Every year, the members of this great nation gather on futons and La-Z-Boys from sea to shining sea in celebration of one event: the Super Bowl. Personally, I observed the holiday by eating beautifully seasoned tortilla chips and talking about how the Seahawks should win because “Macklemore is from Seattle.”
Now, we can all sit around and pretend that 100 percent of us watched the game because we had a true emotional attachment to one of the teams, but let’s be real. The main event of this year’s Super Bowl was Katy Perry. Honestly, it was the only part of the broadcast that received undivided attention from me and my friends. Perry’s entrance mimicked the events that occur when I make food in my microwave: There’s a fire and everyone around is stunned. Throughout the performance, Perry completed several outfit changes, beginning with a relatively modest dress covered in cartoon-looking painted flames and ending with a much more playful, beach ball-inspired skirt and top combo.
The comments that I read about her performance ranged from “she’s not Beyoncé,” to “who is Missy Elliott?” to “the sharks are so cute!” However, the most thought-provoking critique that I saw related to Perry’s wardrobe. I read a few comments stating Perry was “sexualizing herself” through her costumes. Some people were upset because they felt that she was perpetuating sexism and therefore the performance was a bad influence on young women and girls. While I see where these people are coming from, I find this argument to be a double-edged sword.
First, let me preface my opinion by stating I am a feminist, and I absolutely believe in equality for all. However, I think that there are some sub-arguments surrounding the issue that are often blurred. First, it is not clothing that creates sexism. Perry has always made bold choices. I do not think that anyone will ever forget her single “I Kissed a Girl,” which was her courageous introduction to the music industry, or her video for “California Gurls” in which a substance that I can only assume would be whipped cream shot out of her bra. Despite these controversial moves, she has had many hit songs about self-assurance. In fact, much of the persona that Perry has built is about instilling confidence in her fans, young women in particular. Songs like “Firework” and “Roar” have perfect examples of empowering lyrics, such as “’Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar.” While she may wear clothing that some would consider to be revealing, Perry does not choose her costumes with the intent of being sexualized. It is the viewers that sexualize the subject; the subject does not sexualize itself.
For example, when I was in middle school, I was once called out by a female teacher for wearing shorts that were deemed “too short” because the hemline was above the middle of my thighs. The protocol was that if we were called out for wearing shorts of inappropriate length, we immediately had to change into a pair of gym shorts provided by the school. The shocking part is that the rule was created so other students would not be “distracted from their school work,” meanwhile girls were forced to be late to classes or miss meetings with teachers because they were told to go change their clothing.
As an eleven-year-old, I loved toy animals, was uncoordinated and was absolutely convinced that viewing a PG-13 movie was the most mature thing I would ever do. Safe to say, I had not pulled those shorts from my closet on that humid morning because I thought that they would make me look like Jenny from the Block. I chose them because they were comfortable, and I knew that they would keep me from overheating.
We should not teach people (girls and boys alike) to cover themselves or refrain from wearing clothing that they feel comfortable and confident in. It is imperative that we as a society refrain from “slut-shaming” or taking acts of self-expression as the projection of sexism. On Sunday, Perry confidently rocked her beach ball bra while her lyrics continued to propel the idea of self-worth. Stay true to yourself and dress in what makes you feel confident. Clothing does not define intentions.
Marisa is a freshman and is undecided in her major. Do you agree with her take? Tell us what you think. Please send comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com
