Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
There’s a reason why radical feminism went the way of go-go boots and fishnet stockings – and the reason couldn’t be more obvious than in a cheesy new video featuring f-bomb- dropping little girls dressed as princesses who are fighting for equal rights.
According to the Media Research Center, the video was made by a T-shirt company named FCKH8.com and uses little girls between the ages of six and 13 years-old to condemn various social injustices such as equal pay, sexism, rape, etc. with the kind of expletive-laden language you expect from a street thug.
For example, in one scene, a little girl says “I shouldn’t need a penis to get paid” while another asks, “What is more offense? A little girl saying (expletive) or the (expletive) unequal and sexist way society treats girls and women?”
Not surprisingly, radical feminists are hailing the video as “brilliant”, “empowering” and even “adorable”.
Bustle’s Kat George was thrilled with the video. “The girls have ample attitude and a confidence that I hope is instilled in this generation of tiny little power women.”
E! Online’s Jenna Mullins called the video “powerful” and encouraged people to “watch these adorable little girls drop f-bombs (and truth bombs) to promote feminism.”
Mike Kon, the producer of the video, is perplexed by those of us who are offended by the ad and thinks we’re all missing the point. It’s not about the F-bombs, but about the statistics!
“The real shock is that women are still paid less than men for the same work in 2014, not the use of the F-word,” he says. “The big statistic that 1 out of 5 women are sexually assaulted or raped is something society seems to find less offensive than a little four letter word.”
He adds: “Instead of washing these girls’ mouths out with soap, maybe society needs to clean up its act.”
How about both, Mr. Kon? Wouldn’t that be more effective than teaching little girls to behave like potty-mouthed brats in Halloween costumes? How on earth is this supposed to make the world a better place for any of us? Shouldn’t we be teaching our girls how to value the human dignity inherent in their femininity so that they are “empowered” to teach this to others? This is the only way to get rid of discrimination, not by teaching girls to confront injustice with anger and vulgarity.
Fox News contributor and Daily Beast columnist Kirsten Powers agrees and aptly tweeted that the video “borders on child abuse.”
Adweeks’ Rebecca Culler also found fault with Kon’s tactic: “I’m less concerned with the swearing, and more concerned with the loss of innocence that results from telling these 6- to 13-year-olds that between one and five women will be raped in their lifetime and then having them count off and wonder if they’re going to be the one.”
She also pointed out that FCKH8 actually censored the F-word in their own press release about the video! “If the little girls can say it, so can you,” Cullers jabs.
I think the staff at Twitchy.com summed up this whole controversy very succinctly: “You’ve come a long way, baby! All the way to child exploitation.”
No wonder I threw out those go-go boots . . .
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