The DWR Friday Musical Interlude – Army of Me – Björk

@VW

“It’s typical of male-made films claiming to empower women while presenting them as nothing but (frighteningly young) sex objects to be ogled.

The women presented in the video were empowered individuals making choices. You shouldn’t try to impose your moral lens on these individuals, as it hurts their autonomy. Nothing can be gleaned from discussing what individuals do, because after all it, must be good for society if said individuals are making choices. Discussing whether the choices available to them are *good* within the context of greater society is clearly a waste of time, therefore the focus must remain strictly on the individual and their feelings, because they are the singular metrics we should use to evaluate society.

“A quick read tells me that the objectification gets ramped up through the film and that in every scenario a man is required to ‘save’ the characters.”

But the gender codification of roles in society don’t always apply, individuals can choose to transgress them. Acting up the expected standards of society can actually subvert the gendered role in question.

Clearly in this video we have people subverting their gender roles, they are kicking ass and taking names, just like men would do. How could we possibly know they were women without gender specific clothing, and really it is very possible they chose what their clothes are, and who are we to analyses their choices?

Sounds like you have it out for these women, maybe you should back off and think about how harmful your criticisms are, and the damage done by merely discussing the topic.

“It must give you a great sense of moral superiority to slam trans women for choosing to express themselves as they feel comfortable,”

Making individual choices, the key to liberal empowerment, is what is important to remember – if the choices reinforce the socially accepted status-quo, then they must be good because the individual is empowered. The problem then must be the with the class analysis, and probably patriarchy too – as those concepts when dealing with the individual must be flawed.

“while glorifying the very worst of stereotyped female attractiveness and sexual objectification to cool beats. :D”

Obviously, because of the choices being made by these females, they are not being objectified, because individuals making choices overrules what society has to say – and it seems like you are being awfully prescriptive about how these women should live their lives and express themselves. I think it may be a problem with you looking through your particular lens on society again. I don’t think that its right that you go after these people who are just trying to express themselves just for the choices that they make, that is pretty hurtful to the individuals I must say.

/lib fem off/

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” It must give you a great sense of moral superiority […]

Actually for the mix I wanted, this was among the better choices, such as they were – the other choice was a lot of staring at Catwoman’s cartoon butt. :/ Also not so good.

All of the choices for this particular mix were bad. It makes for an interesting parallel.

So really, the clip choices are kinda like the ones that are presented to women: the quintessential patriarchal shit sandwich.

Accept the roles you’re given maybe get a cookie and some better treatment in return – or refuse the bullshit on principle and then have to fight with everyone over just about everything in an attempt to define who you are and your basic humanity.

Oh, and I do agree with you VW ,the movie is shite. :) The things one must do to rock some phat beats.

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@VW

“I was appalled when I started to read your response but it kind of made sense given the oddness of all your other beliefs.”

Let’s chalk it up as a victory for satire. :)

Looking exclusively at individual problems and individual choices necessarily limits one’s ability to analyze systemic problems and features of society.

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@Syrbal

Well said. :)

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