The Midriff of 2017: Kylie Jenner
In the Frontline episode, "Merchants of Cool," I was introduced to the concept of the "Midriff". This character is a prematurely adult woman portrayed in the media. She is a sexual object and proud of it. A "Midriff" promotes the idea that a woman's greatest asset is her body and that she should use it it order to be successful.
In 2001, when "Merchants of Cool" was released, Britney Spears epitomized the idea of the "Midriff" with her scandalous videos and sexualized lyrics. In her "Baby one More Time" music video, she is dressed up as a hyper sexualized schoolgirl with a short black skirt and a cropped white button down blouse. She dances down the hallway of her fictional school with undeniable confidence as she displays her body and her sexuality. This image of Britney Spears sent the message to an endless number of teen girls that they could empower themselves through showing of their bodies and owning their sexuality. This may seem like an potentially beneficial empowering message for teenage girls who are often extremely self conscious and desperate for approval. But, in reality, the idea portrayed by Britney Spears and other "Midriffs" was created by marketers in order to sell a product. Though many young girls may have been tricked into feeling liberated by the "Midriff" character, the truth is that she is merely a marketing technique based on the sexist idea that women have nothing more to offer than their bodies and their sexuality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4
Today, Kylie Jenner has the equivalent of Britney Spears in 2001. She is the new epitome of the "Midriff." With her curvy figure and impossibly thin waist, Kylie Jenner is often regarded as having the "perfect body." She seems to be obsessed with herself, always sharing over sexualized photos or videos of herself on Instagram or Snapchat. She seems as if she is in control of her body and her sexuality, but in reality these to "assets" are merely being used to promote her status as a celebrity or sell a product: either her own makeup line or other products like Fit Tea. Despite the fact that she looks like an adult, Kylie Jenner is actually still a teenager. Like the "Midriff," Kylie has matured extremely quickly and has seemed eager to flaunt her body ever since it became more womanly. Though we may forget she is barely an adult, 19 year old Kylie recently graduated from high school and has the same insecurities of most teenagers. She was so insecure about her small lips that she decided to get lip injections, sparking a number of lip-enlarging trends among a enormous number of teenage girls. Overall, I think that Kylie Jenner's role as the current "Midriff" is damaging to herself as well as all of the teenage girls that hold her in high regard. Growing up in the spotlight, I don't believe that Kylie has had the chance to recognize who she truly wants to be instead of who the world wants her to be. The huge influence she holds over teenage girls is also problematic because they will likely end up making the same mistakes that she has merely because they think that she is someone that is worthy of imitating. Overall, the "Midriff" sends the false message that women are only useful for their bodies, creating a very damaging mindset for teenage girls and boys alike.
In 2001, when "Merchants of Cool" was released, Britney Spears epitomized the idea of the "Midriff" with her scandalous videos and sexualized lyrics. In her "Baby one More Time" music video, she is dressed up as a hyper sexualized schoolgirl with a short black skirt and a cropped white button down blouse. She dances down the hallway of her fictional school with undeniable confidence as she displays her body and her sexuality. This image of Britney Spears sent the message to an endless number of teen girls that they could empower themselves through showing of their bodies and owning their sexuality. This may seem like an potentially beneficial empowering message for teenage girls who are often extremely self conscious and desperate for approval. But, in reality, the idea portrayed by Britney Spears and other "Midriffs" was created by marketers in order to sell a product. Though many young girls may have been tricked into feeling liberated by the "Midriff" character, the truth is that she is merely a marketing technique based on the sexist idea that women have nothing more to offer than their bodies and their sexuality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-u5WLJ9Yk4
Today, Kylie Jenner has the equivalent of Britney Spears in 2001. She is the new epitome of the "Midriff." With her curvy figure and impossibly thin waist, Kylie Jenner is often regarded as having the "perfect body." She seems to be obsessed with herself, always sharing over sexualized photos or videos of herself on Instagram or Snapchat. She seems as if she is in control of her body and her sexuality, but in reality these to "assets" are merely being used to promote her status as a celebrity or sell a product: either her own makeup line or other products like Fit Tea. Despite the fact that she looks like an adult, Kylie Jenner is actually still a teenager. Like the "Midriff," Kylie has matured extremely quickly and has seemed eager to flaunt her body ever since it became more womanly. Though we may forget she is barely an adult, 19 year old Kylie recently graduated from high school and has the same insecurities of most teenagers. She was so insecure about her small lips that she decided to get lip injections, sparking a number of lip-enlarging trends among a enormous number of teenage girls. Overall, I think that Kylie Jenner's role as the current "Midriff" is damaging to herself as well as all of the teenage girls that hold her in high regard. Growing up in the spotlight, I don't believe that Kylie has had the chance to recognize who she truly wants to be instead of who the world wants her to be. The huge influence she holds over teenage girls is also problematic because they will likely end up making the same mistakes that she has merely because they think that she is someone that is worthy of imitating. Overall, the "Midriff" sends the false message that women are only useful for their bodies, creating a very damaging mindset for teenage girls and boys alike.
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