SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN'S CENTER at MCLA NEWSLETTER ...

(S)exploitation of Women in the Media
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER at MCLA
NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 3 November 2010 Online @ mcla.edu/Student_Life/community/womenscenter
Women as Sexual Objects
in Music Videos
Page 3
The Lolita Effect: Creating Prostitots
and Kinderwhores One Little
Girl at a Time
Page 4
Sex Workers
Speak Out
Page 5
Event - Stereotalk III:
(S)exploitation
of Women in Music
Page 9
Event - Movie
Night:
Kamikaze Girls
Page 10
Illustration by RJ Doughty, MCLA „10
Inspiring Woman:
Ilene Chaiken
Page 2
Illustration by
RJ Doughty
MCLA „10

2
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER
(S)exploitation of Women in the Media
Inspiring Woman: Ilene Chaiken
by Hallie Jackson
If I say the phrase “the portrayal of lesbians in
the media,” what comes to mind? If you‟re like most people,
you probably have an image of a woman dressed in
man‟s clothing with her hair cut short. Perhaps you think
of Ellen Degeneres or Kim Stolz, pre-MTV. While it is true
that some lesbians do fall into these stereotypical perceptions,
it is also true that a large number of lesbian
women do not. When the television show The L Word hit
the airwaves in 2004, it forever changed the portrayal of
lesbian women in the media.
It all started with a producer named Ilene
Chaiken. Chaiken grew up in Philadelphia and began
working in the television industry in the 1980s when she
moved to London to be the assistant producer of the
movie Rough Cut. Shortly after producing that film,
Chaiken returned to the states to live in New York (for
less than a year) before deciding to move to LA. Upon
her arrival in Los Angeles, Chaiken landed the job as the
co-ordinating producer of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
She also worked in the movie industry, writing the
screenplay for the film Barb Wire and the TV movies
Dirty Pictures and Damaged Care. Before the L Word,
Chaiken was a successful woman living in California with
her long time partner, Miggi Hood and their two daughters,
but she was hardly the household name that she is
now.
The L Word follows a group of lesbian and transgender
friends living and loving in Los Angeles. On the
show, as well as in her own life, Chaiken places the sexuality
of the characters on the back burner and concentrates
more on the fact that the characters are human and
go through life in much the same way as everyone else.
Of course, there are plenty of sex scenes; would you expect
an intelligent Hollywood producer to leave sex out
of a show about lesbians? Of course not! Chaiken‟s main
reason for developing the show at all was that she
thought the community she lived in was full of interesting
stories that deserved to be told. Gay people are a part of
society and deserve to be represented. However, for
Chaiken the L Word was not a platform to bring lesbian
sexuality to the forefront of society. It was a good idea
for an entertaining show, so she pitched the idea to
Showtime. The first time, they weren‟t interested. The
executives were not convinced that they could sell the
show to enough people. Chaiken‟s idea was not a bad
one, but the timing was off. When Queer As Folk began
to air, Chaiken had a feeling that there was now a place
in televising for the lesbian community, as well as the
gay male community‟s stories to be told. She pitched the
idea again, and this time Showtime took the bait and millions
of viewers in the United States and Canada began
tuning in every week to have their views of lesbians
changed forever.
Reactions to the show were mixed. Many lesbian
viewers were critical of the show, saying that it was unre-
alistic or misrepresentational. This did not stop them
from watching the show, however. The L Word became
a sort of communal event. Lesbians from all over North
America banded together and immersed themselves in
the fictional community that Chaiken created. For the
first time, lesbians felt that they had a solid place in the
television community as well as in the real world, with
the show as a binding forced that held it all together.
It was important to Chaiken that the L Word not
become her personal soapbox. She was making enough
of a political statement simply by creating the show in
the first place and her pro-gay sentiment is beautifully
obvious without weaving every gay issue into every episode.
However, there are issues that were subtly
worked into the plotlines, giving gay issues a face, a
heart, and a soul. For example, Chaiken introduced a
character named Tasha who was an Army captain.
