Woman as the Saint

          Woman has been socially constructed to put other people’s need in front of her own as she lives in an other-oriented emotional economy. Woman must learn to act like a saint by feeding others and by construing any desires she may have for self-nurturance and self-feeding ^[17], and thus any acts of this kind would be considered greedy or excessive. Female hunger, for food, public power, independence and sexual gratification is seen as something that must be controlled^[17] and contained as it is essentially a masculine trait that should not be expressed. 

            Advertisements help to reinforce some of these suppressions, especially the female hunger for food. The Mon Cheri advertisements depict their chocolates as a sinful treat for women. The Simple Pleasure Cookie Advertisement, as depicted below, tells women that all she really should eat is a tiny piece of chocolate cake because she must control her hunger^[17].  Men and women live in a double standard when it comes to appetite. One advertisement for microwave pizza says, “He eats a brownie… you eat a rice cake. He eats a juicy burger… you eat a low fat entrée. He eats pizza … you eat pizza. Finally life is fair”^[18]. Our predominant cultural messages remains that a hearty appetite and a large size is desirable for a man, but is frowned upon for a woman ^[18]. According to Bordo (1998) Women who go on hunger strikes are protesting a culture that disclaims and suppresses female hunger. By not eating, woman gains control and power over her own body.

            Female hunger for sexual gratification is another area in which women are meant to suppress. The female orgasm is a source of much interest, debate, and controversy mainly because of the lack of literature present.

            Women have been limited to the missionary position (always with the man on top) for sexual intercourse as the only acceptable form of sexual relations. Women do not easily reach orgasm during intercourse and need sustained clitoral stimulation to produce an orgasm^[29]. Orgasms can also be attained by direct stimulation of the Grafenberg point (G-Spot), which is an erogenous zone located in the lower vaginal wall. When subjected to direct stimulation, the G-spot swells and triggers an orgasm and ejaculation much like man’s semen^[29]. Many women do not realize that this is an ejaculation since it occurs through the urethra and it feels like urination.^[29] Due to embracement at the thought of urinating, women will hold in their orgasm.

            Woman has internalized her cultural rules which has a strong hold on woman’s ability to enjoy her sexual experiences. As was mentioned above, woman is taught that anything that is for her pleasure is thought to be excessive or greedy and thus she represses this form of hunger. Woman is taught from a young age that women do not enjoy sex because REAL women do not loose control and a loss of control would result in psychological, physical and moral damages^[29]. Woman must free herself from these internalized cultural rules, and she will be able to enjoy her sexuality.

RANDOM FACT: The first vibrator was developed in the 1880’s and was controlled by pressured water, steam and other devices. They were used for a medical therapy for female “hysteria” since orgasms are good for the health^[29].

Back To Stereotypes Menu

To Woman as the Sex Object