Robin Thicke's Banned Video & Thoughts On Sexism
Taking a momentary digression from career advice and swinging back towards cultural observations. Just came across this video of Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines (NSFW) via New York Magazine's always entertaining newsletter, The Vulture. It's worth the watch ... probably from your phone, during your lunch break. The gist is that it features three fully clothed men (the singers) and a plethora of mostly naked models dancing around the set, being playfully chased by the men. The video is moderately entertaining and the women have beautiful bodies. Quite honestly, my first impression was that I wasn't overly offended, a bit confused and mostly wondering why they couldn't find models who were better dancers. The models reminded me of the very young, Eastern European women that come to NYC in order to make it in the industry - barely speaking English and at the mercy of their agents.
But what I really found interesting was their explanation for the song and choices in the video. Robin Thicke explained that he and Pharrell came up with the lyrics and song in a half hour and wrote it as a criticism of misogynistic lyrics we so often hear. He explained that the men in the video looked like idiots whereas the women were directed to act confident and in power by looking directly at the camera. He's referencing a concept from art history 101 - the "gaze" whereas a woman looking directly at the viewer is challenging him / her and asserting her power, most famously depicted in Manet's Olympia.
In a recent GQ article Robin explains:
"Women and their bodies are beautiful. Men are always gonna want to follow them around."
Even Thicke's wife points out in response to the outcry that "Violence is ugly. Nudity is beautiful."
A recent TEDTalk by Jackson Katz, an anti-sexism educator, echoes this thinking - showing that the conversation of violence against women needs to change to better understand why men are the perpetrators.
So where am I going with all of this talk about nudity, violence, power struggles and sexism, early on a Thursday morning? The video, Manet's Olympia and Jackson's TEDTalk all flip cultural norms on their head. Each make controversial statements because we view their statements through the eyes of a cultural norm so that their artistry become taboo. Both Thicke and Manet challenge the notion that women are not empowered by their own bodies. They show that women do recognize their bodies are beautiful and have the power to turn on both men, other women and even themselves. Jackson champions the empowerment of women when he proves that the discussion of violence against women is really not a "woman's issue" but rather, a problem men need to tackle as they ask themselves why they are the perpetrators.
So I for one am hopeful that the conversation is changing and I look forward to a time when a woman is no longer seen as a victim, but sees her whole being as the great source of power that it is.
Does Sex Sell? A look at A&F
I've spent the last few days at my parent's house, going through all my worldly possessions and trying to get rid of things I don't use. I can proudly say I have three bags of clothing to donate on top of the two huge bags I donated a few months ago. I digress.
For years, I've had two racy Abercrombie & Fitch catalogs that I've been meaning to sell on eBay but can't remember the last time I actually looked through them. One was purchased the year I graduated high school, and then next, the year I graduated college. They definitely upped the ante for the 2003 version. I flipped through them with a perspective of someone who's lived in NYC for 5 years (i.e. have seen it all) and have worked in the photo industry, etc. etc. They still shocked me even in the world of True Blood, celebrities showing their vaginas and overt sexuality everywhere. There's no question that the Bruce Weber photographs are beautiful and sexy - but seriously, are they at all appropriate given A&F's target market? This year they've brought the catalogs back. Using overt sexuality and nudity to sell clothing to teenagers just seems lazy but this doesn't surprise me considering the clothing lacks imagination as well. I have a skirt that looks exactly like one of their skirts shown on their website - except it's in a garbage bag to be donated and is Gap circa 2007. And plaid? Really? A quick google search of A&F and the banned catalog revealed that their stock fell at the end of 2003. 
So hopefully I'm not being a total hypocrite by giving ya'll a taste of what I'm talking about but let's be honest - sex sells. I'd say these are NSFW but I'm assuming all of you are out for Labor Day weekend. Here's to America! And our labor force!
I kind of wonder if Ryan McGinley didn't just flip through a A&F catalog before he went out shooting. He's got that whole - beautiful, naked people running through the woods thing going at least. If you'd like to see more of these images, (and believe me, there are more) you can purchase the catalogs via eBay here and here. The 2003 version has a lot more nudity but the 1999 version is just as beautifully shot with interviews, etc. It was hard to let them go but I need to pay for things like - oh.. Miami Ad School, a new computer, living.. you get the idea.
Crunch Video
OMG this guy is amazing. It makes me proud to be a member of Crunch. What if he's in my spinning class? Nah, he definitely goes to a Brooklyn Crunch.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49ZyhTmNZZQ&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_embedded&fs=1&w=425&h=344]
Ew, More Reason to Hate Sharon Stone
Boobies. Ew. Via the Superficial. Half naked on the cover of Paris Match. How classy. Definitely NOT ooh la la.
Four Hot Naked Women
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrTiKP84kAA&hl=en&fs=1&&w=560&h=340]
Some promo. Apparently all for the release of Guitar Hero 5 via Adrants. I guess sex sells.