Not Just Another Ugly Feminist

I was scrolling through Oprah's website the other day, in search of recent episode that a friend of mine was telling me about, when I saw this lovely teaser for an equally-lovely article:

Just reading the caption for this article made me pretty angry. It reads,

"Being a strong, powerful woman doesn't mean you have to be tough, overworked and unattractive. Karen Salmansohn explains how power and success come from being in touch with your feminine, sexy and loving side."

My biggest problem with gender issues is the stigma surrounding feminism, and this article (from Oprah's website, no less!) is perpetuating that stigma is if it were a commonly accepted fact, rather than an unfair and untrue stereotype.

Here's an excerpt:

...Almost from the introduction of the word "feminism" into our world, the definition has become corroded to mean something less than complimentary than its original intent. Somewhere along the line, to be a feminist started to mean a woman who's basically unattractive both in looks and spirit.

I find this negative connotation to be shameful and highly unhelpful. Women could truly benefit from finding a more inspiring word than "feminism" to stand by, as well as stand for, when seeking to become our most powerful and successful selves. We don't have to make a choice between feminine or powerful and successful. We can be all those things....

Though I understand and respect where the author is trying to go with this, the remainder of the article attempts to convince women that they must be independent and pro-feminist to be successful... unless there are men around, of course.

The split personality of a "feminine," helpless, materialistic woman and an edgy, powerful, "unattractive" feminist demands a manipulative approach to life and interaction with the opposite sex, as well as a complete disregard for a woman's individual likes and dislikes. Rather than debunking common myths about feminism and presenting it as it is, the author re-names it as something else in a sad attempt to give it a "feminine spin," which only further perpetuates the original stereotypes in the first place: that feminism, by definition, is unfeminine.

When relying on human compassion just won't do...

there's always sexualized advertising!

In the ad below, the Organ Donor Foundation seems to have run out of effective advertising ideas. Naturally, they did what any disrespecting ad campaign would do: pull the ol' blonde-wearing-a-bikini hook. The caption?

"Becoming a donor is probably your only chance to get inside her."

Wow guys, really creative. I can't even begin to cover everything that's inherently wrong with this ad. Maybe it's the makeup-coated model, wearing heels and making a "sex" face. Maybe it's because this is an ad for the Organ Donor Foundation, and not Budweiser beer. Maybe it's the fact that the idea of donating an organ for the sole purpose of having something- ANYTHING- "inside her" is downright creepy. But to me, it's just a well-meaning foundation stooping to new and depressing lows.

What I really don't understand about this ad is why it's directed towards men only? As a female with a sense of dignity, this ad alone is enough for me to seek my organs, should I ever need a few extras, from another foundation. Organ donations save people's lives. This is not an advertising approach that is appropriate for what it is selling, and it is disrespectful to the women (and men) who are receiving it. Furthermore, the chances of the beneficiary of your donated organ to look like THAT are slim-to-none. Unless you're trying to get "inside" some poor old lady with health problems, in which case, I have nothing else to say.

He sure Diddy!

P. Diddy's "I AM KING" fragrance ads are everything you would expect them to be. The man who calls himself "The Black Bond" has certainly emoted the playboy feel from these advertisements.

The fragrance title, "I AM KING," is all about power, money, and masculinity. You can see from the photo that Diddy is using the appearance of wealth, sex, and the material lifestyle in order to sell his fragrance. The women in the ad are sexual accessories, insignificant to Diddy's lifestyle except to highlight his masculinity and wealth. The fact that they look almost identical makes them seem generic and paltry, like they're just more of the same.

It always seems to me like fragrance ads are selling a way of life rather than a bottle of cologne. It's too bad that the way of life being sold is nothing deeper than a world full of toys, cash, and meaningless relationships.