Women & the Media
I usually try not to post a whole article during the week BUT I came upon this in my CARE newsletter & it is just ticking me off. I had not even heard of a couple of these news stories so I will be posting the full article below. If we think times have changed, well, maybe they have BUT not enough as it seems like the media thinks they can start going back to the darker ages. Like we don't have enough pressure on women in the media/magazines/entertainment now .... All the pressure to be thin, beautiful and young.
We all heard about & read on other blogs about the Jessica Simpson thing where Fox NFL mocked her & how fat she is... which she is NOT! Now I am reading about an iPhone app by Pepsi helping guys score with women & brag about it (it was pulled) AND Yahoo had a Open Hack Day in Taiwan including lap dancers (they apologized) and of course we all read & saw the Ralph Lauren debacle!
Please read the full article below:
Earlier this week we reported on an iPhone app that Pepsi created for its energy drink Amp. The app was designed to help guys score with women and then brag about it. Many were outraged by the app, claiming it was sexist and offensive. We took a poll asking if Pepsi should pull the ap and 71 percent of respondents said yes. Thirteen percent of the respondents were leaning yes and a combined 17 percent answered no or leaning no. Yesterday, we learned the beverage giant had indeed pulled the plug on the Amp app. The company issued a statement that said pulling the app was "an appropriate course of action."
This corporate reversal and ambiguous statement of accountability seems to be a trend right now. Remember the picture from Ralph Lauren that was retouched resulting in the model's head appearing bigger than her pelvis? The clothing manufacturer addressed the issue by saying, "After further investigation, we have learned that we are responsible for the poor imaging and retouching that resulted in a very distorted image of a woman's body. We have addressed the problem and going forward will take every precaution to ensure that the caliber of our artwork represents our brand appropriately." Were they addressing the fact the brand was hurt or that the image was distorted?
Yahoo was the other major brand doing spin control this week. Following news that the company's Open Hack Day in Taiwan included lap dancers, the head of the Yahoo Development Network issued this statement, "I wanted to acknowledge the public reaction generated by the images of female dancers at our Taiwan Open Hack Day this past weekend. Our hack events are designed to give developers an opportunity to learn about our APIs and technologies. As many folks have rightly pointed out, the “Hack Girls” aspect of our Taiwan Hack Day is not reflective of that spirit or purpose. And it’s certainly not the message we want to send about our values here at Yahoo!. Hack Days are about making everyone feel welcome, including women coders and technologists." Once again, it was not an apology. It was more a statement of regret.
Perhaps the corporate attorneys will not allow these companies to say "sorry." But more than counsel on the back end, these companies need guidance on the front end to advise them that women expect better.
So yes, some companies are saying that they are just using humor BUT how often do we see this with men.... rarely!!! I understand that some people think that restraining too much is going too far BUT I, personally just think some of this has gone too "beyond" when women already are pressured to be multiple roles at once along with staying young and pretty & all the rest. Why is it that we always see stories on "how a woman can keep her man". Why shouldn't the men put in just as much work. They should be staying fit & healthy too then. Maybe they ought to learn what turns a woman on & do some romantic things for them. It goes both ways!
What are your thoughts on this? I would love to know if I am being to crazed about this!
PS: I must say that I am a lucky one as my hubby is supportive & does not care about the "traditional" roles & what they do or do not mean in terms of who does what in & out of the house.
You said it well Jody. There has always been a double standard when it comes to media and women. I'm always amazed when I read how a new organization "retired" a woman reporter who was getting older, but will keep the balding, overweight, sedentary man!
As a mom to daughters and sons, I talk with them a lot about the media, the distortions of women, and try and teach them to be strong and secure in who they are.
And for my sons, I talk all the time about respecting women for who they are, not what they look like or have to offer. (I hope some of it sticks!)
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Diane, as I always write on your blog.. you are awesome. Great response & a great mom too!
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Hey, some of my best friends are "balding, overweight, sedentary man."
Seriously, There are plenty of good people, both men and women, out there, but they are not all over the media. They are just living good lives being kind to one another!
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Dr. J, I hear ya & I am married to one of the good guys! .. The prob, I think... the double standard in the media & all the young girls out there that it reaches & believe it is so.