Clearly, but not overwhelmingly, Chaiken is making a
statement on the allowance of gays in the military. The
viewer doesn‟t focus on Tasha‟s career, but on the love
she has for her friends and family. Chaiken has a way of
putting an actual face with a stereotype that shatters any
and all misguided perceptions the viewer may have had
before watching the show. Sadly, Chaiken does not
think that the television community is any more open to
lesbians than it was before the show aired. She believes
that society in general has progressed and wonders why
the entertainment industry continues to lag behind.
At the very least, the show is more honest and
dynamic in its depiction of the lives of gay women than
any media representation has been in the past. With
Chaiken‟s creation came a broadening understanding of
lesbians, even if this understanding is still not completely
realistic. Honestly, if it were completely realistic,
it would probably become boring and not have been as
much of a success as it was and continues to be.
Chaiken took a huge risk in her career. She did what no
producer in television was able to do before her, to literally
create a community based on a fictional television
show. The L Word is a show that is entertaining and
evocative enough for gays to tune into, even if it is not
always realistic and dynamic enough to change the
stereotypical portrayal of lesbian women in the media.
Chaiken inspires women everywhere to dare to push
beyond stereotypes and see people for who they truly
are, gay or straight.
Sources:
“Anniversary Events: Ilene Chaiken.” Vday.org. 7 Nov. 2010
http://www.vday.org/anniversary-events/
Clehane, Diane. “So What Do You Do, Ilene Chaiken, Cre
ater/Exec. Producer of the L.
“Groundbreaking Drama „The L Word‟ Ends its Run.” Week
end All Things Considered NPR. 8 Mar 2009.
“Ilene Chaiken.” Toronto Star. 19 Jun 2008.
Kort, Michele. “The L Word 5.0.” 29 Jan 2008. 15 Nov 2010.
“The Top 13 Power Lesbians in Entertainment 2007.”
Afterellen.com. 6 Nov. 2010
“What Does Ilene Chaiken Have to Say for Herself.”
Afterellen.com.

Women as Sexual Objects in Music Videos
by Skyla Seamans
When music videos became prominent sources
of entertainment in the 1980s, primarily due to MTV,
they focused heavily on the singing and dancing talents
of the artists. Today, the spotlight is on the sexuality of
these women, instead of their talents, catering to men‟s
desires. Women are seen as desperate, dependent, and
sexually aggressive objects who won‟t take “no” for an
answer. They are shown as part of the background or
draped around the male singer. No matter where they
are positioned, they all have two characteristics in common;
the lack of clothing on their bodies and the fact
that they always outnumber the men in the video. This is
found in all sorts of music genres, and is considered
normal in today‟s music scene.
If the music in the video is bad or the lyrics are
offensive and crude, more women will be placed in the
background in order to distract from the actual performance.
When women aren‟t bathing, drinking, partying,
or undressing, they are helping the men by washing
their cars or motorcycles or mud wrestling with other
women. They are also shown eating strawberries, popsicles,
ice cream and other “sexy” foods in a provocative
manner. The viewer is meant to imagine the food as
a substitute for the man. Then, when men are completely
absent from the video, the women fall apart.
They cannot cope with being alone; they need a man to
survive. Once the world seems like it will end, the man
swoops back into the video and makes everything right
again.
Gender roles are strictly enforced in the “dream
world” of music videos. Men are dominant, powerful,
and forceful, and videos with male artists often show
violence as well as a lot of cars. Women, in these videos,
are passive things who only want to please men. They
are shown in cages, tied up, being spanked, pushed
Artist: T.I. Song: Let‟s Get Away
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER
(S)exploitation of Women in the Media
aside, spread out, and touching themselves. Some
videos even have men throwing meat at the bodies of
women, showering them with money, and splashing
water or gasoline in their faces and on their bodies.
Women are even stalked and hit. This not only glamorizes
violence, but it also degrades and dehumanizes
women. Their complexity does not go beyond their
body parts. They have no uniqueness; they are merely
objects, not subjects, and are seen as disconnected
body parts on display.
The “dream world” of music videos is especially
hostile to African-American women who are
usually portrayed as wild, exotic, and animal like. The
stereotype of the Jezebel, the overly sexualized black
woman, is more powerful than ever before. The
stereotype of African-American men as savage and
violent is also extremely prevalent. People who are
not familiar with African-American culture may start to
believe that this is what all black men and women are
really like. They start to fear black men, and see black
women as promiscuous and out of control. A new
wave of racism is subtly, but clearly present in music
videos.
In rock, country, pop, rap, and hip-hop videos,
the fantasy is always the same. Women are sexualized
as cheerleaders, hotel maids, repressed librarians,
school girls, and cops. Basically any occupation a
woman can work in is sexualized. Videos often take
place in strip clubs, complete with a “backdrop” of
strippers. Women are dressed in lingerie, bikinis,
skimpy tops, and short shorts. The angle of the camera
is frequently shot between a woman‟s legs or
down a woman‟s shirt. One part of the body (or perhaps
two) usually becomes the focal point, but sometimes
the camera sweeps across the woman‟s body as
a whole. Bisexuality used to be subtle, but now it is
clearly depicted as a way for women to entertain and
please men simultaneously. Women are seen kissing
each other in front of men, not for their own pleasure,
but to please the opposite sex. Gay men, however,
are completely absent from the picture.
This does not just happen to the women in the
background but also to female singers. In order to
keep up with the culture and fit in, artists like
Madonna, Jewel, Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson,
and Maria Carey have changed the way the media
sees them. Instead of focusing on the artist‟s musical
ability, music videos emphasize the woman‟s body
only. Jewel was once a serious and genuine woman
but she, like many other female artists, has succumbed
to today‟s society. Her song, “Intuition,” was
the induction into this fantasy world. Other singers
like Mariah Carey and Jessica Simpson have changed
their demeanors. The price for females to enter this
world is to give up their identity. So they did.
Continued on page 6
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4
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER
(S)exploitation of Women in the Media
The Lolita Effect: Creating Prostitots and Kinderwhores One Little Girl at a Time
Have you walked down the aisles of a toy store
lately? If not, you may be surprised at what you find.
Gone are the days when Care Bears were cute, chubby
teddy bears, Lisa Frank was kitties and ponies, and
Holly Hobby was just a rag doll. Now there is an onslaught
of sexification transforming the toys that are
marketed to young girls. With shows like Toddlers and
Tiaras, and clothing stores offering thongs and padded
bras for seven year olds, it should come as no surprise
that the toys young girls play with are jumping on the
sexification band wagon.
In 1955, Vladimir Nabokov wrote his bestselling
book “Lolita,” in which twelve year old Dolores
Haze, protagonist and the original Lolita, was abused
and manipulated by her step-father Humbert Humbert.
But because the story is narrated by Humbert and we
get only his side of the story, that is not how many see
her. Nabokov presents Lolita as a young girl who seduces
Humbert, albeit unknowingly. The pubescent
curiosity about sex is used as a justification for Humbert
to enact his adult fantasies on her. Humbert‟s longwinded
monologues hide
the fact that she is the sexually
abused and tragic figure
of the novel.
Since the publication
of the book, “Lolitas”
have been appearing all
around us. Lolita has come
to mean a prematurely,
even inappropriately, sexual
little girl. Because, by
legal definition she is not an
adult, she is barred from
sexual activity, and this
makes the modern day Lolita
a wicked, wrong and
dirty creature; she repulses
and fascinates society all at
the same time. The modern
day Lolita is also defined as
deliberately seducing
adults, turning the thoughts of
adults to sex.
The media have created a new phenomenon
through sexualizing young girls. This phenomenon is
the creation of the “prostitot” or “kinderwhore.” These
are terms used to describe hyper-sexualized young
girls, who act inappropriately or wear inappropriately
sexy clothing and are much like the Lolita. In television
shows like Hannah Montana, there is a large emphasis
on how you look and the importance of being famous.
Reality TV shows like Jersey Shore may not be about
young girls, but girls are exposed to a word where eve-
By Brianna Vear
The Dora Makeover courtesy of Heathly-
GirlsHardyWomen.org
ryone is hooking up, and this causes little girls to have
role models of teens and young women who value looks
and sex above all else. The social construction of these
young girls as being prostitots and kinderwhores has
become to be known as the Lolita Effect.
Girl‟s sexuality in the media is defined as a
spectacle and is driven by the five myths of the Lolita
Effect. 1) If you‟ve got it, flaunt it but 2) don‟t dare flaunt
it unless you have the body of a sex goddess. 3) The
younger you are the better. 4) Make sure you‟re flaunting
it the way boys like it, and 5) if you spice it up with a
violence so much the better. Spectacles are created in
the media to entertain, but the real goal is to create
products that will bring in tidy profits. These sexualized
products show up in our children‟s cartoons and toys,
the shows they watch, and clothes found in the girls section
of department stores.
Parents were in an uproar when Nickelodeon
decided that Dora the Explorer needed a make over.
Nickelodeon wanted Dora to become a preteen, who
would be taller, skinnier, and more flirty. It is not a surprising
marketing move on
Nickelodeon‟s part because
it would expand the age
range of the intended audience,
and with a larger age
range buying products, the
company would make more
money. Parents, however,
were angry and fearful that
their children were being
forced to grow up too fast
just so that Nickelodeon
could expand their market.
Hardy Girls Healthy
Women (HGHW), a nonprofit
organization dedicated
to the health of
women and girls, has created
an online petition to
ban Dora from being sexu-
alized called “Let‟s Go: No
Makeover for Dora.” HGHW proposes
that if the original Dora were
to grow up, she would not be the little fashionista that
Mattel and Nickelodeon suggest, but instead would improve
her map reading skills, go to college, and travel
the world on more great adventures. Dora has been
changing over time, going from saving animals and
friends, to saving mermaid princesses and unicorns.
Her male cousin, Diego, has taken over the animal saving
piece of the show. Now Nickelodeon is pushing
Dora even farther from where she started by turning
her into a fashionista.
Continued on page 7

Sex Workers Speak Out
By Alex Nichapor
Rarely have I seen a non-stereotyped portrayal
of a sex worker in the media. She may be an object of
desire, clad in red and fishnets – though if she‟s middleaged
or a person of size, the portrayal is usually intended
as comical or “gross.” She might be a sweeteyed
Prostitute With A Heart Of Gold, prompting her
rich benefactor to ask, “What‟s a girl like you doing in a
profession like this?” She might be depicted as sex incarnate,
or the embodiment of sin and disease. Black
and Latina sex workers are often the most cruelly stereotyped,
portrayed as predatory sexual beings. Sex workers
are often objects of violence, as in Grand Theft Auto,
which allows players to rape and murder prostitutes.
This last image is the most disturbing, because
real-life sex workers face astronomical levels of rape,
assault, robbery, and murder, and their cases are often
dismissed or simply not investigated. In 1997, serial killer
Robert Pickton handcuffed and repeatedly stabbed a
sex worker. She managed to escape and make it to a
hospital, where she spent four days in a coma. The sex
worker (her name is not available for confidentiality reasons)
attempted to bring charges against him for attempted
murder and forcible confinement, but the court
dismissed her case. Pickton went on to murder six other
women. When he was brought to trial again in 2003, the
sex worker provided very powerful testimony against
him, but the jury was not allowed to hear it because the
judge ruled that it wasn‟t relevant to Pickton‟s current
murder charges (1). Pickton eventually received life in
prison, but most of those who commit crimes against sex
workers are never brought to justice. Indeed, it is difficult
to even find statistics about the violence that sex
workers face. I can think of no other parallel where we
will so blatantly disregard a person‟s humanity because
of their job.
The times are changing: sex workers – a term
that includes prostitutes, exotic dancers, and porn actresses
– are creating multi-national organizations. They
seek to gain basic medical and legal rights, and to correct
the harmful misrepresentations of sex workers in
the media today – by using the media! Sex work may be
the world‟s oldest profession, but now sex workers are
beginning to raise their voices and be heard all over the
globe.
In 1970s France, the refusal of the police to investigate
the murders of several prostitutes lead to protests
by sex workers. Because the police in Lyon had
been especially reticent about prosecuting the murderers
or offering any sort of protection for these women,
sex workers in that city decided to take over and occupy
a church. This dramatic act garnered the interest of
newspapers, magazines, and news stations, and the sex
workers quickly learned to use this to their advantage.
For the first time, sex workers were able to educate the
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER
(S)exploitation of Women in the Media
Women featured in “Prostitutes of
God,” image courtesy of VBS.tv
public about their work, and to lay out a case for their
rights – moreover, they enjoyed vast public support!
This protest eventually led to the creation of the organization
the French Collective of Prostitutes, and
more rights for sex workers in France (4).
In 2010, at the World AIDS Conference in Vienna,
sex workers from all over the world once again
came together to protest the discriminatory and dangerous
policies of President‟s Emergency Plan For
AIDs Relief (PEPFAR), the American policy on international
HIV/AIDS. PEPFAR explicitly forbids the distribution
of birth control, medical treatment, or condoms,
or even sex education to any organization that does not
stridently oppose prostitution. Obviously, this leaves
out many grassroots organizations that are operated
by and for prostitutes – meaning that many sex workers
cannot get the lifesaving materials that they need
most! In protest, a group of sex workers interrupted a
speech by United States Global AIDS Coordinator, Dr.
Eric Goosby, carrying red umbrellas and placards.
They chased Goosby out of the room, and then held
their own press conference, explaining how the current
policy harmed sex workers in the Global South,
and actually led to an increase in HIV/AIDS infection.
This group of female, male, and transgender sex workers
has vowed to follow Goosby to every one of his
speaking engagement until he changes PEPFAR‟s policy
on sex work (2).
These sex workers are affiliated with the
Global Network of Sex Worker Projects, an international
organization that helps garner media attention to
the struggles of sex workers, utilizing technologies
such as blogs, press releases, and declarations of
rights.
The rise of the internet has enabled sex workers
from different countries to contact each other and
to further their fight for their rights. Indeed, it was
through this form of media – the internet – that sex
Continued on page 8
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6
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER
(S)exploitation of Women in the Media
Women as Sexual Objects in
Music Videos, continued
The 2004 Super Bowl performance with Janet
Jackson and Justin Timberlake shows how the demands
of our culture on these female artists overcomes their
need to stay true to themselves. When Timberlake‟s
song lyrics to “Rock Your Body,” ended with the words
“I bet I‟ll have you naked by the end of this song,” he
exposed Jackson‟s breast by tearing her clothing off.
This incident occurred live in front of thousands of people,
and enforces even more strongly the idea that
women are easily manipulated. They don‟t know how to
stay true to themselves when they are told what to do,
wear, say, and even sing.
Although there are a number of women artists
and producers, women music video directors are hard
to come by. There are about 450 music video directors
represented by major U.S. and Canadian production
companies, but less than nine percent are women (2).
Some of the most famous women directors include
Trudy Bellinger, Kinga Burza, Elisha Smith-Leverock,
Tabitha Denholm, Sarah Chatfield, and Dawn Shadforth.
These women are able to break through the gender
expectation that men are the directors and women are
the directed. Although rap and hip-hop have the most
obvious connection with sexism and the degradation of
women, women rappers have been able to find a place
in the music industry. Some of them include Lauryn Hill,
MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Jean Grae, and Mecca the Ladybug.
Although many people are able to enjoy songs
even with sexist lyrics by just ignoring the words, these
women are able to intertwine strong, powerful lyrics
with an upbeat rhythm.
The problem with music videos today is that
sexuality alone is used to represent all women. Everyone
can agree that sex sells in our society, but where
does sex end and something more begin? Qualities like
a woman‟s intelligence, emotions, thoughts, and sense
of humor are all ignored. When these videos are
viewed again and again, people begin to see this fantasy
world as a reality. They learn by watching. The difference
between these videos and real life is that
women don‟t actually enjoy when they are treated and
represented like objects. In these videos, they are
props. In reality, they are people.
According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National
Network (RAINN), more than one million women
are stalked by an intimate partner each year. One in
five college females will be a victim of rape or attempted
rape and one in six women will be victims of
sexual assault in their lifetimes. Ninety percent of rape
victims on college campuses know their assailants. One
woman is sexually assaulted every two and a half minutes
in America. These statistics show how women are
being robbed of their humanity. Although no one can
put all of the blame on the music industry, what we
watch and what we hear influences what we do.
In order to stop people from adopting the ways
portrayed in music videos, people need to learn how it
affects our culture and the people in it. We need to ask
whose story is being told in these videos. Who controls
the media? Who is behind the camera? The answer is
powerful white men. They have linked women‟s femininity
directly with sexuality and nothing else. The object
of these videos, like advertisements, is to sell an
idea of normalcy created by the men in power. They
have shaped an environment where attacks against
women are not taken seriously. The media is the justification
for this violence and objectification of women.
The line between fantasy and reality is blurred and, in
order to fix this, we need to realize there is more to the
world than sex and violence. If we can see through the
fallacies presented in music videos, we can stop ourselves
from being part of this dangerous fantasy world.
Sources:
(1) Berg, Charles M., “Sex, Violence and Rock 'n' Roll: The
Manipulation of Women in Music-Videos,” 1984,
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/
(2) Hay, Carla, “Female Video Directors Remain Rare in Industry,”
Allbusiness.com November 2000, http://
www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/
(3) Jhally, Sut, Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex & Power in Music
Video, Media Education Foundation, 2007.
(4) "Organizers Focus Awareness on Women in Music Videos."
National NOW Times 39.2 (2007): 11. Academic
Search Premier.
(5) Peters, Michael. “Women, Sex and Music: The Sexualization
of Female Singers in the Music Industry,”Suite101:
Insightful Writers, Informed Readers,
http://www.suite101.com/content/women-in-musica52295
(6) Vincent, Richard C., Dennis K. Davis, and Lilly Ann Boruszkowski.
"Sexism on MTV· The Portrayal Of Women in
Rock Videos." Journalism Quarterly 64.4 (1987): 750-
941. Communication & Mass Media Complete.
(7) Wilson, Janelle, “Women in Country Music Videos,”
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-
68361208/women-country-music-videos.html
(8) "Women in music videos: Conflicting, contradictory messages
and models." Media Report to Women 24.3
Artist:
Potap
Song:
Bez
Lyubvi

The Lolita Effect, continued
It is not just Dora that is getting a makeover,
either. Holly Hobby, Strawberry Shortcake and Trollz
have been given the Bratz look-a-like makeover. This
makeover transforms the formally “cute” into the new
“sexy.” This image changes chubby, child-like characters
into supermodels; long hair, big hips and come
hither expressions. My Little Ponies, Care Bears, and
My Littlest Pet Shop are getting the makeover as well.
My Little Ponies now have large butts, more make-up
and slimmer backs, Care bears have gotten skinny
(who wants a skinny teddy bear anyway?), and My Littlest
Pet Shop animals have large, disproportionate
heads and wear make-up. But with the creation of the
Peek-a-boo Pole Dancing Kit for young children, complete
with garter, instructional DVD and fake money
with taglines like "Unleash the sex kitten inside...simply
extend the Peek-a-boo pole inside the tube, slip on the
sexy tunes and away you go!” the sexualized makeover
of classic 90s toys has gone too far!
Toys are not the only way that children are being
sexualized in today‟s media. TLC‟s hit TV show
“Toddlers and Tiaras” looks at beauty pageants, pageant
moms, and the living dolls that are the stars of the
show. Both “natural” pageants (without makeup, fake
hair and teeth), and glitz pageants (including fake hair,
excessive make up and flippers) are shown on the
show. It is not uncommon for judges, as well as moms,
to say that the little girls are really quite ugly without
the make up and glitz, and that the make up brings out
the true beauty of the girl. Young girls are focusing on
the importance of makeup, spray tans, and perfect
body ideals, parading around on stage for the enjoyment
of others. Facebook has been atwitter with groups
trying to ban the show, the largest boasting 5,380 members
compared to the 495 who like the show. There are
also several pages that you can “like” which argue that
Toddlers and Tiaras should be taken off the air because
it supports pedophilia.
Walking into the young girls section of clothing
in Wal-Mart, Target, or Kmart (stores that put pride in
saying they are family stores), you are sure to find
thong underwear and push up bras for seven year olds.
Wal-Mart in particular offers a line of underwear for
girls ages 5 to 12 that have sayings on them ranging
from “Wink, Wink” on the butt to “Who needs credit
cards?” on the crotch. Stores like Abercrombie and
Fitch, Old Navy, and American Eagle offer a wide
range of T-Shirts with sayings like “Porn Star” on them
marketed for girls under 13.
According to the American Psychological Association
in their 2010 report, the sexualization of young
girls in the media is detrimental to their health and well
being. With such a strong emphasis on being perfect
and looking like a sex goddess, there has been a corresponding
loss of self esteem, and increase in eating
disorders, depression, and self harm.
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER
SPECIAL (S)exploitation ISSUE ON WOMEN of Women AND in WORK the Media
We, as a society, need to give our children the tools to
help survive in the increasingly sexual, media filled
world. Making media literacy a part of K-12 curriculum
would be a start. Media literacy would give children the
tools to look past the air brushing of their favorite stars,
and the body ideals Bratz and Barbies give them. Until
the time this is implemented, families should take an
active role in teaching their children about the issues of
media and sexualization. We also need to help children
realize that we are more than sexual creatures. Although
sexuality is a part of life, it is not the only part
and there are other very important things. We must recognize
our other strengths and the other things that are
important to us, such as art or music. We also need to
work to change the products and ideas presented in the
media. Since the advent of the internet, it has become
much easier for us to lodge our complaints about offensive
products with the companies that make them. Not
buying products, or allowing children to watch those
shows that are overly sexified, explaining to them the
damaging nature of such products is yet another step
we can take on the road to curbing the Lolita Effect.
The Lolita Effect is everywhere. Gone are the
days when teddy bears were allowed to be chubby and
rag dolls made great toys. The media has created a
spectacle out of young girls‟ sexualization, which in turn
has been a cause for depression and low self esteem in
young children. We must band together to help destroy
the Lolita Effect, and protect our daughters from the
media and the sexualization spectacle.
Sources:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-412195
http://www.tellinitlikeitis.net/2009/03/the-sexualization-ofchildren-and-adolescents-epidemic.html
D u r h a m , M . G i g i . T h e L o l i t a E f f e c t . N Y C : T h e
O v e r l o o k P r e s s , 2 0 0 8 . P r i n t .
http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dora_makeover
Before and after of Toddlers and Tiaras
star Karmen featured on TLC.
7

8
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER
(S)exploitation of Women in the Media
Sex Workers Speak Out,
continued
workers were able to work in a new kind of media –
writing and publishing. Sex Work: Writings by Women in
the Sex Industry was the first book to be written solely
by sex workers, describing the good and the bad sides
of their experiences with sex work. It has been translated
into German, Japanese, and Spanish, and has
paved the way for other books written by sex workers.
Whores in History: Prostitution and Western Society, is a
historical research work written by a sex worker, Nicki
Roberts. The delightfully-named A Vindication of the
Rights of Whores chronicles the global sex workers‟
rights movement. Books written by, and for, sex workers
continue to proliferate, and readers seem eager to
understand the lives of women in the sex industry.
Nor are sex workers concerned solely with their
own lot. Annie Sprinkle, a well-known porn star, has
designed a number of performance pieces around
sexuality and the body, the most famous being her
“Public Cervix Announcement,” where she encourages
viewers to look at her cervix through a speculum, educating
her audience about “hidden” parts of the female
body. Her pieces encourage unemcumbered expression
of sexuality for everyone, regardless of gender,
sexual orientation, race, or size.
Sex workers are also using media to dispel
stereotypes and misrepresentations. VBS TV recently
released a documentary called “The Prostitutes of
God,” about devadasi in India. (Devadasi have a long
history: long ago, they were women dedicated to serve
a goddess, Yellama, with music and dancing. Eventually,
though, their status fell, and today most of them are
sex workers, although they are still dedicated to their
goddess.) The film is extremely interesting, featuring
interviews with actual prostitutes, and raising questions
of coercion and human trafficking. However, there are
also parts that are blatantly racist, transphobic, and insensitive.
At one point, the narrator calls a Hindu deity,
“basically a blue guy in a gold bikini.” The film identifies
one girl as HIV-positive without any clear reason.
Ignoring the personal religious views of the devadasi,
the narrator has stated in an interview, that “The only
devadasi I met who saw the tradition as strictly religious
was a rather bizarre cross-dressing male version, who
spends several hours a day in prayer.” (6)
Overall, the film comes off as a piece of cultural
exploitation by filmmakers who couldn‟t care less about
their subjects. This doesn‟t fly in a globalized world with
empowered sex workers. The women interviewed in
“Prostitutes of God” have recently released their own
critique of the movie, lambasting the attitudes of the
filmmakers, and explaining that they never signed releases
agreeing to appear in such a film. The makers of
the documentary are fumbling in the face of these accusations.
Clearly, sex workers still have a long way to go before
they enjoy the basic rights of medical attention, safe
housing, and legal protection against violence. However,
their victories demonstrate that sex workers, and
all women around the world, have the power to use media
to their advantage.
Sources:
(1) " P i c k t o n e s c a p e d 1 9 9 7 c h a r g e b e f o r e m u r -
d e r s . " C B C N e w s - B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a 4
A u g 2 0 1 0 : n . p a g . W e b . 1 2 N o v 2 0 1 0 .
< h t t p : / / w w w . c b c . c a / c a n a d a / b r i t i s h -
c o l u m b i a / s t o r y / 2 0 1 0 / 0 8 / 0 4 / b c - p i c k t o n
- p u b l i c a t i o n - b a n s . h t m l > . h t t p : / /
w w w . c b c . c a / c a n a d a / b r i t i s h - c o l u m b i a /
story/2010/08/04/bc-pickton-publication-bans.html
(2) " D e n i a l o f S e r v i c e : S e x W o r k e r s C o n f r o n t
D r . E r i c G o o s b y a n d P r o t e s t t h e A n t i -
P r o s t i t u t i o n P l e d g e . " G l o b a l N e t w o r k o f
S e x W o r k P r o j e c t s . N S W P , 0 1 / 0 7 / 2 0 1 0 .
W e b . 1 2 N o v 2 0 1 0 . < h t t p : / /
i a c . n s w p . o r g / > . h t t p : / /
iac.nswp.org/2010/07/21/denial-of-service-sexworkers-confront-dr-eric-goosby-and-protest-theanti-prostitution-pledge/
( 3 ) P r o s t i t u t e s o f G o d . D i r . S a r a h H a r r i s . "
V B S . t v 2 0 1 0 : F i l m .
( 4 ) P h e t e r s o n , G a i l . A V i n d i c a t i o n o f t h e
r i g h t s o f w h o r e s . S e a l P r e s s , 1 9 8 9 .
P r i n t . Sex Work: Writing By Women in the Sex
Industry
( 5 ) S i m p s o n , J e n n i f e r . " S t e r e o t y p i n g S e x
W o r k e r s : S . v s . J o r d a n a n d o t h e r s . "
S t u d e n t S y m p o s i u m o n W o m e n ' s H u m a n
R i g h t s . J o h n a n d M a r y Y e m e n k o : T o -
r o n t o , 2 0 0 9 . W e b . 1 2 N o v 2 0 1 0 . ‟ ‟
( 6 ) V A M P R e s p o n d s t o B e t r a y a l b y " P r o s t i t u t e s
o f G o d " . S a n g l i T a l k i e s : 2 0 1 0 , F i l m .
< h t t p : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ?
v = 1 6 O G y s s J T v o > .
Sex Worker Protest, image courtesy of The Global
Network of Sex Work Projects

Pop … Folk … Rock ...Country … Riot Grrl… Rap … Hip Hop
SUSAN B. ANTHONY WOMEN’S CENTER
SPECIAL (S)exploitation ISSUE ON of WOMEN Women AND in the WORK Media
STEREOTALK III
(S)exploitation of
Women in Music
Thursday,
Dec. 2nd, 2010
7:00 pm
Hoosac Harbor
Moderated By Maritsa Barros
Sponsored by the
Susan B. Anthony Women’s Center
Refreshments will be served.
Admission is free and open to the public.
Rap … Hip Hop … Pop … Folk … Rock … Country … Riot Grrl
9

ISSUE 3 NOVEMBER 2010
Free and Open to
Mail to:
Susan B. Anthony Women‟s Center
Phone: 413-662-5497
E-mail: womenscenter@mcla.edu
Campus Center Room #322
MCLA
North Adams, MA 01247
Thursday,
December 9th
7:00-9:00 p.m.
Hoosac Har-
Food, Film, and Conversa-
10