F-Bombs for Feminism

F-Bombs for Feminism: Potty-Mouthed Princesses Use Bad Word for a Good Cause

*This post and included media contain explicit language, if you are not comfortable please click away*

FCKH8.com is a for-profit T-shirt company with an activist heart and a passionate social change mission: arming thousands of people with pro-LGBT equality, anti-racism and anti-sexism T-shirts that act as “mini-billboards” for change. Started in 2010 with comedic viral videos that captured millions of views on YouTube, FCKH8.com has shipped almost 200,000 equality tees, tanks and hoodies to supporters in over 100 countries. T-shirts with bold messages like “Some Chicks Marry Chicks, Get Over It,” “Straight Against Hate,” and ”Legalize Love” have been publicly talked about by celebrities. FCKH8.com has given over $250,000 to the equality cause through directly funded projects and donations to LGBT charities. In 2014 FCKH8.com expanded it's anti-hate message with campaigns and tees focused on fighting sexism and racism.

“What’s more offensive? A little girl saying ‘fuck’ or the fucking unequal and sexist way society treats girls and women?” 

FCKH8.com launched a new video this past week where little girls drop "F-Bombs for Feminism" in a comedic viral video to educate adults on sexism. 

Little girls between 6 and 13 years-old dressed as pretty pink princesses drop F-bombs to draw attention to society’s continued sexism. Asking the question, “What’s more offensive? A little girl saying f*ck or the sexist way society treats girls and women” these adorably articulate little ladies in sparkling tiaras turn the “princess in distress” stereotype on its head and contrast the F-word with words and statistics society should find shocking such as “pay inequality” and “rape.”

The girls appear along side women in the video sporting T-shirts with bold pink text declaring “Girls Just Want to Have Fun-damental Rights” and “This is What a‪#‎Feminist‬ Looks Like.” The video is part of advocacy T-shirt companyFCKH8.com’s charity T-shirt fundraising effort. The group’s website is making tees available starting at $15, with $5 from each tee sold benefiting five anti-sexism organizations and projects and asks website visitors to suggest their favorite groups to benefit.

Video producer Mike Kon comments, “Some adults may be uncomfortable with how these little girls are using a bad word for a good cause. It is shocking what they are saying, but the real shock is that women are still paid less than men for the same work in 2014, not the use of the F-word. The big statistic that 1 out of 5 women are sexually assaulted or raped is something society seems to find less offensive than a little four letter word and we love how these girls draw attention to that imbalance.” He added, “Instead of washing these girls’ mouths out with soap, maybe society needs to clean up its act.”

The video draws on pervasive stereotypes in our media about the dichotomies between men and women. Monique Ward points out that the media serves as a 'sexual socializer' and a teacher of values and norms in society (Ward, 2003). Additionally portrayals of sexuality relates high exposure of sex on TV to acceptance of stereotypical sexuality (Ward 2003). Specifically the video mentions the 'princess in distress stereotype'. That stereotype draws upon Kim's research and the heterosexual script that girls and women devalue their sexual desires, seek and please men, and wait to be chosen and then trade their sexuality as a commodity (Kim, 2007). These ideas are ingrained in our culture from a young age of girls reading fairy tales and watching princess movies. The reason the images of these young girls in princess costumes resonates with us is because it has become normalized. The swearing then creates a start contrast to what is 'normal' and accepted in our society relating gender roles.  

This bold campaign caught my attention. It made me stop and think. At first I was surprised by the fowl language being used by such young girls in princess costumes. After the initial shock faded, I realized it was effective at spreading a positive message. There is no easy way to address issues of feminism in our society and sometimes it takes a bold move to send a strong message. However, where I take issue is that this movement is for a for-profit company. Rather than a charity or equality organization creating these videos, it is someone gaining a monetary profit. In that way I feel that this video serves more as a publicity stunt to sell T-shirts rather than an informative education message. Do you think this is a move in the right direct for educational campaigns or a slick marketing message?

Bibliography

Ward, L. M. (2003). Understanding the role of entertainment media in the sexual socialization of American youth: A review of empirical research. Developmental Review, 23(3), 347-388. doi: 10.1016/s0273-2297(03)00013-3

Kim, J. L., Sorsoli, C. L., Collins, K., Zylbergold, B. A., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. L. (2007). From sex to sexuality: Exposing the heterosexual script on primetime network television. Journal of Sex Research, 44(2), 145-157. doi: 10.1080/00224490701263660