Make Your Point > Archived Issues > OBJECTIFY
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pronounce
OBJECTIFY:
Say it "ub JECK tiff eye."
Or, if you prefer, "obb JECK tiff eye."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
What is an object, really? What does it even mean to objectify people, when we are, in fact, objects in space?
I promise I'm not getting philosophical. Just etymological. An object is something thrown before you, so that you can detect it with your senses: the word object comes from the Latin iacere, "to throw," along with ob-, meaning "toward, against, or in front of." So if we objectify people, that means we treat them as if they were mere objects thrown before us, only things to be seen, heard, felt, purchased, and discarded, rather than as beings who live, act, change, choose, create, connect, and twist the bag closed on the loaf of bread and tuck it underneath instead of putting the twisty tie back on because time is precious, yo.
Back to etymology, though! That Latin iacere, "to throw," gave us all kinds of words we use every day, from jut and jet to inject, subject, project, and abject, as well as these rarer, more colorful words:
1. To jet_____ something is to get rid of it, as if you're tossing it off your ship and into the ocean.
2. __jecta___ta are useless or worthless things that can be, or already have been, thrown out.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
To objectify people is to treat them as if they're objects (things) instead of people.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech: verb, the transitive kind: "These pageants are creepy, but worse, they objectify the children;" "Women are often objectified by the advertising industry."
Other forms: objectified, objectifying, objectification, objectifiable, objectifier(s).
how to use it:
Although "objectify" is an ugly word for an ugly thing to do to people, I find it an encouraging reminder that we all pretty much agree on this: that each of us is so much more than the body we live in, and it's messed up to treat each other otherwise.
So, to strike a critical tone, talk about people, attitudes, statements, decisions, descriptions, books, movies, songs, advertisements and so on that objectify people, often whole enormous groups of people, like women, athletes, consumers, etc.
Although it's usually people who get objectified, you might talk about objectifying things that aren't objects, like values, memories, or experiences. Here's Tim O'Brien: "By telling stories, you objectify your own experience."
examples:
"Their stories illustrate how a culture obsessed with celebrity, and a music industry built around objectifying young women, emboldened the multi-platinum artist while it failed dozens of young, powerless women."
— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 2 January 2020
"O'Flaherty, whose talent is singing, said she rejects the idea that beauty pageants objectify women. 'The Miss America Organization has absolutely enhanced my life,' O'Flaherty said. 'It's given me a platform to speak about issues that are really close to my heart.'"
— Angela Moon, Reuters, 9 September 2016
has this page helped you understand "objectify"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "objectify" without saying "dehumanize" or "devalue."
try it out:
In praise of the photographer Scott Schuman, the Los Angeles Times wrote,
"It's in his stop-and-shoot portraits of people on the streets that he humanizes his subjects instead of objectifying them; Schuman snaps glimpses of their personality in each gaze, lean and pose."
Talk about another artist, designer, or writer who humanizes people instead of objectifying them. How do they do it? Or, in what way does someone often treat others as objects in their work--and how can they reverse this objectification and highlight, instead, people's values, talents, interests, personalities, or impact on the world?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Lightning Rhyming Recall!
In each issue this month, see how fast you can recall three words. They’re unrelated in meaning--probably*--but they rhyme. To check your answers, scroll to the bottom of the issue. We’ll start out easy and ramp up the difficulty as the month goes on. Enjoy!
Each word below rhymes with REDUCE:
A. (2 syllables, verb) To bring something up as evidence or proof is to...
B. (2 syllables, verb) To infer something from some set of material is to...
C. (2 syllables, verb) To slander someone's reputation with harsh criticism is to…
*Today, the words are related: they come from the Latin ducere, "to lead."
review this word:
1. Some near opposites of OBJECTIFY include
A. BEAUTIFY and ACKNOWLEDGE ONE'S FLAWS.
B. PERSONIFY and ACKNOWLEDGE ONE'S AGENCY.
C. CATASTROPHIZE and ACKNOWLEDGE ONE'S FAILURE.
2. The poet Allen Ginsberg contrasted objectification with "_____."
A. an angry fix
B. controlling the culture
C. the whole spectrum of love
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
What is an object, really? What does it even mean to objectify people, when we are, in fact, objects in space? To objectify people is to treat them as if they're objects (things) instead of people.
Part of speech: verb, the transitive kind: "These pageants are creepy, but worse, they objectify the children;" "Women are often objectified by the advertising industry."
Although "objectify" is an ugly word for an ugly thing to do to people, I find it an encouraging reminder that we all pretty much agree on this: that each of us is so much more than the body we live in, and it's messed up to treat each other otherwise.
"Their stories illustrate how a culture obsessed with celebrity, and a music industry built around objectifying young women, emboldened the multi-platinum artist while it failed dozens of young, powerless women."
Explain the meaning of "objectify" without saying "dehumanize" or "devalue."
In praise of the photographer Scott Schuman, the Los Angeles Times wrote,
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
1. Some near opposites of OBJECTIFY include
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. |