I was scrolling my Facebook feed in the Whitworth Mind & Hearth and saw a friend posted this video.
There was a huge rush going on; the place is crowded, the line just behind me was getting longer, and I could hear all the noise and hubbub through my headphones. By 0:43 in the video, I was immediately feeling conscious of people possibly looking over my shoulder at the screen. Clearly, the burst of imagery from 0:43 - 1:14 is not very appropriate for public places - and not just because of the possibility of grossing out reserved, conservative people who might know me was extremely high - it's because it's uncomfortable for myself, even though the "sex sells" idea has existed for some time now. It's just not something I, personally, do not think I could get used to.
There was a huge rush going on; the place is crowded, the line just behind me was getting longer, and I could hear all the noise and hubbub through my headphones. By 0:43 in the video, I was immediately feeling conscious of people possibly looking over my shoulder at the screen. Clearly, the burst of imagery from 0:43 - 1:14 is not very appropriate for public places - and not just because of the possibility of grossing out reserved, conservative people who might know me was extremely high - it's because it's uncomfortable for myself, even though the "sex sells" idea has existed for some time now. It's just not something I, personally, do not think I could get used to.
One of the images (at 1:40) was a screenshot of an article about a blogger criticizing an NBA cheerleader for being "too chunky." I have heard plenty of criticisms - in high school and here at Whitworth - that cheerleaders aren't supposed to be fat. Most of these criticisms I've heard from guys, some friends and some strangers. I've overheard some guys make fun of the Whitworth Cheer Squad, giving nicknames like "thunder thighs" to my teammates, laughing harder when someone goes, "Wait, which thunder thighs?" I think it's awesome that thicker-set people are able to try out and make sports teams, and even more awesome that this exists at Whitworth. One of the "thunder thighs" cheerleaders is able to lift and hold me by herself. I know I'm not considered a thicker-set girl, but being able to lift and hold over a hundred pounds above your head is a pretty impressive feat, something those specific guys I know are not able to do. Unfortunately, I find it to be rather common for guys to make fun of 'fat' cheerleaders.
What was a little surprising to me, when I did some research, was that the criticizing blogger is a woman.
There are different perspectives on this video.
One user, TheScienceOfChic, defends Rihanna with the emphasis of self-confidence and pride: "Yeah, I HAVE thought about it [the idea of taking clothes off to be empowering] actually and if that is what makes her feel empowered, so be it. Just the way she holds herself and handles everything thrown at her speaks volumes about her self confidence. She is taking something like stripping, which is normally deemed to be a 'shameful', self-depreciating act and turning it into something the exact opposite."
Another user, Peter Mb (EDEN), had a patriarchal contribution for the other users commenting: "Quit whining you DUMB BROADS. You make men sexist by being whores and not doing your jobs right. Appreciate what MEN GAVE YOU and get on with it. You wouldn't have a home if it weren't for men, let alone be on the internet right now."
Digy1st brought up sexualizing men in the media: "Some of this I agree with but many of them are drawing at straws. One of the most popular superbowl ads amongst women a while ago was one with David Beckham almost naked showing his abs and making sexy poses. Let's not even start with Abercombie&Fitch."
The idea that "sex sells" is unfortunately true. As much as we would hope that it is not, there is no denying it. I knew girls in high school who would shop at Abercombie and Fitch for no reason except the fact that they use abs in their advertising. There are so many people who complain about what the media does with sex and specifically the way women are portrayed, but I have yet to see anything stop. I do not know how to change what the media does with sex, but I do think that something should be done. I worry for the future. I worry for my future daughter who will be told over and over that she is not good enough.
ReplyDeleteI thought this video was very interesting and made me think about all the adds that I've seen where I was just appalled at the way women were portrayed. However then I started thinking about the many times where men were portrayed badly and, while there aren't as many seductive adds and videos of men, they are just as degrading. I liked what The Science of Chic said when these can always be turned around to make the person empowered and it is up to the viewer as to how girls are received. I whole heartedly disagree with the second comment by Peter Mb (EDEN). I believe that he is extremely sexist in his comment and he has not seen what women have done to help society. The last comment reflects my original thought after the video, of how man can be perceived and objectified in the same way. I believe it is everyone takes media adds like this differently and everyone sees is through their own personal view, just like the one we talked about in the Culture of One exercise.
ReplyDeleteMedia matters. How people are portrayed to the public matters. And it is upsetting to see how women are continually portrayed in the media. However, I would like to commend the people who are trying to change the perception of women through media such as the creators of this fun, innovating and powerful commercial:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmeuhPNojTA