The recent discussion over "Joe Sixpack Biden" brought up issues of sexualization, admiring the body, hypocrisy, etc. It sort of reminded me of issues in other areas dealing with complaining about complaining about sexiness. While I'm not going to specifically handle the image in question, I am going to discuss the nature of sexualization as I see it.
The sexy woman (or even just the woman) is a symbol of sex. It's a popular and effective shorthand for sexuality in general. You see it and recognize the lingo even before you know what sex is. True, the shorthand can be used effectively and even be appreciated across the board. The problem is when the shorthand becomes the actual vocabulary, and it gets even worse when it becomes the required vocabulary for everyday speech.
See, there is nothing wrong with expressing sexuality and what you like. Sex can give something a good "kick," like how putting some cheese on your food can add a good finishing touch. If you've gone to an establishment like Applebee's, though, you may have noticed a certain school of cooking that says that anything will be good so long as it has cheese/dairy (see: veggie patch pizza. Grossest. Dish. EVER!). You might, say, order an omelette at your cafeteria and watch as the cook puts the filling and a handful of Industrial Shredded Cheddar inside, and then, to finish it, puts another handful on top. You might have encountered the lasagna with one or two measly spinach leaves in a sea of cheese, topped by an inch thick layer of melted cheese. In a cheese-dominated world, you learn to eat and eat around cheese, but you can't really do it when the cheese has become the dish. That's when your pent up frustration from years and years of dealing with cheese comes out in a violent righteous fury.
You see the ads for pizza... with more cheese! Another layer of cheese! Cheese filled crust! It's as if the amount of cheese can totally hide the crappy product it's on! Well, no, it can't, which must be why they've decided the cheese is the product itself. That's what the food's always been about--the cheese? Really?
Who decided that pizza should be gooey, anyway? Pizza that's gooey with cheese falls apart. (Speaking of pizza, you know what they say about it, right? Sure, even bad pizza's at least edible, but why settle for a world of bad pizza? That's just sad.)
On top of that, even if you liked it a little, it's not that good to eat so much cheese, and it wreaks havoc on your sinuses. Damn it, stop it with the cheese already! I'll be happy if I never see cheese again!
It takes a rediscovery, almost an epiphany, to learn to love cheese again... unless you're lactose intolerant.
So, where am I going with this? Well, consider comic books. Sexism is and was part and parcel of comics, but it hasn't always operated same way. Now, take popular comics a few decades ago, and you'll see.. women drawn to be attractive with an ample bosom. Some comics were sexier than others. Fast forward into the present, you see popped spines, large breasts, non-combat poses and all the usual suspects as a standard for all comics. When every single woman is posing in a "sexy" way in every panel, when you can see the curves of the backside through pants and a jacket... that's too much cheese. They have gone overboard with the cheese. It's not just a decent looking female, maybe a particularly sexy one thrown in there, or the occasional shower scene or pinup. There's cheese in every dang panel, even in the places where cheese does (or should not) match up with what it's melted over.
It's not that cheese itself is bad. It's not that cheese should never be sprinkled on anything. Cheese standing on its own can be very good, especially when backed up by good complementary food and drink, or when appreciated with friends, wine, and conversation. The problem is that cheese, like our friend Industrial Shredded Yellow bought by the sack, is already everywhere and everything. It's become a standard of cooking, and it's not a good one. It's not healthy (saturated fat, cholesterol, pimples, mucus overproduction) and it's repetitive, shallow, and lazy. Just because a person who really doesn't care for cheese might appreciate a little or certain types now and then doesn't mean rampant cheese usage around her and her other friends who make up half the population is fine.
Also, lots of people are lactose intolerant. Many people don't even realize they're lactose intolerant and they go through life not knowing why they've been having problems. They eat the cheese because they're supposed to, because it's normal. They're cooperating the status quo, but there's no reason they should suffer just because cheese usage is rampant. They should by all means fight for food they can eat and enjoy without forcing themselves to. They should fight for the right to don't even have a molecule of cheese existing on the same menu as foods that use cheese sensibly and effectively. They should point out the Cheese School of Cooking philosophy whenever possible, because people take it for granted and perpetuate it without knowing without ever recognizing or questioning it. They should demand that what they do like isn't treated as some bizarre subculture that threatens cheese.
I think my cheese metaphor has run out of steam here. If you want, I can continue this, writing about appreciation of the male body, using a side dish/main course and/ or chocolate and/or desserts metaphor.
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I couldn't agree more. There's nothing wrong with sexy and sexual women-- in fact, they happen to be awesome. But do I need to see women in their underwear to convince me to buy EVERY product on the market? Do I need to hear a woman having an orgasm in EVERY radio ad? Do I need to see gyrating women in EVERY music video?
In sum, I too am really fucking sick of cheese.
am i missing something? as I understood it the phrase "joe six pack" was another term to describe "the average joe", six pack being a reference to a six pack of beer.
I think joe biden's name just happens to be joe. I didn't think anyone was actually referring to joe biden as "six pack".
What I dislike: abused analogies.
What I really dislike: clearly casomorphin-addicted trolls. (Look it up!)
You should have stopped at the end of the last paragraph.
duh... I meant to say the second paragraph!
I was referring to the post in the regular blog with Joe Biden's face pasted onto Michael Phelps' body. It sparked a big discussion of how feminists who complain about objectification of women could do such a thing.
(.... "Probably?")
:( Aw, ouch.
You know when you look at a word for so long that it stops being a word you know the meaning of or even for sure how to pronounce? Yeah, that just happened to me with "cheese."
That, however, isn't to say I regret reading the post. I agree 100%, and I think it's a really good analogy (plus, those pizzas with the cheese in the crust? Ew! Congealed cheese is the worst!).
fuck the haters. you're completely right! love it!
Not only do I feel you on the lactose woes (same boat my friend!) I also think your linking of "cheese[cake]" poses/images with globby slimy cheese-products by the pound was genius. Neuro-linguistic programming anyone? I'm never going to see a pointless panty on an ad again without thinking about the lump of congealing cheese-food that I leave on my plate after many restaurante meals.
Ess236 is right- though there has been an issue on the site with trolls (I'm an MRA/troll too, btw), I think some people are just a teensy little bit oversensitive to things that make them uncomfortable.