Does this represent female empowerment?

[user1471506568]

I was watching some of Little Mix's latest music videos and felt a bit conflicted. Whilst I like their music and the fact they seem to represent empowered, strong women, I couldn't help but feel a bit sad that they now look so sexualised. The OTT make up and really skimpy clothes just seem so far away from what they used to look like when they won the X Factor and to be honest does seemed to be geared towards appealing to men. Thinking of other female music stars that people often refer to as feminist icons this seems a common theme (eg beyonce, RIta Ora).

I guess my post is an attempt to get other people's views to help me clarify my own. Is this kind of thing an example of empowerment because the women are choosing it for themselves and the fact they can do this, whereas in lots of more patriarchal countries this would be banned, make it a symbol for women's rights? Or is it more the case that this attempt to package female empowerment in a male friendly package another example of the patriarchy in full force? I think maybe the latter and to be honest it's making me feel quite angry and sad

I really don't want to go down the body hair rabbit hole (so to speak) but do you really think it's a free choice?

No, but they do, and they get very indignant when you suggest it isn't.

It's why Madonna now has actual power rather than having to feel empowered

Madonna has very little talent beyond an enormous capacity for self-promotion and is clearly is a very capable and determined businesswoman. Her voice is thin, reedy and undistinguished; without her "controversial " prancing around in skimpy costumes I doubt she would have ended up as powerful as she is.

She got where she is by exploiting her over- sexualised image and then being strong enough when she was a successful commodity to take control.

You say that men could wear heels if they really wanted. But then women could, you know, not wear heels if they really wanted
Which they do- it is perfectly possible with no great effort to find flat/low heeled dressy shoes. It is one of the myths of FWR that one cannot.

I agree that her success is mainly down to her immense drive, ambition and unnerring confidence that she can and she will... These are not bad qualities for young girl to emulate!

Also while her voice is crap, I suspect her image and choices of what she wears, how she presents have always been pretty much her own, similar to Lady GaGa she is highly inventive and always ahead of the game, and she has turned out some excellent pop songs in her time, again I'm sure she has and always has had pretty good control over which songs and the final mixes etc - I suspect she has a talent for that. Who to partner with that will be able to maximise what she is good at.

Plus she can carry it off and is charismatic - I mean I don't know about you but I'd look like a right twat prancing around on a gondola in a ra-ra skirt. I am of the firm belief that being able to carry that sort of thing off is a talent in itself!

In short - I like madonna (although shoving her tongue down that blokes throat wasn't on).

Snibble- some great posts on this thread, thank you.

I know this will be disjointed, but I have been too busy doing all the slaving, as Reality said, to post until now

I don't think the Spice Girls were empowered. I think at certain times in history, when women are becoming too aware of their situation and start to be bolshy about it, there are pressure-release valves, and "Girl power" was one of those.
Sure, they sang and danced and did back flips, and portrayed the idea that they were in charge... but they were a manufactured band, a product, and still conforming to male ideas of women. So there was a girl next door, a sporty one, a haughty one, a little bit over the hill one (because yes, Geri was always pilloried for being older than the others, at what, 28??) and a black one. You know- one for every man really
And they sang about enjoying sex, and freedoms. But what did it lead to? The idea in our society that all women are gagging for it, that we lurve it, and that's our focus. So girls were 'empowered' and given liberties... purely to satisfy men. The was society has been sexualised and pornification after "Girl Power" has been highly retrograde, and damaging for all, but particularly for girls and women.

Other pressure-release valves were Votes for women. Oh yes, women fought hard, and demanded representation. But what actually happened? They enfranchised every male as well, diluting the power of the vote, in effect. (And look at the way this weakening of democracy has continued- quangos, cabinet government, hundreds of life peers created )
The powerful retain their power, whilst giving the populace a semblance of that power, but really giving them nothing.

I think "MeToo/Times up" will be exactly the same, and I dread to think what it will be that will emerge from it, and how it will further curtail women's freedoms.