Cosmo With a Grain of Salt

By now most people have heard about the problematic portrayals of women in the media. The disproportionate objectification and sexualization of females on television, on film, and in magazines is finally being noted and hopefully will soon be addressed.

When I peruse through magazines, I know to take their content with a grain of salt. The flawless models and celebrities are most likely photoshopped and not a realistic standard to compare myself to. This, too, is relatively common knowledge.

But an issue I never really thought about as a media consumer was brought to my attention recently through this video. Two talented poets, Desiree Dallagiacomo and Kaycee Filson, call out the mainstream media, specifically magazines, for not just showing women as objects through photos but for instructing women to view themselves this way, specifically in the advice sections.

Whenever my friends and I have read Cosmopolitan or anything similar it never occurRed to any of us that the sex tips focused exclusively on the male's personal experience. Often times the suggestions are elaborate and absurd, as the spoken word artists  demonstrated, but always from this very one-sided perspective and focus.

How can magazines written for women dole out tips as unusual as "sprinkle pepper under his nose" and other intricate novelties yet neglect entirely to mention any tips on asking for what you like or how to make sex more enjoyable for the vast majority of the readership- women themselves?

It alarms me that I never noticed this because I usually am pretty perceptive to injustices against females (hence the blog). My obliviousness shows how pervasive this male-pleasure-centric view of sex is in our culture.  It is one thing to be selfless but it is another thing entirely to disregard your own needs, possibly losing any sense of self in the process.

Women should not be cultured to view their worth as entirely dependent on their ability to please their male counterparts. And while we're on the subject of objectifying women, they close with the profoundly logical, "I am not 'asking for it' unless I am actually asking for it."

/ˈfeməˌnizəm/

Feminism is a broad term and means, by definition, "the advocacy of women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men". Were this definition more widely known, I doubt things like #womenagainstfeminism would be movements. At least, I hope not. There aren't a whole lot of people these days (thankfully) who will openly oppose equality and yet so many are hesitant to identify as feminists and others would prefer to openly oppose the label. 

After a closer look at Nicki Minaj, "the most globally visible female rapper of all time", according to a piece in a recent interview with Vogue, I realized that perhaps the issue of strong females choosing not to identify as feminists is not simply because they do not understand how truly non-offensive a term it is, and rather feel betrayed or attacked by those who already have assumed the label. On the topic of feminism in the Vogue article, Minaj clearly believes in the equality of females, especially as she takes on the male-dominated industry of rap, but acknowledges the scrutiny she has received from feminists:

I think of myself as a woman who wants other women to be bosses and to be strong and to be go-getters. I've always said that... there are things that I do that feminists don't like, and there are things that I do that they do like. I don't label myself. I just say the truth about what I feel: I feel like women can do anything that they put their minds to. That's really the truth- I started off with just a dream.

One of the controversies, Minaj is referring to is her song, Anaconda, and its overtly sexual music video. Vogue describes what she does well, "she greets the male gaze and then subverts it [and] makes music with feminist themes while maintaing a competitive edge."  Many feminists also praised how Minaj reclaimed parts of the gaze-inspired song, Baby Got Back, in her own lyrics. The criticism came after the release of the album cover and later the music video, which features a lot of twerking, butt slapping, and minimal clothing.

In her article analyzing respectability politics and Nicki Minaj, Carmen Rios provides an excellent summary of why these contradictions are so problematic.

When feminists honor Minaj’s feminist lyrics, as they did with “Anaconda,” and then admonish her for expressing herself with sexually charged images and videos, they are playing into the same dominant narratives about women’s sexualities that perpetuate victim-blaming, slut-shaming, and the subordination of women.

Mychal Denzel Smith adds:

Whenever black women own their sense of sexuality and it appears to not be controlled by the hetero-male gaze, the whole world gets into a tizzy.

Both of these articles point out the obvious flaws in the arguments of those who criticize Nicki Minaj for her video. Yes, she featured females wearing sexy outfits, including herself.  Scantily-clad female dancers are so common in the hip-hop videos of her male counterparts that few bother to criticize them. Additionally, in the music video of Baby Got Back, parts of which she reclaimed in her song, the females dancers are also dressed in similar clothing. The important distinction is that Minaj and her dancers are not the subjects of the male gaze, they are reclaiming and expressing their sexuality. Those in an uproar over this video seem to have forgotten that women can be sexual, too. 

One such forgetful soul, took the time to write an open letter to Nicki Minaj, from the perspective of a concerned father of a teenage daughter (though he did mention that, as a man, he appreciates her figure).

What is the message you are sending when you determine how you will inspire these young people? How will boys, already conditioned to sexualize girls at a young age, internalize this big booty of yours?

Many a logical thinker would wonder why he is not writing to the number of male artists who blatantly objectify females in their music videos, like Sir Mix-A-Lot, instead of Minaj. Clearly, though Minaj, did not make this video for this father full of misplaced concern. In the Vogue interview a few days ago, she summarized quite nicely (rappers have to be good with words): 

There are sexual things that I do that aren't for a man. I feel empowered by being sexy and being comfortable enough to be sexy on camera. 

Nick Minaj is holding her own in an industry that traditionally only values women as props in music videos. Her artistic and sexual expression is not for the male gaze and those who proudly identify as feminists but are ready to attack anyone who moves their ass a little (or a lot), need to think twice about alienating such strong females. Similarly, those who criticize Minaj for being so unapologetically sexual in the name of protecting the children need to recognize the clear double standard they are creating. 

She can be and has been as sexual as her male counterparts, as crude and unapologetic, and as talented in her lyrics, though not always with the recognition she deserves. Nicki is a feminist because feminism is about women's rights and equality, including in the world of hip-hop and rap.