1. making something into a fetish; giving excessive or irrational importance to something
Usage: present participle of 'fetishize'; often used critically to describe obsessive focus on an object, idea, or characteristic
2. reducing a person or group to a stereotype or object of desire based on a particular characteristic (such as race, ethnicity, or body type)
Usage: present participle of 'fetishize'; often used in social criticism and academic contexts; considered offensive when applied to real people

Examples

• The media is fetishizing youth and beauty at the expense of other values.
• Critics argue that the film is fetishizing a particular culture rather than representing it authentically.
• She accused the industry of fetishizing thinness and promoting unhealthy body standards.
• The company is fetishizing technology as a solution to every problem.
• Some argue that celebrity culture involves fetishizing wealth and status.
• He was fetishizing the idea of the perfect relationship rather than accepting real people.
• The advertisement was criticized for fetishizing women based on their appearance.