Come this weekend revelers will convene in New Orleans to let off a little steam, view a few parades and head, after a day’s traditional Mardi Gras parades have rolled, to Bourbon Street, the mecca of all that is carnival debauchery.
Armed with beers and beads, they’ll carry on into the wee hours of the morning. Women will flash their chests for drooling male partiers and quite possibly the cameras of Mantra Entertainment, the brainchild of Joe Francis, most known for his scandalous “Girls Gone Wild” videos.
Months later, a handful of these women will find themselves the drunken spokesmodels for late-night masturbatory material, prey of “Girls Gone Wild” and its cameras. They will be objects used to rake in millions for Francis, who seems wholly unconcerned with the damaging oversexualization of women his videos promote.
“Girls wouldn’t think about doing that kind of thing, and a guy wouldn’t think about asking for it in the past,” Francis told the Arizona Republic earlier this month. “As far as I see, almost every girl will do this at some point.”
This is the problem. How long will society allow men such as Francis to treat women as sex toys?
Legally speaking, a judge last June dropped a lawsuit by three Louisiana women who alleged that Mantra Films violated their privacy by using images of them exposing their breasts at Mardi Gras without their permission.
Judge C. Hunter King, in his ruling, stated: “An individual, minor or not, that goes down into the French Quarter must be aware of what takes place during Mardi Gras … When you [expose your body] on Bourbon Street or in a club and you know there is an individual with a video, certainly you must expect that this is going to be shown all over the place.”
Also, Capt. Marlon Defillo, New Orleans Police Department Public Information Officer, said it is illegal to publically expose your breasts or genitalia. This offense could carry with it a $300 fine possibly coupled with up to 90 days in jail.
However, he said enforcement of this law was often difficult. “Police officers have to use discretion,” Defillo said. “Obviously if a person is a block away and exposing themselves and this officer has to go through 10,000 people to get to this person, is it worth it?”
So the question arises — if exposing yourself at Mardi Gras is illegal, and if video crews filming videos such as “Girls Gone Wild” aren’t violating any laws, is the premise of “Girls Gone Wild” still wrong?
Absolutely. Yes, women must take responsibility of their actions. No, they shouldn’t knowingly break laws. But a company should not be allowed to take advantage of female party-goers, especially when it knows many are probably under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
While the idea of giving consent while drunk is a controversial one, taking advantage of people is always wrong, whether they are drinking alcohol or not. “Girls Gone Wild” takes advantage of women and their bodies.
True, some women do complicitly contribute to their own objectification. Dancers at an adult nightclub or women who pose in Playboy choose to do those things. They are well within their rights, but patronizing these businesses merely reinforces the antiquated notion that women are sex objects placed on the planet for the amusement of men.
Two differences exist between these women and many on “Girls Gone Wild” — centerfolds choose their profession and are paid for their work. The women of “Girls Gone Wild” many times would not choose to be on the video if sober and are paid only in embarassment and tank tops.
Sure, some women willingly flash their chests for beads or bragging rights. But honestly, plastic necklaces aren’t what flashers desire. These women want positive reinforcement from their peers. They want to feel beautiful. In a society that sexualizes women and showers emotionally harmful promiscuity with attention, flashing your breasts for cameras is one way to get some attention for your looks.
To end “Girls Gone Wild,” we must get to the root of the problem, which isn’t women — it’s the way society views them as toys.