Female Objectification: More Than Just a Catcall

Objectification of women has been around so long it feels like it should have its own seat in Congress. From catcalls on sidewalks to bikini ads on billboards, women are constantly reminded that their value is often linked to their looks, shape, and sex appeal. But what seems like casual banter or harmless “compliments” comes with real costs.

Objectification doesn’t just flatten a person into body parts—it flattens their confidence, sexual well-being, and mental health. And here’s the plot twist: it doesn’t only come from men. Women do it to other women, too.

What Female Objectification Really Means

When we talk about female objectification, we’re talking about the reduction of a woman to her physical form or sexual utility. It’s when someone notices breasts but not boundaries, legs but not laughter, a figure but not feelings.

While it sometimes masquerades as praise (“You’re hot,” “Killer curves”), it strips away complexity and treats women as if they were auditioning for a catalog rather than living full, multifaceted lives.

Why “Compliments” Can Still Hurt

Plenty of women have heard body-based praise and smiled politely, but walked away feeling uneasy. That’s because objectifying comments create an unspoken contract: your body is for my gaze, and your value depends on how I rate it.

Research supports this. A study in Psychology of Women Quarterly found that frequent objectification leads to self-objectification, meaning women internalize the gaze and start constantly monitoring their own appearance. This “body surveillance” correlates with body shame, anxiety, and decreased sexual satisfaction.

So yes, “You look good in that dress” may light up the brain like a piece of chocolate, but too much and it leaves the same sickly aftertaste: insecurity and pressure.

By the Numbers: Objectification’s Impact

• 65% of women report experiencing objectifying harassment before age 20 (Stop Street Harassment, 2018).

• Women who self-objectify are significantly less likely to report sexual satisfaction (Journal of Sex Research, 2019).

• 47% of young women say social media comparisons make them feel their bodies are “never good enough” (Girls’ Attitudes Survey, 2021).

• Objectification has been directly linked to higher risks of depression, eating disorders, and sexual dysfunction (APA, 2018).

The takeaway? Objectification isn’t just awkward—it’s damaging, both mentally and physically.

The Bedroom Fallout

One of the less-talked-about consequences of objectification is how it shows up in sexual health. Women who feel objectified often carry those feelings into intimate spaces. Common results include:

• Reduced arousal – Worrying about how you look kills desire.

• Difficulty reaching orgasm – Anxiety disrupts focus on pleasure.

• Avoidance of intimacy – If sex feels like a performance, many women would rather skip the show.

From a therapeutic lens, this is crucial. Sexual wellness depends on feeling safe, valued, and relaxed. When objectification dominates, intimacy feels like a stage rather than a shared connection.

The Female-on-Female Twist

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: women also objectify women.

Sometimes it’s subtle:

• “I wish I had her waist.”

• “She only got that job because she’s gorgeous.”

• “Did you see what she was wearing? She was asking for attention.”

Other times it’s overt, especially online. Social media has turned women into both performers and judges, scrolling through highlight reels while quietly comparing themselves to filtered perfection.

Research in Body Image Journal shows that frequent comparisons with other women increase self-objectification and decrease sexual confidence. In other words, when women objectify other women, they reinforce the very pressures they themselves feel trapped by.

Humor in the Madness

Objectification can be absurd if you step back and look at it. Think of all the so-called compliments that belong in the Hall of Fame of Ridiculous:

• “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

• “Wow, you don’t look your age at all!”

• “Nice legs. What time do they open?”

It’s laughable because it’s so transparent. The humor helps highlight just how hollow and lazy objectifying remarks can be.

The Social and Sexual Ripple Effect

Objectification doesn’t just impact individuals—it shapes entire cultures. When women are treated primarily as bodies, it sets the tone for how they’re valued at work, at home, and in relationships. It normalizes competition instead of community, silence instead of solidarity, and performance instead of pleasure.

Sexual health takes a direct hit. Women who feel consistently objectified are more likely to experience:

• Performance-based sex (focusing on how they look instead of how they feel).

• Lower confidence to communicate desires.

• Fear of judgment, which limits exploration and sexual expression.

Wrapping It Up

Female objectification is more than catcalls, compliments, or glossy magazine covers. It’s a daily drip of messages that tell women their worth is tied to their body. It leads to body shame, sexual dissatisfaction, and cultural competition—sometimes even from other women.

Yes, we can laugh at the absurdity of some of the remarks women hear. Humor lightens the load. But the reality is that objectification corrodes confidence and intimacy in ways that admiration alone can’t always fix.

The challenge moving forward is clear: recognize objectification for what it is, call it out when it happens, and create spaces where women are valued for the full, complex, brilliant humans they are; and then you can let the Afterglow begin.