Isn't the essence of this entire piece (oxy-)moronic? How do you simultaneously celebrate accomplished women like Amal Clooney and then designate her as an "upscale" redefinition of a "Trophy Wife?" Even women deemed to have attained equal earning power and career position would ultimately still be objectified by this author as a desirable mate's accessory- and that's something for the rest of us to admire?
This disturbing message is not a new trend. In Beyonce's ridiculously sexist but crazy catchy song, she pleads to her man to be allowed to "Upgrade U":
"Ran by the man but the women keep the tempo, it's very seldom that you're blessed to find your equal, still play my part and let you take the lead role. Believe me. I'll follow, this could be easy."
Even Queen B, in all her powerful glory, glamorizes settling for sidekick as the ultimate aspiration. I consider this to be a pretty crappy message.
The Huffingpost blog post author lauds the replacement of "the woman who got ahead on her looks by marrying a 'sugar daddy'" by the new edition, accomplished Trophy Wife, proclaiming "That's sexy."
That's sexy?? For whom? I'm confused. What are we even talking about anymore? Heavy sedation and a spinning totem may be required just to wade one's way through the presumptions within presumptions that flimsily arrive at the illogical limbo of this author's flawed conclusion.
The author even interjects in her article "Hooray equality!" However, I do not think that word means what she thinks it means.
Using demeaning generalizations and phrases like "brainless beauty," and by equating earning power, high salaries, lofty academic degrees, and professional positions with worthiness, this author does more to set back feminism in the 21st century than any Don Draper could (I actually don't watch Mad Men - I just assume Don Draper is a sexist from the 50s?). These modernized gender constructs are no less destructive to female empowerment than their antiquated counterparts.
The author's concluding message involves a quote identifying the hallmarks of the new-age "alpha" women as "power, success and financial security," the overarching value of these qualities residing in their newfound likeliness to inspire erections and/or wealthy marriage proposals. I guess the poor recipients of unimpressive B.A. degrees are effed. Good luck settling for less powerful vagrants, like teachers, firemen and public servants. And God help the spinsters.
UGH. That Huffington post article actually sickens me -- all of it, from the “trophy wife” to the “hooray equality!” line. Oh, and the “brains are the new beauty” part -- sure, as long as you don’t take out the beauty, aka the “eye candy” aspect also mentioned, and that a woman “can hold her own in the boardroom as well as the bedroom.” Wow, how very progressive…great post on this. I was annoyed by something similar that I plan to post about tomorrow, FYI!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I can't wait to read your post also!
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