SEX: Hypersexualization in Human Society
Project Proposal
Karyn Attipoe
September, 2015

Going into this semester I knew roughly what I wanted to focus on; the topic of human sexuality has always been intriguing to me and I have always wanted to be able to discuss it in an in depth manner. Collaborating with Rayne O’Muineachan we decided that we both wanted to do a project about human sexuality and how different aspects of society play into how we sexualize people. We came up with the question “How do different aspects of human sexuality shape the way we look at different genders and races?” Common sense, the acceptance of a presumed truth, tells us that American society revolves around sex. I want to look at this assumption and learn how this plays into the treatment of different races. My partner will be looking at how this affects gender, while I plan to delve even deeper into my passion. The hope is that we can use the information gathered to bring to light certain issues in our society that can be changed on an interpersonal level.

As of right now the plan is to create a dance that would be considered more performance art than a dance performance. We want to show that the idea that the human body is inherently sexual is a misconception that is often harmful to people who are not considered “sexually ideal”. We want to show the human body in its true form, desexualized and unromantic. To do this we to look at human sexuality, in order to fully understand what the concept is and apply that to our further research. As I am currently enrolled in a introductory sociology class I will be able to use the skills learned there to properly study human interaction when it comes to the body and sex.    

In past years I have done projects regarding race, women, and feminism. Throughout all those projects human sexuality as manifested itself differently, but I have never delved into it further than the passing acknowledgement. As of now I want to look at three things; how are different races are fetishised, what are the sexual ideals that men and women have (both for themselves and others), and what effect does the hypersexualization in American/Western society have on students. Moving forward I plan to research deeper into those claims; finding out why sex is such a taboo topic, yet so expected of people to take part in. In my experience minority races are more often fetished than white people, during my project on gender roles in kpop I found that Asian women are thought to be demure and sexually exotic. I want to look at why minority races are sexualized a certain way, and how they are put down for certain racial traits while white people are celebrated for artificially creating those traits (ie. Kylie Jenner “rockin” locs while Zendaya is thought as dirty for hers).

In our media we are constantly shown body ideals for both men and women and how we are expected to be a certain way, in both looks and how we present ourselves sexually. I want to look at what the ideals our in our school and how that compares to other studies. I also plan to compare the research I find for that with research I plan to do on how these sexual ideals affect students. Looking at this will help me understand how our school community thinks and what effect it’s having on our lives in and outside of school.

Another of my focuses is to look at movements that are trying to change the way we treat sex and the human body. One of these movements I plan to look at is the Slut Walks; a march organized to protest the treatment of rape victims, sex workers, and women in general. This should provide insight on options that myself and others can take part in should they want take action themselves on this subject.

Our main inspiration for our art form came from the performing arts group Lucky Plush that performed at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Their use of light, sound, and acting to create something that was more than just a dance was very inspiring. To create our piece of art I plan to look at famous choreographers and visually stunning theater performances. In theory these art forms should provide even more inspiration for movement.

I have never done anything artistically close to what I am trying to do this semester, so this project is going to be a challenge for me, not just as a dancer, but a thinker and collaborator as well. To attempt something this unique I have to be able to think outside of the box and communicate my ideas to my project partner clearly. With my schedule this school year it will be a challenge to make sure my partner and I are on the same page at all times, and if we are not that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. Overall I am beyond excited for this project and can’t wait to apply everything I know and learn to this project.