Patriarchy says: Miley is being hyerpsexualized as an adolescent girl...so it must be her fault! That tart!
I am studying my GREs (the GRE is a standardized test required for college students trying to get into graduate schools here in the U.S.) and I am working on the section that deals with analytical writing. One of the essay/issue prompts that my GRE practice book provides for practice is this:
During times of war and a struggling economy, obsession with celebrity becomes stronger in the media so that the public can distract itself from the stresses that war and a bad economy bring.
That’s just a basic paraphrasing of what the essay prompt said in my practice book. But it’s extremely relevant and timely, this one. And it is no coincidence that as the U.S. is stretching into its 8th damned year of war in the Middle East and West Asia, American media and the American people are gleefully trashing celebrities, especially female celebrities.
Oh, did I mention that AOL “News” is steeping deeper and deeper into the muck of misogyny and sensationalist trash that is the mainstream media lately?
Yeah. Within the past month or so, I cannot remember seeing more invasive and sexist gossip about female celebrities in my life.
Every single miniscule detail of every woman’s reproductive and bodily functions is laid out in big, obnoxious headlines for all to see. Here’s a list of a set of AOL news headlines shown at the most visible part of AOL’s homepage for only one day:
What Happened To Katie’s Hands? She Tries to Hide Odd Discoloration, But Scientology Rumors Fly: It’s Ugly
‘Plan on Seeing Me Fat … Proud’: Actress Has Reason for Weight Gain
Tinseltown Tribe Has Spoken New Lady Love for ‘Survivor’ Host?
Howard Stern Sad by Friends’ Split
J.Lo Must Not Have Known Cameras Were Snapping (when you click on this headline, this is the image and “story” you get)
And that was just one box of headlines, ONE! But don’t worry folks, it gets better:
Underneath a headline about the prospects of a male olympian athlete, and one about how a female tennis player cried because she lost a play or game, there is “Danica Gets Into ‘Heated’ Exchange: Why Did Female Driver Snap at Her?”
Mary-Kate’s Odd Boots Cause Stir
I won’t make you read the poorly written excuses-for-articles that numerous idiots from the AP or AOL crank out. You don’t even have to read the articles (unless you want to sponateously combust) to understand this: AOL wants to remind you that women suck hairy ass. Why? They get “too emotional” and “catty” when playing sports. Hell, the female celebrities that are conventionally pretty and fitting somewhat into their roles (like Katie Holmes, and JLo, for example) are still getting trashed all the time, for, I dunno, doing normal things like eating, not wearing makeup, talking. FFS.
You’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t. This is the fate of women in the patriarchy. Yes, even if you are white and middle/upper class. Even if you’re a celebrity. Because when you’re a woman, even your racial and class privilege, even your celebrity, is revokable. It seems to me that the only reason there are females who are made into celebrities is so that men, and, by extension, the media, can piss and shit all over these women after placing them up on gilded pedestals.
And you know what’s even more sad? Is that there are quite a few folks out there who think these female celebrities are “empowered.” Empowered because of what? Their money? Their expensive clothes? The predominantly male attention they are getting?…
Here’s what I got when I googled images of “female celebrities.”
Here’s what I got when I googled images of “male celebrities.”
Interesting, huh?
So, tell me, what do you think about female celebrities and their status in Western culture (I am thinking the female celebrity gossip and attacks are prevalent in Europe and the UK too)? Do you think they can be empowered?
Oh, and poor Howard fuckin Stern, he’s “sad.” Boo f’*n hoo. I hope he croaks soon.
[...] Lara wrote an interesting post today on Assholes On Line. Here’s a quick excerpt: [...]
You’re right about the UK Lara. Read the Daily Mail. But what is more alarming is stuff like this, about teens who want to emulate topless models.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1035829/We-want-just-like-Jordan-Shocking-stories-teens-want-follow-glamour-models-footsteps.html
Ugh, I read more than half and I thought I was in some sort of nightmare. That was surreal. These poor girls are being turned into fucktoys for men, and at such an early age. And the sad thing is that in the article men or sexist culture are not even mentioned the whole time. There’s just “blame the stupid mother!” And I am annoyed so much by these moms, but we have to remember they were raised the same way and went through the same things their daughters did. Disturbing stuff.
What I would love to see is someone who takes pictures of men who are in the same ridiculous poses as females. I look at pictures of women with their heads tilted and pouty lips or with their ass arched or whatever, and I imagine a man doing the same thing — the stupidity would be obvious.
The thing is, beauty fades. So it’s self-destructive to make appearance the measure of your character or success. Some twenty year old was whining to me in all seriousness because “she wasn’t a teenager any more”.
It seems to me that female celebrities are being attacked in increasingly crude and demeaning ways. There have always been gossip items about celebs which have used innuendo and postulated false things, but gad! the tone is bad now. I would never want to be famous.
Well, here in the UK we generate our own ‘celebrities’ think Jade Goody folks. This is a woman who became famous for appearing in Big Brother who then became a target for ridicule by the British press.
It all makes sense :/
It seems that our current cultural climate requires female celebrities that are famous for nothing in particular, just so we have someone to shit on. Has anyone noticed how many more female celebrities there are out there who don’t really do anything than there are male ones? Who is the male Paris Hilton? He can’t exist, because it’s only women who are valued only for their appearances and who wants to pork them. Unfortunately, that also puts women in a pretty precarious situation and opens them up to the kinds of things you’re discussing here, and it just seems to be getting nastier by the minute.
I second the hope that Stern dies soon. Like this week.
Good luck on the GRE.
“Has anyone noticed how many more female celebrities there are out there who don’t really do anything than there are male ones? Who is the male Paris Hilton? He can’t exist, because it’s only women who are valued only for their appearances and who wants to pork them.”
Exactly Nine. I was going to put a picture of Paris Hilton up for this blog post but it wasn’t working. Women literally ARE a sex class.
Oh, and thanks for wishing me luck on the GREs, I am going to take them in about 2 months or so.