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resounding no and it’s time that we did something about it.
Now I’m not a mind reader, but I could guess that you’re probably
thinking – hey, banning sexist music videos sounds pretty sweet, but
how’s that gonna work? Couldn’t anybody figure out how to bypass
a ban?
Well, yes. Those concerns are entirely valid because sadly, there’s
always the undeniable possibility that people will find a way to
upload or access prohibited content. However, placing an embargo
on these music videos does something so much more important
than just trying to stop people from watching them.
It flags to society as a whole that this hyper-sexualised and
objectifying content is not normal and it is not what we should be
basing our behaviour or views towards women off. A label like a ban
says to the community: this probably isn’t something we should be
watching and it promotes a mindset we should work to discourage.
It says to boys: this is not how you treat a girl, or anyone for that
matter. Yet, most importantly, it says to girls: this derogatory and
humiliating treatment that you see here; it’s not okay. It’s not okay,
and you deserve better.
I think we all know that realistically, a ban on music videos where
women are objectified won’t be the ultimate cure for sexism because
sadly, this issue is a lot more complex than that and has many other
causes. Still, we’ve got to find ways to spark that conversation which
leads to progress and we’ve got to take steps against the spread of
ideas that limit equality. A popular platform like music videos is a
good start for us: perhaps prohibiting these videos will help free us
from prejudices against women.
‘
A Problem We
Shouldn’t
Have To Watch
Any Longer