Art or outrage?

“It's impossible to say a thing exactly the way it was, because of what you say can never be exact, you always have to leave something out, there are too many parts, sides, crosscurrents, nuances; too many gestures, which could mean this or that, too many shapes which can never be fully described, too many flavors, in the air or on the tongue, half-colors, too many.” 
― Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale

This morning I read something very disturbing about women rights. Feminism is such a fascinating and powerful topic. So many people have so many different views. Some women won't take their husbands name as it might take away their identity, others believe men should work and the wife takes on the 'housewife' role. The type of female rights that interests (and also concerns) me, is the content that is plastered on my television screen, in the magazines I read and with the people I associate with.
When I see my social media pages full of half naked young people, and then hear on the news of endless amounts of immoral acts towards women, it makes me question the impact young people have on our culture.

I know my last blog post was also to do with young people and being different when deciding to follow Jesus, but this is a subject a lot more sinister and has me totally immersed.

The Handmaid's Tale written by Margaret Atwood is a book that continues to fascinate me. I studied this book in English, during my final year at sixth form. It speaks of women's rights in a very post-apocalyptic setting, using one woman's story as the symbol of Atwood's belief in the destruction of our culture. There's a particular moment in the book that had me captured. A large group of women decide to take a stand on the theme of 'objectifying females' and burn every magazine, every book, every picture that discriminates against women's purity, rights and future. The outcome of this movement causes their world to go the opposite direction. Women are purely used as vessels for child birth. The teachings of the Old Testament are manipulated and therefore their teachings completely cut out Jesus' mercy and eternal gift for us.

I believe women's rights are something every young girl should be taught. Despite people's beliefs on the subject, it's something I will forever thank my English teacher for investing the time in and exploring on such a personal and emotional scale.

Now the big Miley Cyrus 'scandal' after her performance on the VMA's got me thinking. The world looked in horror as this young woman (who was once a child role model) started using the foam finger in very outrageous 'shan't be repeated' ways. And then when Robin Thicke wonders out in his flash suit and Miley starts dancing around him with no clear boundaries, again this got me thinking. Jameela jamil writes a very insightful article on this particular topic. Isn't it interesting how the best act that night as the beautiful Justin Timberlake- fully clothed, wearing a hat and scarf, and using musical theatre to really bring his hits to life. Of course I am biased because I hope one day he will marry me, but nevertheless, he was remembered for that performance.

When walking home from work last week, I was listening to an interview with Lady Gaga on a podcast. She constantly describes her music as art. 'Well it's just art, I really have to connect to my music, I don't do pop music, I create art' blah blah blah. Despite the fact her music sounds exactly like any other song in the chart, I actually have a lot of time for Gaga. She's a very articulate, intelligent and educated woman. Her music is very polished and creative. I very much value her opinion. However, when newspapers publish pictures of her in a night club, completely butt naked, when performing her new single, I question the message she's giving out to her audience. Perhaps I'm being too prude and too concerned. Maybe Gaga has got a very innocent and educational explanation for her performance that I'll never truly understand. But it plays on my mind. She lives off this motto that she wants to be different and show her 'monsters' (that's her fans) that it's ok to stand out. What a wonderful message to base your career and lifestyle around. So when asked about her outrageous performance she replies 'there's nothing to be shocked about. It's art. It's very natural to be naked.' Yes, yes it is. But that statement can also be very mistreated, undervalued and abused in this day and age.

The problem when being a role model is that you can't have it both ways. These women put out this image to the whole world that being half naked and grinding a fully clothed man is art. It isn't art. It's objectifying yourself. Ironically they use it as some sort of 'freedom' to be a culture where women no longer need boundaries. I get that. I love the equality this culture is very quickly grasping. However, is it allowing our generation to view the performance and think 'well if showing off your body/appearance is what makes you successful, I'll do it too' and therefore causing a culture with so little boundaries to become out of control.

Now I'm not saying any of these female artists are wrong or immoral. Of course not. I just can't help but feel very trapped in a society where pleasure and appearance comes first. Young women can't escape this belief. For every perfume advert or Linx advert, the littlest amount of clothing for women is practically expected. If you look at celebrities with tattoos- that's fine, it's completely their decision what they have inked on to their skin. But when young people see these tattoos and decide to have the design permanently inked on to their own skin, it makes you think- 'well what next? How much more can they be influenced?'

Now again I am about to sound as biased as they come- but wasn't Taylor Swift's performance on last weeks X Factor such a refreshing thing to see? She was fully clothed, wearing a black polo neck (wouldn't be my first choice of clothes, but sure) and singing about love (of course) with Gary from Snow Patrol. The week before on X Factor, Lady Gaga wore such little clothing I'm still pretty convinced they just found some old shells and tied it with string in order for her performance to actually be aired on national television. 

The point is that Taylor is very much aware of her role through her career- she inspires. But the problem with inspiring others is that there's suddenly a very fragile path in front of you. Every possible tweet, interview, performance, song, outfit, hairstyle is put on a massive billboard for every fan to see, with a heading above it saying 'this is acceptable'.

Now forgetting about women and my slightly feminist blog post- I know someone who inspires millions. This person thrived off being different. He is different in so many wonderful ways and it purposely wasn't for His appearance. It's for His kindness, acceptance, grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, hospitality and leadership. Any guesses on who I'm talking about? Jesus, of course. 

If you want a world that no longer participates in crimes such as rape, discrimination and murder- turn to Jesus as your inspiration. 

These stars are wonderful people. Of course they are, because someone died for them so that they have a purpose.
So I pray that they will be filled with a need to follow Jesus and use their talents, fame and wealth for the glory of God, so that every young person who witnesses these stars future performances, feels a overwhelming need to do the same thing.