Enjoy this clip from Fox’s Battle of the Bods where women try to guess in what order men will rank them according to their face, their body, and both. As I suggest in my title, I think it’s a wonderful example of how being objectified places women in competition with each other and, thus, creates conflict and antagonism. Thus, women are “catty” because of gender inequality, NOT because of those two pesky X chromosomes or something to do with hormones.
See this post for a breast implant ad suggesting that bigger boobs make you look smarter. And see this post for ads capitalizing on the stereotype that women are naturally bitchy to each other.
Via Feministe and The Feminist Underground.
Comments 13
73man — July 14, 2008
Maybe this is off-topic but I cannot believe this show. Everyone's surprised one of the 'contestants' gets hurt for being ranked?! Come on people: stop auditioning for this crap.
On another level, this is like the worst teenage game ever invented: "i'm better than you, no way i'm better than YOU."
Will — July 14, 2008
Wow, this is just vile beyond belief. Note the underlying message here, too - the girl isn't sad about being ranked last, because she is still prettier than thousands of other women (and hence "superior") but because she is being cheated - she deserves to be ahead of those other women. She also brings class and race into it by attacking the other girl's heritage.
Mel — July 16, 2008
What if I, woman X, think mysel more attractive than Y, but less so than Z, but at the same time Y feels more attractive than Z?
Sociological Images » Bacardi Says, “Get an Ugly Friend to Make You Look Better!” — June 22, 2009
[...] We see it happen live in this horrendous clip from Battle of the Bods. [...]
Dan — September 15, 2009
A couple of comments here.
1. This show is utter trash
2. The only reason the contestants are on the show is that they want to be.
3. Even the babes who I would classify as "hotties" if I saw them elsewhere, for appearing on this show they are "notties"
Jessica — September 16, 2009
Dan - nobody cares what makes you hard.
Oh you — January 23, 2011
I'm sorry, but I was unable to sit through watching these ugly "people."
Anyone have a transcript? Even better, anyone have a video of an attractive female reading me the transcript?
That's odd — January 23, 2011
I don't understand the big deal. She deserved number 5, her nose was all weird. Why is everyone going crazy over this?
Linda — May 17, 2011
newsflash - you put people in competition and they become competitive!
Idle Ethnographer — September 9, 2011
This it not competition, this is the passive aggression of people reduced to a spectacle (and not even realising that they are playing up to the `male gaze'. Men aren't realising that either). Foucault at his best and saddest.
Should Moms Hate Childless Women? - — June 6, 2013
[...] their value, their beauty, or anything else about them. This post, analyzing the reality show Battle of the Bods, is a stark [...]
Efrhen Gallego — November 18, 2016
So women hate each other .so what? the fact is Young men hate each other too and at whole other level far more nasty. The rivalry and struggle between men reflected in gangs,crimes,sports and even war leads to the fact that 8 out 10 murder victims globally are men. So as a man is far easier to wind up being a victim. Femenist do not say that