One of our first readings in this class was "The Bad Bitch Barbie Craze and Beyoncé", an article in which the authors praise Beyoncé's commodification of her own body as empowering and inspiring, while claiming that Nicki Minaj's commodification of her body is debasing to women because her lyrics often objectify the female body (Voulle and Lewis Ellison 68). When we discussed it in class, I was of the point of view that both of these women commodified their bodies as a way of survival because men are going to sexualize and objectify women whether they are revealing and promiscuous or not. Now, I have had more time to think and have been exposed to more ways that women use their bodies and the male gaze to their personal advantage and my views have changed a bit.
One of the most obvious ways a woman can utilize her body as a commodity is through pornography or, to be relevant, OnlyFans. OnlyFans is a website where people can post explicit or non-explicit content which is only accessible through monthly, pay-per-view, or one time payments. Many people see this as a better alternative to websites like PornHub, which have very few regulations and often host videos of rape, underage girls, and a host of other inhumane videos. By using OnlyFans, women can create their own content and are able to directly earn money through it, rather than only earning a cut so that production companies may also profit from the content. The platform became increasingly popular once the COVID-19 pandemic hit and people started looking for ways to make money after losing their jobs (Bindel). Since it has grown so popular, many people who were not previously engaged in sex work have now been introduced to it one of its more tame forms. Now, droves of vulnerable young women are beginning sex work because they are being shown that it is a version of sex work which supposedly empowers women.
The notion that the decision to become a sex worker is inherently feminist is a perfect example of choice feminism. This is "the idea that any action or decision that a woman takes inherently becomes a feminist act. Essentially, the decision becomes a feminist one because a woman chose it for herself." (Bhat). This implies that a woman is able to make these decisions completely independently of the male gaze, which is simply untrue (Bhat). Our society has misogynistic values ingrained in it, and so they become ingrained in us as we live. Even if we make the choice to use our bodies as commodities and perform for the male gaze, it is still a choice that is influenced by what men want women to be and perpetuates that image.
Another online trend which follows in the footsteps of OnlyFans is bimbofication. This trend is especially present on tiktok and it is a movement of women who chose to dress in revealing clothes, have blond hair, and act "ditzy." These women embrace an identity which has been insulted by men while also being a common object of their sexual fantasies, claiming that they are taking on these features of their own accord and thereby empowering hyperfeminine women. Of TikTik user Kate Muir, a.k.a. @bimbokate, Dickson writes, "Part of the goal of such content, she says, is to present a stereotypically feminine message accompanied by a caption that undercuts the visual message, thus creating a jarring cognitive dissonance and discomfort for the (straight, male) viewer." This is demonstrated in the fact that TikTok 'bimbos' are often "pro-sex work, pro-LGBTQ, pro-BLM, and anti-straight white male..." (Dickson). The dissonance she speaks of is the contrast of acting vacuously while also being educated in and having strong opinions on social politics.
The tiktok below by @fem1na_ is an illustration of some of the criticisms of the bimbofication manifestation of choice feminism. The bimbofication trend may make individual women feel empowered and strong, but it does not contribute to the breaking down of the patriarchy or the empowerment of women as a whole. For one thing, the bimbo stereotype is something that women of color will never be able to attain by definition, so framing it as a feminist ideal is exclusionary in that way. Essentially, it is a way for white women to feel powerful within the patriarchy.
Mina, the above creator, is a radical feminist and the views she has expressed are representative of that. According to Johnson Lewis' article, radical feminism is different from other forms of feminism because it does not believe that actions taken within the current system will be truly effective in implementing change, instead calling for social revolution. The fact that it seeks to pull the problem of systemic oppression of women out at its roots (the patriarchy) is what makes it radical. Up until recently, I was somewhere between liberal mainstream feminism and radical feminism, but I think I've really made the switch. Its hard to realize how messed up things truly are and that it can only be fixed through widespread revolution of current political, social, and legal institutions and its hard to communicate these things at times, but I value the truth more than I value the bliss of ignorance. All women deserve to be free and independent and live without constant fear and current systems will never allow this, even if women make bold choices for themselves.
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Kaley McKean. Thought Co.
Works Cited
Bhat, Rema. “It’s Time to Move Past Choice Feminism.” 34th Street,
https://www.34st.com/article/2021/01/feminism-choice-liberal-patriarchy-misogyny-bimbo-capitalism.
Bindel, Julie. “There’s Nothing ‘Empowering’ about the Sex Work on OnlyFans.” Spectator,
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/there-s-nothing-empowering-about-the-sex-work-on-onlyfans.
@chrissychlapecka. TikTok, 10 Nov. 2020,
https://www.tiktok.com/@chrissychlapecka/video/6893625815645293829?lang=en&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6941146774968043013.
Dickson, EJ. “The Bimbo is Back. Like, for Real!” Rolling Stone
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/bimbo-reclaim-tiktok-gen-z-1092253/ @fem1na_. TikTok, 1 Feb. 2021,
https://www.tiktok.com/@fem1na_/video/6924329749837860102?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6941146774968043013&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0.
Johnson Lewis, Jone. “What is Radical Feminism?” Thought Co.,
https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-radical-feminism-3528997.
LaVoulle, Crystal and Lewis Ellison, Tisha. “The Bad Bitch Barbie Craze and Beyoncé.” Taboo, vol. 16, no. 2, 2017, pp. 65-84.
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