They do it because they can. And, of course, it helps sell their hollow, vapid "music." They care nothing at all about loftier goals or aspirations (morality, women's rights, role modeling, etc) mentioned here (so bravely, I might add)!
Plus, they're lazy....their videos are like OnlyFans with something that resembles music accompaniment. If they weren't recording stars, they'd be drawn to OF, and their 84 friends and relatives who currently glom onto each banal, simplistic song by adding a "the" here, or a "ho" there so they can exploit the publishing royalties, would be left in the lurch collecting gov't money and/or turning to crime.
I feel sorry for today's youth, whose nostalgia, 30 years down the road, will sadly include such disposable "entertainers" like Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Areola Grande.
Great points all. So what do you propose? it seems the issue is the same one we face with our politicians, it's the voters, not the politicians. The politicians merely give the pubic what it wants. Similarly, the artists merely give the purchasing public what it wants. You said it yourself, these women are the megastars today, which means, they are clearly giving a significant subset of our population what it wants, and will pay for. Until that changes, neither pop stars, not politicians, will change their behavior. I'm glad to be old. Feel bad for my son.
A great post, Charles. Agreed on all accounts. There's a great book on this phenomenon more generally in contemorary popular culture by Susan Douglas: The Rise of Enlightened Sexism: How Pop Culture Took Us from Girl Power to Girls Gone Wild. Thanks for addressing the issue. It's great to have a guy say these things. I feel like if I say them - which I've done in a couple of my books - I'm just labeled an anti-sex feminist, which is pretty damning and boring. I'm definitely a sex-positive feminist. But all of this is so true. And enigmatic. It's also just about the power to manipulate, which really isn't any kind of real power. Also, there is a way to be "sexy" without these types of displays, as you well know from the all-female heavy metal bands you have featured and from someone like Floor, the Nightwish lead singer: sexuality permeates her being without her having to try so hard to put on a "sexy" show. Though I'm not very well-versed in metal, I would take the head-banging over this any day.
So true. So true. The trickle-down effect of this behaviour is that it has impregnated thousands of millennials worldwide. Most often viewed during the tourist seasons in resorts and towns throughout America and Europe. Take Florence for example. The most indiscreetly dressed young women are almost ALL Americans and the Italians, as much as we like to think of them as sensual and romantic, are appalled. It's a Catholic country if you haven't noticed. Eyes roll, comments are made, when viewing young girls in groups clad in practically nothing at all; and baring it all - literally. I am not a prude, and I do remember when I was younger, I wore short-shorts and summer tops - but at the BEACH and nowhere inside a church, a restaurant, or a glamorous hotel. Now, it's everything goes and the tourist trade is forced to accept this attire. In fact, the hospitality industry people are much more elegant - which is a total switch from even decades ago when the wealthy travelled and looked more elegant than the wait staff. Nowadays, its the reverse just about everywhere. There is no self-respect, no respect for time or place, for another culture even. It's whatever and wear-ever anywhere I please mentality.
So, your article is spot on Charles. People are getting sick and tired of seeing this form of representation, and here in Italy, we are patiently awaiting the cooler weather so that we do not have to look at T&A on the streets of this magnificent Medieval city that looks better than the foreigners who walk through it taking selfies in front of landmarks they could care less about and have no intention of knowing anything about.
And let's not forget the young men. They look as if they belong in a dingy summer camp for teenagers. Torn clothes, baggy cargo pants [STILL!], baseball caps worn backwards, massive backpacks, trashed tennis shoes, loud and obnoxious, and clueless on how to behave in any given place. Who are they modeling themselves after? They've been cast adrift in this modern society. All we have to know is how absolutely ludicrous the over-pampered young film stars look when attending galas and film festivals - to wit: Timothee Charlamet - a complete and utter dolt who dresses like a girl now. He has the charm and body of a 13-year old and yet, the film world fandom has gone nuts over him. WHY? We've come a long way from Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and Cary Grant - and in my opinion, we're never coming back.
