VIEWPOINT
Emily Pfaff
Waiting in line at my local grocery, I glanced at the magazine rack. Amongst the usual defecation de jour was an update on Britney Spears.
“Britney’s sad comeback,” read one, “fat cow” read another; the headlines featured snap shots of Britney performing her newest single, “Gimme More” in black lingerie, revealing a healthy body, although perhaps not thin by Hollywood standards.
I’ve never been one to defend Britney Spears, but the media backlash that has become magazine fodder for every self-loathing woman that rolls through the checkout line, made my eyes go red. I had the sudden impulse to go aisle by aisle, ripping every magazine off the racks only to catapult them into a fiery inferno of bad taste and outright libel.
The media doesn’t want to advertise depressing subjects like human rights violations in Darfur, or the innocent civilians recently gunned down by Blackwater militiamen in Iraq, because that doesn’t sell. Apparently, we’d much rather focus on whether or not Britney has a bad spray tan.
The defamation of women by the media is the equivalent of today’s modern witch-hunt. Britney as a young single mother is no longer an acceptable role model for America’s quasi-Nazi populi.
If you need proof, go to a Chargers game. The fake bags with nipples posing as breasts and artificial waistlines of these “professional” cheerleaders might give you some idea. Whoever thought football season was for the love of the game might be shocked to see how many times a mini skirt clad young lady’s gyrations, are featured on the big screen during a game.
Face it, they’re strippers with pom poms and the ticket office their g-string.
Shrug your shoulders and laugh it off if you want, the media’s exploitation of the human mind and body has a daily impact on what you think, and what you do.
Be honest with yourself; take an introspective look at how you view your own image and what motivates you. You’ll find we’re all at least just a little bit guilty of self-mutilation.
In this month’s Rollingstone, Milk ads featuring characters from the NBC hit show Heroes, advertise claims that kids that drink milk are often “leaner”. The implication being, “drink milk, or be fat!”
Allowing advertising executives to benefit from the insecurities they’ve created by purchasing “diet” pills, padded underwear, and pills meant to boost sexual stamina, we’re only giving the money grubbing powers that be permission to further humiliate us.
It’s time we make the conscience decision to take action for ourselves as human beings, demand that companies promote healthy ideals by refusing to buy products that endorse a system based on exploitation. Take a break from the TV for a week, go to the library and check out a book rather than buying the latest issue of Hollywood garbage.
Have confidence in yourself and take pride in the things that you do, you’ll be surprised to find the right attitude will get you a lot further in life than any pair of overpriced jeans.
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Emily Pfaff is City Times’ opinion page editor
