In the film Generation M, there are plentiful examples of how today's pop culture and social networks affect the women of modern day America. One of the most prevalent examples is the sexualized portrayal of women in music videos and publicized events. Jean Kilbourne explains how young women are mistaking public sexual representation of themselves as feminism, and a revolutionary way of acting as women. In music videos for musicians such as Christina Aguilera, the Pussycat Dolls, and Rihanna, these women are in extremely minimal clothing, moving promiscuously, and singing lyrics glorifying their sexual endeavors. While these women should not be ashamed of their sex lives, they also shouldn't be representing themselves as sexual objects, as if it is the only thing they have to give to society. Their fans should be focusing on their music, not now they look. By attempting to make themselves known and to gain fans, they are dancing in lingerie and singing about having sex, instead of focusing on their music and their artistry. They are mistaking feminism for sexual glorification. That mistake can be extremely detrimental to feminism. Just as the good, moral housewife who stays home is the sexist portrayal of women, the idea of a sexual objectified girl who is glorifying her sexual means is just as bad of a portrayal of women, This film also lets us into the lives of three preteen girls who are getting ready for the mall. As they start to apply their makeup and do their hair, they begin to resemble the makeup and hair of the celebrities in the current sexualized music videos, and as they listen to these artists' songs, they begin to imitate the dance moves that these girls do. It definitely opened my eyes to how the media and celebrities really do affect the lives of young girls and how they affect feminism.
Pussycat Dolls- When I Grow Up
Question: How has the sexualized portrayal of women changed or been enhanced throughout the years?
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