Whether you’re enjoying an ego-smothered ‘milkshake’ by Kelis or confusing toothpaste with whisky like Ke$ha, these and the other “Dirty Divas” of pop music have much more to do with taking your money than giving you sexual liberation.
Late last March, Michael Dearman posed the all-too-interesting question of whether or not the explicit sexuality of today’s female pop stars encourages female sexual liberation. If so, then Dearman wondered if this explicit sexuality could be viewed as congruent with feminist mores.
The article’s title, “Does neo-feminism lead to prostitution or sexual freedom? The effects of female ‘liberation’ in popular music remain to be seen,” pretty much sums it up. Having seen no response published to date, I finally decided to weigh in with three main arguments.
First of all, forget “neo-feminism,” if the neo-prostitution shoe fits, then call it like it is. How did Lady Gaga become rich and famous? Simple, she incorporated burlesque into her show. How did Britney Spears become rich and famous? Was it her vocal talent? No. Was it her insightful lyrics? No. Was it her schoolgirl style sex appeal? Absolutely. Ke$ha might as well be daddy’s worst nightmare, and Shakira belly-danced her way to stardom. Their message is clear, women should use their bodies to find success. In that sense, neo-prostitution has a nice ring to it.
Secondly, I think female sexual liberation stands for counter-hegemonic sexual freedom. In other words, female sexual liberation should be about shaping feminine sexuality as separate from oppressive masculine stereotypes. Dearman pointed out that “Dirty Divas” “defy typical gender roles in their music by reversing the traditional and antiquated sexual roles of men and women.” Defying gender roles sounds like sexual liberation, but merely reversing sex roles only perpetuates the sex roles. Women must learn to challenge the notion that these roles exist by developing new ones, rather than the “Dirty Divas” who participate in them as “men.”
Lastly, “Dirty Diva” represent entertainers and make for poor social barometers. If these women truly affect or even reflect the level of explicit sexuality in modern female behavior, then shouldn’t women be more aggressive or forthcoming in expressing their sexual desire? But then why now is the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction (a world renowned center for sexual science) conducting major research on “Detecting Sexual Desire in Women?”
Ladies, what would your friends think if you told them, “Yeah, so I just – like – walked up to this hottie and said, ‘This beat is sick. I wanna take a ride on your disco stick?” The ridiculous notion that “Dirty Divas” somehow bring about sexual liberation actually shows the reverse. Female pop artists exaggerate their sexuality in order to caricature their stage presence and fame. What makes them exciting and entertaining equals precisely what makes them fictitious, a socially impossible sexuality.
A true feminist and liberator should offer ideas and actions for the betterment of all women e.g. the right to vote, the right to contraceptives, or even the right to burn your bra. In contrast, “Dirty Divas” offer entertainment for the enrichment of their bank accounts at the expense of your sexual liberation. Lets not take them too seriously.
Paul Boynton is a junior marketing major. He can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].
