And if those initiating penises were represented to the girl as pneumatically erectible, swerving neither left nor right, tasting of cinnamon or forest berries, innocent of random hairs, and ever ready; if they were presented alongside their measurements, length, and circumference to the quarter inch; if they seemed to be available to her with no troublesome personality attached; if her sweet pleasure seemed to be the only reason for them to exist--then a real young man would probably approach the young woman's bed with, to say the least, a failing heart.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf, 1990
Societal conditioning can shape sexual preferences, turning men into objects of desire based on idealized, unrealistic images.
In simple terms: Media shapes desire, turning men into objects.
Question media portrayals of sexuality.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- education curricula
- media literacy campaigns
- sexual education
- advertising standards
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do early media exposures affect adult relationships?
- Can we redefine attractiveness beyond physical traits?
Idealized images ignore real human complexity and agency.