I saw 50 Cent’s “Disco Inferno” video at an age that was probably much too young and much too impressionable.
I saw Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” video at an age that was too much jaded and much too immune to the notion of women as sex objects in the media.
I’m sure the two had something to do with each other.
The idea of a woman in a metallic bikini posing next to chrome rims or naked in a fur coat drinking champagne have become regular occurrences in the world of music videos, but a group of women from Auckland University are not as numb to the concept as most girls are these days.
The group, called the Law Revue Girls, created “Defined Lines,” a parody of “Blurred Lines” that reverses the gender roles of the original video and takes a turn emasculating men.
It’s chock full of explicit language, clever rhymes and sarcastic lines. It begs me to ask the question: why didn’t someone do this sooner?
As a 20-year-old woman, I see how blurred the line of gender equality can be. Girls strut around in shorts so short that the bottom of their buttocks feel the gentle breeze and tops low cut enough to rival Jennifer Lopez’s dress at the 2000 Grammys; it’s not surprising that men feel much more freedom to make a woman’s body the main event when women themselves have put it in the limelight.
By no means do I believe that girls are to blame when assaults and rapes transpire because they were “asking” for it with their choice of clothing or the amount they chose to drink that night. No means no and passed out drunk also means no – a concept college males unfortunately struggle with (One in four college women surveyed by SAVP are victims of rape or attempted rape).
However, I do feel in some ways that with the Feminist movement, many guys disregard the “traditional” gender role of a man being a gentleman because they feel as if women are no longer fulfilling the “traditional” role of being a wholesome lady. When girls complain that they can’t find a decent man to take them on dates, open the car door and surprise them with flowers, I’ve heard many of my guy friends argue “if you act like a lady, then you’ll attract a gentleman.”
For women, there’s a delicate balance between keeping up with the times and breaking the glass ceiling and staying true to the role of lovely, beautiful wife and mother.
Right now, as a 20-something, it’s crucial to form your own identity as a woman—hopefully a strong and independent one— in the college setting, because the idea of women being objectified is unlikely to disappear, regardless of how many parodies are made of misogynistic music videos. In your career setting (unless you’re a nurse or teacher, which are two fields still prominently female), there’s a good chance it will be an uphill battle to establish yourself among men in the workplace. You aren’t helping your chances by objectifying yourself now through endless selfies showcasing your sexy pouts and Instagram mirror pictures while bathing suit shopping. Whether you’re on track to get your MRS degree and settle down or to become a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, always ask yourself if you’re a part of the problem or a part of the solution.
With an equal paycheck, a spot on the presidential ballot and countless other new opportunities open for women, it’s up to us to define the lines of our femininity.
Leave it up to men, and well, the future is pretty blurred.
Photo courtesy of: The Huffington Post
