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There’s a picture that’s been doing the rounds on social media. Most recently I saw a friend of mine criticising Kobus Wiese – yes, the ex-Springbok lock and rugby commentator – for posting it, and then Patricia Arquette – yes, Oscar-winning Patricia Arquette – also called him out!
The picture is a composite of images of Madonna, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga. Madonna has her hand on her crotch, Michael Jackson style. Or, I suppose, Madonna style. Miley is sticking both her tongue and bum out, and Gaga is doing an impressive side split with a male dancer.
The caption reads: They didn’t vote for Trump because he degraded the image of women in society.
Now why anyone would think a person loses their right to protest injustices, or their right to respect because they sing songs in their underwear is beyond me.
And why Kobus Wiese – and even some people I call friends – would tweet something so short-sighted is frustrating. Do they really like Trump that much? Or do they really dislike women that much?
I suppose if you can’t see how powerful, talented women embracing their sexuality on their own terms is empowering and not degrading you would think that meme makes sense.
But I would really like to think that those friends of mine, and Kobus Wiese actually, aren’t really that sexist or that stupid. I would like to think if they applied a bit of critical thinking they would see why that picture isn’t clever at all.
So let’s be critical. Take a minute or so to answer the following questions in your head:
Grab ‘em by the pussy
Why do you think it’s degrading for a woman to cup her own crotch, like Madonna is doing in the picture, but you don’t have a problem with Trump declaring that he just “grabs women by the pussy”?
That infamous sound clip where he bragged about the way he treated women showed something more than just gross disrespect. It showed that he is not beyond sexual violence. Grabbing, or even just touching someone’s genitalia without their consent is sexual assault. I am pretty sure neither Kobus, nor any of my male friends would think it’s okay if someone did that to their wife or daughters.
Mimicking a sexual act
Why do you think is it disrespectful for a woman to flaunt her sexual nature as a consenting adult, like Miley is doing in the pic, but you don’t think it’s disrespectful of Trump to rate celebrities INCLUDING HIS OWN DAUGHTER according to their “fuckability”?
Doing the splits
Why do you think it’s problematic for a woman to show off her flexibility and her dance moves on stage, like Lady Gaga is doing in the picture, but you don’t think it’s a problem that Trump has just signed the death warrant for thousands of women in poor countries with his executive order to freeze funding to NGOs that offer safe abortions?
Donald Trump is a man who has publicly called breastfeeding “disgusting”, made sex jokes about his own daughter, called women “pigs” and “bimbos”, and blamed sexual assault on cohabitation.
And now, as POTUS he has already begun to disrespect our human rights. Rights that women (and men) have been fighting for for decades. This is why these women, along with millions of women worldwide is speaking out against him.
Why are you defending him?
