Article

Objectification

Objectification refers to treating a person as an object or thing rather than recognizing their full humanity with thoughts, feelings, and agency (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). This concept is often examined within feminist frameworks but applies broadly across genders. Sexual objectification involves perceiving someone solely through their sexual desirability (sexual_objectification.md), while cultural ideals of beauty—such as those promoting thinness—are closely related to broader forms of objectification.

Objectification is conceptually linked to dehumanization, which reduces a person's perceived value to superficial attributes or physical appearance. It persists through societal mechanisms like advertising and media representations that emphasize aesthetic qualities over intrinsic worth (male_gaze.md). For example, cosmetics such as kohl may be used in objectification contexts to enhance desirability—often in ways that amplify vulnerability, submission, or eroticized control.

Objectification Theory

Objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) explores how sexual objectification can lead women and girls to internalize an observer's perspective on their own bodies—a process called self-objectification. This involves adopting cultural standards that prioritize physical appearance over other aspects of identity. The theory extends to consider how societal beauty ideals, including those for thinness (cultural_ideals.md), contribute to self-objectification.

In erotic contexts, self-objectification becomes a visceral experience—where the body is not only seen but felt as an instrument of desire. A woman may stand before a mirror, tracing her collarbone with a fingertip, not out of vanity, but because she knows the way it will look under dim light, how it will catch the gaze of someone who watches her like a sculpture being studied. This awareness is not neutral—it’s charged with anticipation, power, and the quiet thrill of being seen in a way that borders on possession.

Sexual Objectification

Sexual objectification occurs when a person is evaluated primarily through their sexual desirability (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997). It operates at both societal and individual psychological levels. While the male gaze traditionally highlights certain body parts as eroticized elements, contemporary understandings include how cultural ideals of thinness or specific cosmetic enhancements like kohl influence perceptions of desirability.

Erotically, objectification is not just about being looked at—it’s about being consumed by the gaze. A glance lingers on the curve of a hip. A hand drifts slowly down a thigh, not to touch, but to claim. The body becomes a canvas, a landscape to be explored, memorized, and devoured. In intimate moments, the act of undressing can mirror the process of objectification: each garment removed is a layer of identity stripped away, leaving only the raw, pulsing instrument of desire.

Intersectionality

Objectification experiences are not uniform; they intensify based on intersecting factors such as race, age, gender identity, sexuality, and disability. For instance, women of color may face compounded effects from objectification when beauty standards incorporate both cultural ideals (e.g., thinness) and specific cosmetic practices like kohl use (misogynoir.md). These intersections highlight how multiple societal pressures interact with vulnerability to being perceived as an object.

In erotic writing, this intersectionality deepens the emotional and sensory texture of objectification. A Black woman applying kohl may do so not just to enhance her beauty, but as an act of resistance—a reclaiming of aesthetic sovereignty in a world that has historically eroticized her body while denying her personhood. The ritual becomes a performance of power: the slow drag of the kohl stick across the eyelid, the deliberate precision, the way the dark line pools like ink at the edge of the eye, drawing attention not to her body, but to her presence.

Erotic Writing Tips

Kohl can be a powerful symbol in erotic writing, representing tradition, reclaiming agency, or enhancing desirability. Consider how its application might intensify objectification scenarios:

Symbolic Use: Employ kohl to represent aesthetic enhancement tied to societal beauty standards (misogynoir.md), which often stem from Eurocentric ideals that marginalize Black women. Yet, in the hands of a character who owns her desire, kohl becomes a weapon of self-possession—a mark of defiance, of seduction, of sacred ritual.
Sensory Details: Describe the coolness of the applicator during intimate moments, referencing sensory detail techniques to ground characters in their experiences beyond surface-level attraction. The faint scent of sandalwood in the kohl. The slight resistance as the tip glides over skin. The warmth of a lover’s breath on the back of the neck as they watch the application unfold.
Power Dynamics: Use kohl as part of a ritualistic encounter where one partner enhances or obscures another's features (power_dynamics.md), reflecting the complex ways Black women navigate societal gaze and reclaim agency. A dominant partner may apply the kohl with deliberate precision, turning the act into a form of possession. Or, a lover may gently smudge the line, blurring the edge—erasing the boundary between beauty and ruin, control and surrender.

Example

"She traced the kohl along her lower lid, the black line making her eyes smoulder. Later, his thumb would blur the edge, leaving a mark of their shared desire. Not just a stain—but a signature. A claim. A promise. He would whisper, ‘You were made for this.’ And she would let him believe it, even as her fingers trembled with the memory of how long she’d spent perfecting the shape—how many nights she’d practiced in the mirror, not for him, but for herself."

Why this works: The example uses kohl to enhance erotic tension through objectification while restoring agency and personality through the interaction between characters. The act of applying kohl becomes a moment of private ritual, a form of self-love that is later reclaimed by intimacy. The blur of the line is not a flaw—it’s a surrender, a shared secret, a transformation of objectification into mutual possession.

Extended Example (Erotic Addendum)

The room was dim, lit only by the soft glow of a single candle. She sat on the edge of the bed, barefoot, her back straight, her breath slow. The kohl stick was cool between her fingers, the tip worn from use. She closed her eyes, and began—first the outer corner, a slow sweep inward, a line like a blade drawn across her skin. Then the lower lid, a darker, heavier stroke, thickening the shadow beneath her gaze. She wasn’t just enhancing her beauty. She was summoning it.

When he entered, bare-chested and silent, she didn’t turn. She felt his presence like heat on her spine. He stepped behind her, his hands hovering. “You look…” he began, voice low. “Like something ancient. Something forbidden.”

She smiled, faintly. “I am.”

His fingers brushed her shoulder, then slid down her arm. He took the kohl from her hand. “Let me,” he said.

She nodded.

He leaned forward, breath warm on her neck. His thumb pressed gently against her lower lid, then slowly dragged the line outward, smudging the edge. A single drop of kohl fell from the tip, landing like a secret on her collarbone. She shivered. Not from fear. From recognition.

“You’re mine,” he whispered.

“No,” she said, turning her head just enough to meet his eyes. “I’m ours.”

Why this works: This extended example deepens the erotic charge by layering ritual, intimacy, and power. The kohl is no longer just a cosmetic—it’s a conduit of desire, identity, and transformation. The act of smudging becomes a metaphor for merging two selves, for blurring the line between object and subject. The final exchange—“I’m ours”—reframes objectification not as violation, but as communion.