They do it because they can. And, of course, it helps sell their hollow, vapid "music." They care nothing at all about loftier goals or aspirations (morality, women's rights, role modeling, etc) mentioned here (so bravely, I might add)!
Plus, they're lazy....their videos are like OnlyFans with something that resembles music accompaniment. If they weren't recording stars, they'd be drawn to OF, and their 84 friends and relatives who currently glom onto each banal, simplistic song by adding a "the" here, or a "ho" there so they can exploit the publishing royalties, would be left in the lurch collecting gov't money and/or turning to crime.
I feel sorry for today's youth, whose nostalgia, 30 years down the road, will sadly include such disposable "entertainers" like Rihanna, Katy Perry, and Areola Grande.
Great points all. So what do you propose? it seems the issue is the same one we face with our politicians, it's the voters, not the politicians. The politicians merely give the pubic what it wants. Similarly, the artists merely give the purchasing public what it wants. You said it yourself, these women are the megastars today, which means, they are clearly giving a significant subset of our population what it wants, and will pay for. Until that changes, neither pop stars, not politicians, will change their behavior. I'm glad to be old. Feel bad for my son.
A great post, Charles. Agreed on all accounts. There's a great book on this phenomenon more generally in contemorary popular culture by Susan Douglas: The Rise of Enlightened Sexism: How Pop Culture Took Us from Girl Power to Girls Gone Wild. Thanks for addressing the issue. It's great to have a guy say these things. I feel like if I say them - which I've done in a couple of my books - I'm just labeled an anti-sex feminist, which is pretty damning and boring. I'm definitely a sex-positive feminist. But all of this is so true. And enigmatic. It's also just about the power to manipulate, which really isn't any kind of real power. Also, there is a way to be "sexy" without these types of displays, as you well know from the all-female heavy metal bands you have featured and from someone like Floor, the Nightwish lead singer: sexuality permeates her being without her having to try so hard to put on a "sexy" show. Though I'm not very well-versed in metal, I would take the head-banging over this any day.
So true. So true. The trickle-down effect of this behaviour is that it has impregnated thousands of millennials worldwide. Most often viewed during the tourist seasons in resorts and towns throughout America and Europe. Take Florence for example. The most indiscreetly dressed young women are almost ALL Americans and the Italians, as much as we like to think of them as sensual and romantic, are appalled. It's a Catholic country if you haven't noticed. Eyes roll, comments are made, when viewing young girls in groups clad in practically nothing at all; and baring it all - literally. I am not a prude, and I do remember when I was younger, I wore short-shorts and summer tops - but at the BEACH and nowhere inside a church, a restaurant, or a glamorous hotel. Now, it's everything goes and the tourist trade is forced to accept this attire. In fact, the hospitality industry people are much more elegant - which is a total switch from even decades ago when the wealthy travelled and looked more elegant than the wait staff. Nowadays, its the reverse just about everywhere. There is no self-respect, no respect for time or place, for another culture even. It's whatever and wear-ever anywhere I please mentality.
So, your article is spot on Charles. People are getting sick and tired of seeing this form of representation, and here in Italy, we are patiently awaiting the cooler weather so that we do not have to look at T&A on the streets of this magnificent Medieval city that looks better than the foreigners who walk through it taking selfies in front of landmarks they could care less about and have no intention of knowing anything about.
And let's not forget the young men. They look as if they belong in a dingy summer camp for teenagers. Torn clothes, baggy cargo pants [STILL!], baseball caps worn backwards, massive backpacks, trashed tennis shoes, loud and obnoxious, and clueless on how to behave in any given place. Who are they modeling themselves after? They've been cast adrift in this modern society. All we have to know is how absolutely ludicrous the over-pampered young film stars look when attending galas and film festivals - to wit: Timothee Charlamet - a complete and utter dolt who dresses like a girl now. He has the charm and body of a 13-year old and yet, the film world fandom has gone nuts over him. WHY? We've come a long way from Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, and Cary Grant - and in my opinion, we're never coming back.