 "Photo: AP Photo")
The Victoria's Secret Fashion show has become an American event, neatly packaged and marketed with a primetime network slot. The commercials, featuring tall, leggy, semi-emaciated women, accompanied by whatever musicians happen to be popular at the time, are no different from the advertisements we are fed for professional sports, action movies, and sitcoms – quick hits, quick jokes, and carnal images of women.
Simply put, Victoria's Secret buys airtime once a year to remind America that their definition of beauty still holds reign.
However, most women in this country (and the world) do not look or dress like these fashion models. It wouldn't have been inappropriate for these models to hold up a "We are the 1%" sign. By outfitting size two women with long, straight hair Victoria's Secret just perpetuates the narrow, racist standard of beauty in our society. Where are the dark skinned women? Where are the size eights? Where are the women with strong hands and forearms from working manual labor jobs each day? We adulate women who have no merits beyond their looks. That is why our society is spiritually bankrupt.
The show brings the world of low-brow fashion to the masses for one night a year. Anna Wintour was not in the front row and Tori Burch did not unveil a new line of handbags. This was not art, it was crass: women wearing sparkly underwear and campy angel wings. What demographic did CBS think this would appeal to? Men ages 18 to 40? If so, they had a lot in common with the mostly white, middle aged women in the audience. I would have liked to know Kanye West's thoughts as he looked out onto the crowd to see these women so clearly unsure of what to do with the rap music that he was spewing.
"Let me introduce my big brother to give you the new shit," West said - parodying his best rap artist -as he introduced Jay-Z. I am sure performing for this demographic was exactly why Jay-Z and Kanye got into music in the first place. How rewarding it must have been to see all those people in the crowd who could really relate to what they were saying.
The show should be mocked, as should the rap duo. Just produce a catchy beat and you will be paid for your services anywhere. They are simply entertainers, in the same category as the CBS renegade Charlie Sheen – get in, get out, get the dough and don't think about what you are really saying and who you are saying it to.
What real artists would take part in this corporate funded, network executive wet dream? The self-proclaimed kings of rap must have cashed in. Money over integrity – listen to their music, they will tell you the same thing.