Gender Fail: Pink's new video, PETA, and misogyny.

[prozacpark]

So I have been seeing Pink's new video linked around the friendslist, but I have been kind of reluctant to post my thoughts on it because I tend to wait things out before posting thoughts so it doesn't seem like it's directed at anyone. Because even if it seems like it is, chances are that it's only just set off an issue I have had forever and just

Comments

[lilacsigil]

Not a PETA fan for these very reasons, but I've also been dubious about Pink the Feminist since her "Stupid Girls" video, which ran down other women's choices and showed it to be wonderful when a little girl chose a football instead of a doll and other toys. One of the other toys (this stuck with me very strongly) was an toy electronic piano keyboard.

"Boy stuff is great, girl stuff is dumb, let's all do boy stuff" is a very adolescent version of feminism and actively harmful to both men and women (and anyone who chooses neither, or both).

[trempnvt]

Yeah, also the song "Most Girls", which was, I think, her second or third single?

Like Avril Lavigne's music, these songs represent ideas I had when I was, like, twelve...and these are grown women!

[lilacsigil]

I haven't heard "Most Girls" but it wouldn't surprise me. And I agree, that kind of half-feminist, half-misogynist attitude is not strange at all for a teenager forming their own identity in the face of overwhelming misogyny and disdain for people who don't precisely fit their assigned roles (or try to fit and fail). It's not much good for an adult singing to those teens.

[evewithanapple]

Like Avril Lavigne's music, these songs represent ideas I had when I was, like, twelve...and these are grown women!

This, exactly. I liked Pink's music when I was in middle school, because songs like "Don't Let Me Get Me" and "Stupid Girls" spoke to me on the level I was operating then- I hate my life, nobody likes me, those stupid popular girls get everything they want and it's not fair! Except I grew out of that, graduated, got a more balanced perspective on life. I don't know if Pink and Avril Lavigne actually believe this stuff or they're just peddling it because they know it will sell, but the damage is being done either way.

[glitterberrys]

I haaaaate that crap but sadly it's barely limited to Pink. It's becoming a pretty common attitude that it's bad or weak or sexist for little girls to like pink and princesses. Ugh, just let your kid figure out who they are. I hate all this pushing for boys to play dolls and for girls to play football. If they want to? Cool, definitely encourage it. But if your son wants to play football and your daughter wants to play with dolls? Also cool and should also be encouraged. Children aren't fucking science projects that you program to meet your agenda. They're PEOPLE.

Ugh, sorry, it just pisses me off so much.

[lilacsigil]

It's a really weird kind of faux-feminism where you indict women who behave in ways encouraged by patriarchy rather than indicting patriarchy itself.

[glitterberrys]

Well my point was more, there shouldn't be guilt or shame placed on ANYONE for being who they are. There is a lot of assumption that the princess - n- pink little girls are created that way because that's how society says they should be. And it's starting to swing around to boys being labeled cruel because they like to roughhouse and run around making gun noises. Basically, now if your daughter isn't masculine, so to speak, or your son isn't feminine, you're supposed to shame them into behaving differently

[prozacpark]

THIS. <3