Selling Sex

When I first watched The Breakfast Club, I was struck by Ally Sheedy’s now-famous line on female sexuality.  When Claire (Molly Ringwald) is asked whether or not she has had sex yet, Allison (Ally Sheedy) interjects, “If you say you haven’t, you’re a prude, if you say you have, you’re a slut. It’s a trap. You want to, but you can’t, and when you do, you wish you hadn’t.” Sheedy’s answer perfectly illuminates the double standard placed upon women in the public eye. Female musicians reveal how these standards influence them, as they are encouraged to behave sexually to sell their art yet are shamed for that same behavior.

Many women in today’s media take pride in their sexuality and work to defy objectification. However, corporations profit off the sexual depictions of their bodies, so I wonder- is it possible to truly use one’s sexuality in an empowering way? Is it possible for female-presenting bodies to embrace their sexuality within a culture that has systematically degraded and dehumanized those bodies through hyper-sexualization and the male gaze?

I believe it is particularly relevant that many of the musicians leading the movement to embrace feminine sexuality are women of color, who have been doubly oppressed and exploited. Women such as Megan Thee Stallion and Lizzo have revolutionized the industry by breaking from the previously constructed image of sexuality (i.e. the likeness of Britney and Madonna: white, blond, and extremely skinny).

The defiance shown by women of color is inspiring, but female sexuality may still be trapped within a damned if you do, damned if you don’t paradox. Expressions of sexuality in pop stars seem to reflect the quote from The Breakfast Club, if they do it, their bodies are contributing to a billion-dollar industry, and if they don’t, they are labeled prudish, cookie-cutter or immature.

In an article titled “Women, Pop Music, and Pornography,” Meredith LeVande analyzes the way in which pornography has emerged in mainstream culture through pop music. She explains how smaller “adult video” networks have been bought up by large distribution companies and how these companies rolled back censorship rules because sex is now a part of their profits. She is not arguing that pornography and sex work are dirty or evil, but that through the normalization of pornographic imagery, we are supporting massive corporations.

LeVande claims that these companies are also responsible for pushing pornographic imagery in pop music and advertising. Her critique is quite severe, as she states, “Feminism has been hijacked and it’s hijackers use female pop stars to sell behaviors and attitudes about sexuality itself. The most popular myth is the equation of stripping, prostitution and pornographic imagery with power.” Reading this, my first reaction was to assume LeVande had gone too far, as I truly think there is power and liberation in women reclaiming their sexuality. However, I believe she also makes a fair point- that encouraging women to engage in these sexual acts ultimately only benefits the male viewer and the conglomerate that is selling the song. This is where female pop stars expressing sexuality become complicated- is their expression of sexuality empowering, or simply another marketing tool which exploits female bodies and conditions young women to cater themselves to male consumption? It may be liberating for individual women to celebrate their sexuality, but pop stars are not individuals; they are concepts constructed by stylists, marketing teams, and record labels, so even their sexuality becomes corporate.

I am afraid that female pop stars are trapped in a system that was made to exploit them, no matter what they do. I want to believe that female musicians have agency over how they present themselves, but I also know that they face extreme pressure from their labels, the press and even their fans to look and act a certain way. There is no easy solution since the pop culture industry is built upon the exploitation of certain identities, but hopefully, if enough of the public demands a change in the industry, even the largest companies will be affected. I hope that the general public will continue to support the artists that they love but also believe that they should be aware when a female artist seems empowered, which company is reaping the benefits, 

We base our understanding of what is or isn’t “sexy” based on advertisements, music videos, television, and more. As we are constantly consuming media, it is important to remain aware and critical of what beliefs we may be internalizing. Pop culture decides what kinds of sexual expressions are acceptable based on what is marketable, which is why representation is so important for marginalized identities. Thankfully, today, more artists are emerging as openly queer and receiving support from their fans and labels to break from the norm. 

August 25th, 2013. That was the date of the 2013 VMAs, and even if you, like I, did not watch the show, there was a performance that everyone saw: Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke performing his song “Blurred Lines.” This performance marked a turning point in Miley’s career, and it created a huge scandal. In terms of performative sexuality, Miley Cyrus’ development from Disney Channel sweetheart to twerking on Robin Thicke in a nude outfit takes the crown. 

She released her album Bangerz soon after that performance, featuring songs such as “We Can’t Stop” and “Wrecking Ball.” The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 270,000 copies, so Miley’s controversial performance obviously worked in her favor. In 2017, Cyrus made another major change to her image when she released the album Younger Now. Billboard described the country-pop album as an “honest” project in which Cyrus was “leaning into her roots.” Cyrus toned her sexuality way down, portraying herself once more like a simple country girl. This album was, interestingly, the least successful moment in her entire career. It seems that the media could not easily forget the controversy Cyrus caused in 2013, and the public wasn’t keen on her trying to undo the changes she had made to her image. As Ally Sheedy explained the damned if you do, damned if you don’t treatment of women performing sexuality, Miley seems to be the perfect example that one cannot try to be both provocative and conservative- you can’t have the best of both worlds.

Modern pop culture is ruled by the straight male gaze, limiting the kinds of bodies and sexualities which are allowed to exist in media. The male gaze is, essentially, a male, heterosexual perspective that views women as sexual objects intended for male pleasure. This concept is interesting because the male gaze can apply to male protagonists, male directors and the intended male audience; because for centuries, film was made by straight white men, for straight white men and starring straight white men. 

Gradually, there have been steps taken to create a more diverse space in pop culture, but there is still a long way to go. We are living in a time of great political unrest, but also a time of great change. It is my hope that this change continues to be for the better, and that all identities are able to celebrate their sexuality without fear of exploitation and degradation.