Dear World of Pop

Last week it was the Brit Awards and, even though I am approaching forty, I still quite like to watch the awards. Having a teenage daughter also means it pays for me to be ‘down with the kids’ and know what’s going on in music. And upon watching the show it became apparent that nothing much is going on in the world of pop except the over sexualisation of women.

Not long after the programme had started, and somewhat before the watershed, a partially clad model draped herself over one of the presenters with nothing but stars covering her nipples and little else covering her lady parts.Then Rhianna came on stage and gyrated, stimulated sex with her male co-singer and felt herself up. Ironically all whilst performing a song entitled ‘Work.’ She barely sang five words.

Next Little Mix arrived, whom I actually think are talented and hard working girls, and decided to perform in their pants. Unsurprisingly this resulted in one of them being named the ‘fat one’ and mocked on Twitter. This would probably happen if she had been fully clothed, but I am sure the semi nakedness did not help.

And then I looked closer….

And I noticed that, funnily enough, the male performers didn’t feel the need to dress or behave provocatively. Coldplay did not perform in their pants and James Bay was not wearing a glittery thong. Nope. The men were all fully clothed. And performed without the need for pretending to shag each other.

And I don’t get it. These people, these women, are role models for our daughters. They inspire thousands of little girls and teenagers who want to be just like them. This week, in my six year-old’s class at School, Friday is dressing up day where they are invited to come dressed as what you want to be when you grow up. I doubt any parent is going to send their daughter to school in sparkly underwear and little else.

What message do these pop stars send out? To both sexes. The message that in order to be a successful pop star you have to be prepared to bare your ass? Or that attractiveness equals skinny legs and hardly any clothing? That it is ok to pretend to have sex in front of millions of viewers whilst not actually singing the song you were paid to perform?

It is not acceptable. It is not right.

There are many ways to be a successful woman. Powerful. Influential. And there are many ways of showing that.

Baring your body is not one of them.

Love, me.

By Jen Faulkner