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Hmm... I don't know if that app is a huge deal. I mean, it's not like it's telling you to forcefully rape the woman. If it gives the guys one or two pickup lines then so fucking what? If you hook up it's still consensual.
The thing is, I know just as many women who openly brag about THEIR sexual encounters as any other guy. Sometimes more. And a few of these women are close friends of mine and let me tell you... they got some TRICKS under their sleeves. A regular douche does not stand a chance!
Women's magazines are FILLED with tips on how to get guys and or out-trick them... as if you didn't know enough ways already. Just take a look at the latest issue of Glamour or Cosmo. But you don't see me complaining, because it's slightly amusing.
Though if I was Pepsi, what "I" would have done is release a simultaneous app for women to get guys and brag about a score etc. This would obviously level the playing field and would have saved their PR team form hellfire.
As for the whole strippers thing. Yeah I can understand why that might be offensive but, lol were talking about computer geek hackers. These are the losers who almost NEVER get laid. Yahoo is actually pretty smart to give them such an incentive... it's the closest they will ever get to a decent looking female.
And trust me... those strippers aren't in ANY kind of danger when around computer geeks. I mean they are gona strip anyways in a bar, where they are far worse off. At least around lil nerds they are relatively safe.
Am I just fucked up or is that logic actually sound? I think it's pretty straight forward.
So Jody, would YOU download a iphone app that gives you lil tricks to put the hubby under control? Don't lie. I know you would.
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FJ, I respectfully disagree with some of your comment. And yes, the women mags have all that crap. That is what I am talking about.. this pushed by the media in all realms ... pushing this crap & it gets to the young girls who believe it. The double standard is out there big time. I am calling out women & men in media positions that do this.
Yes, women do this stuff too but I am talking about what we see in the media 95%+ of the time & how it effects women & girls.
As for the iPhone app, I don't have an iPhone so... BUT, no I would not download that & I don't need it anyway!
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"As for the whole strippers thing. Yeah I can understand why that might be offensive but, lol were talking about computer geek hackers. These are the losers who almost NEVER get laid. Yahoo is actually pretty smart to give them such an incentive... it's the closest they will ever get to a decent looking female.
And trust me... those strippers aren't in ANY kind of danger when around computer geeks. I mean they are gona strip anyways in a bar, where they are far worse off. At least around lil nerds they are relatively safe."
Speak for yourself, and yourself only, jerk. Some women prefer brainy men to those, like you, who are brawny but stupid.
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after the great debate with the comments above I think I will take the fifth...great post makes great debates!!
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I don't buy any magazines as I don't want my daughter seeing and reading the rubbish and seeing 'fake/touched up' photos of women. They are a waste of money any way.
These companies are pushing the limits of what's acceptable and they know it. They know they will sell more that way.
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Sian...
Kellie, sounds like you are a great example for your kids!
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My favorite part of all this is how the companies never admit they're wrong until after they've done it. Clearly they know exactly what they are doing and are using it to get the double whammy of publicity from the "bad-but-secretly-we-love-it" stunt followed up by the "good-but-secretly-we-don't-mean-it" apology. ick.
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Charlotte, this is so true! Thx for pointing out!
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I'm a bit of a traditional girl - to be honest I am saddened by not the media as much as the actual women in this country. Daily you see women lowering themselves, discussing vile topics and using vulgar language. They dress crudly and take no pride in their femininity or purity. I truly believe that whichever came first the media or the social change is irrelevant - we are treated, as women, as we demand to be treated. I am all for equality - my hubby also blends roles and supports me 100% even when I worked and made more money than him. But judt because we are equal does not make us the same. What makes me sad is the way that women see themselves and when I look at my daughter I commit myslef to not only teaching her the possibilities of the future independant woman, but ALSO the stregths of the femanine mind. My boys learn from the way their father treats theirmother how to treat a women both as an equal and as a delicate creature with great inner strength....
sorry I don't know where that came from but, I too am shocked by the way that the media has changed the way we respect women today, it saddens me.
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Thx for visiting! I really appreciate your comment & thoughts on this. Very well said & true. You made some great points!
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