Blurring the Lines of Feminismismismism itself

So here's the thing, I'm a little behind in reacting to the whole Blurred Lines fiasco but it's because I've been trying to hold my tongue and collect my thoughts. So essentially this is what I am going to say on the matter:

1) For those feminists that believe "Blurred Lines" is objectifying women and is rude, crude, lude, and offensive: you're right.

2) For those feminists that believe "Blurred Lines" is progressive and the reactions have been taken to the extreme and misinterpreted based on the lyrics: you're also right.

Here's the thing: Robin Thicke did in fact talk about how women are in power of their own sexuality. "You're far from plastic," "Let me liberate you," (even though the woman should already be liberated) "That man is not your maker," so on so forth... Those lyrics are pretty evident of his belief that women should not be controlled. In addition, there are tons of women who like to have their hair pulled and be dominated in bed. So who is to say what is "proper" objectification and what is just straight up kinky? Certainly not anyone, since telling people what they can and cannot do sexually goes against all things feminist to begin with. Because hey, after all, Robin Thicke is right: we are animals and it is in our nature.

HOWEVER there is something to be said about the music video that accompanied the music. First of all: the women are on display. Plain and simple. Every single woman in the video (there are three very selectively chosen "diverse" women who happen to miraculously all be the same body type) is naked. Now what about the men? Suits. They're in suits. One suit may be a track suit, yes, but you see no thighs, no abs, nothing. You cannot argue that the song is feminist and yet deny the obvious objectification of the women in the music video. They are LITERALLY WALKING AROUND NAKED FOR THE AMUSEMENT OF THE MEN AND AUDIENCE. THAT is not equality. THAT is not liberation. THAT is a parade of boobs.

Furthermore, those women are treated with disrespect. At around 2:18 in the video Robin actually BLOWS SMOKE into Elle Evans' face and she coughs. SHE COUGHS. AND THEY KEPT IT. That's not funny. That's straight up insulting.

So yes, the girls are bouncing around and it looks like they're having fun so on so forth, it's cute, we're entertained, but there are some serious repercussions to the way that they are traipsing around....mostly that they are naked and the men are not and as a result it sends the message that women are to be the ones oogled while the men are to do the oogling. NOW had the men been the ones strutting around and the women been the ones making the first move like it so suggests in the lyrics "the way you grab me...go ahead get at me," or if both the men and women had been dressed up, OR CRAZY IDEA, the men were ALSO naked, then maybe we could talk about this song being TRULY sexually liberating.

(If we really want to talk about sexism and songs how about we take a look at, say, Snoop Dogg's "Ain't No Fun," huh?)

Which brings us to my next segment: FEMINISM IS FOR EVERYONE AND EVERYONE WITH AN OPINION IS MOSTLY RIGHT.

Feminism is not an all or nothing. If you're a feminist and she's a feminist and he's a feminist and it's a feminist, you are all entitled to have a different opinion. Just because you all call yourselves (or hopefully call yourselves) feminist does not mean you have to agree with what one another says! What it DOES mean is that you should inform yourself to your utmost ability and form fully thought out critical analyses in order to properly discuss these ideas at a later date.

Don't judge a book by it's cover. Watch the whole video, read the whole article, finish the entire segment, and research whatever you missed. You never know what could happen if you quit out early. Like the "Semicolon" song....Lonely Island failed with it's usage, but you never would've known had you changed the song before it ended.

A well-informed and patient person is a wise person.


And that concludes this segment of Feminism: the blurred spectrum.

This is why you should be a feminist

I know this is all scatterbrained and such but it's me getting back into this whole "speaking" thing. Bear with me....

The Sexy Lie

Just take a moment to watch this video. As Caroline Heldman describes the symptoms of living in a sexually objectifying culture, think of all of the ways your life and the lives of those around you exemplify what she is saying and are hindered by these ways of thought.

I hate to say it, but I am a culprit of everything that she describes. I can't help but fall into the pack of girls and women who look at magazines and television and constantly compare myself to these models. I can't help but walk into a party and size myself up against those around me. I can't help but see the "pretty girls" from high school and college and innately feel contempt and distrust.

But the thing is, I can help it.

Every morning I allot an hour to putting on my make-up and choosing what clothes are going to make me look my best. An hour. Exactly what Caroline said. My male friends? How long do they take? 5 minutes. The majority throw on whatever jeans are closest with whatever shirt has the coolest looking design and softest fabric to sit on their back. And what about the minority of male friends? They slide on some suit pants with a button-up shirt that they didn't wear the day before, a tie that compliments the color, and shoes that don't clash with the socks.

Why is it that Mens' professional wear doubles as "sexy" clothes? Yet for women, we have all different kinds of "sexy" wear: "sexy" casual, "sexy" formal, "sexy" professional, "sexy" sexy...The short body-con dress that girl in the corner of the party is wearing? She'd never go to a professional interview wearing that. The suit and tie that guy is wearing? Justin Timberlake just created a song about it!

Maybe it's because a woman had the historic role of house keeper and was in charge of mending and sewing garments, so as the fashion industry developed more clothes were marketed towards women.

Maybe it's because what women have been bred to find "sexy" is a man who can provide for them, so any man dressing snazzy is most likely going to be rich, successful, and sophisticated.

Maybe it's because women haven't been bred to view scantily clad men as sexual objects because the media has been traditionally run by men and has consequently led them to think that they are the ones who need to impress rather than be impressed.

Because even though men with muscle are considered sexy due to their favorable base traits of evolution (their ability to find a cave or build a house, and to outsmart animals while hunting for food), the impossibly skinny too-malnourished-to-have-a-baby unintelligent modern female is the one considered desirable.

So maybe it is time to change. Maybe women should stop mid-adjustment and think about how they're presenting their mind or their heart rather than their stomach and thighs. Sit in a way that enhances what you can contribute to the conversation rather than what will attract the male in the corner who just wants to USE you rather than participating in a TWO-SIDED two-party party.

Because sexually objectifying a female establishes a gender role that hinders everyone. Men are criticized for caring about fashion and hygiene because that obviously makes them homosexual....because being gay is wrong and insulting? Men who have emotions and like children may be sexy to women, but they're not macho, they're just pussy whipped.

Establishing a binary system limits EVERYONE and a system that encourages depression should make everyone sad, no matter what their sex or gender.