Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Because whore means exactly what we all think it means.

Indie band The Like recently gave an interview in which they disparaged Lady Gaga for dressing like a "whore," and insisted that they were much better than that. Which, first of all:
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"The Like" lead singer Z Berg
I don't think I've ever seen Lady Gaga's nipples. If I had, however, I'm pretty damn sure that Lady Gaga would have WANTED me to see her nipples.

But more importantly than their sour grapes and hypocrisy, it bears repeating that it is never okay to shame other artists or other women for not expressing their sexuality in a way--within morality--that falls in line with our own choices and how we present ourselves.

I could get snippy here about how The Like look and act like they stepped straight out of a softcore American Apparel ad, all doe eyes and long hair and coy smiles and really short skirts; but that is how they choose to dress and IT IS VALID. It is a valid aesthetic to shoot for, and it will help sell their albums just as Lady Gaga's brash, alien-queen outfits help sell HER albums. And there is nothing wrong with that, nothing wrong with using one's sexuality to sell a product...so long as one acknowledges it then doesn't turn around and criticize someone else for doing the exact same thing, just in a different way.

Seriously, ladies, stop tearing each other down. I don't listen to either of your albums, but there are precious few female success stories in the industry.
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousSeptember 28, 2010 at 9:14 PM

    *sigh* there seems to be a whole brand of "feminism" that's all about telling women how feminists are to look and dress >:(

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  2. AnonymousSeptember 29, 2010 at 11:09 AM

    ugh, i want to defend them but mostly i'm hoping that they somehow prove that they've changed from this perspective soon. ;_;

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  3. Gadzooks! She exists!October 4, 2010 at 12:11 AM

    To spinfrog: They're nowhere near the "Grizzly Moms" in reprehensibility on that point, of course. But yes, everyone is very obsessed with *their* idea of feminism, and monstrously missing the point.

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  4. Gadzooks! She exists!October 4, 2010 at 12:12 AM

    To l-elfie: Well, they're young. Hopefully they'll get a little wiser with years.

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  5. AnonymousNovember 1, 2010 at 6:03 AM

    Totally agreed with what you said on this, but also, apart from the whore-calling, I have to say the most worrying part of the interview, for me, was how many times she brought up "femininity" and dressing like a "girl." Does dressing in a masculine way make you a whore? It seems like the way Lady Gaga plays with genderqueer and her sexuality is actually what bothers Z the most, which is pretty upsetting.

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