Women have made great strides in improving their rights and roles in society and are now less likely to be seen as inferior by men. However, they still face many challenges, including being seen as objects and having to dress and behave in a certain way. In his essay “Looking at Women,” Scott Russell Sanders analyzes how men often view women as objects due to their indecent wardrobe and willingness to expose their bodies. In her essay “Why Women Smile,” Amy Cunningham explains the value of a smile and how it doesn't always reflect how a woman really feels inside. Both essays devote a lot of time to women and how they are under the constant gaze of those around them. What Sanders and Cunningham's essays show is that, while trying to break old stereotypes, women find their identities constructed from their outward appearance. The problem is and remains that women are complicit in the superficial construction of female identity that trades depth for surface because they have bought into the idea that a woman must sacrifice her outward appearance to succeed in life. public. The media portrays women negatively and objectifies them sexually through many media such as film, television, video games, and advertising. However, many female stars are willing to pose provocatively for a wide variety of men's magazines such as Maxim, a European magazine aimed at men. Their hypocrisy in taking these photos invalidates the argument that men are exploiting female sexuality because they are also eager to take these photos. These women are so quick to jump at the chance to pose seductively for the camera, a...... middle of paper...... to be seen and represented. It's hard to believe that they want to be seen as intelligent and brilliant women when they seem so artificial and vain. Good looks can only take a woman so far before she has to rely on her intelligence and skills. From their clothing to their body language to their facial expressions, women are constantly scrutinized by the public, and even more so by men. This is a cause and effect relationship since men looking at women makes women feel like objects, which in turn makes them want to become like toys that men can look at and play with. play. Sanders and Cunningham clearly show that women are much more than their appearance and have much more to offer than a provocative image or a plastic smile. However, it is up to women to change the way they present themselves to the world if they want to be seen in a different light..