I recently watched a short video that promoted female power, hard work, and success.
I cringed the entire time.
While the intended message was something I get pretty freaking pumped about and like to encourage myself, the delivery was something I couldn't stop shaking my ponytail at.
The title of the video was “Bitch in Business” and was a musical parody of the popular pop song “All about that Bass.”
(watch it here, please note language not suitable with kiddos in the room).
I suppose it was intended to endorse gender equality, encourage strong female leadership in the professional/business world, and address the issue that women who take the bull by the horns are often called the big ol’ B word.
Some of the lyrics state, “gettin’ called bitch means I’m doing something right” as well as “you say babies are for girls, business is for boys, try telling that to my stay-at-home *uck toy.” The video also included the female actresses (dressed in professional office attire) grabbing their body parts to emphasize the message and some of their points.
I know this is a favored mindset in pop-culture (and I may be in the minority for thinking this) but I can’t quite think of a worse way to promote female leadership.
To state that a woman who chooses to use these words, is unapologetic, and gets called a *itch is a role model is, to me, horribly unintelligent, short-sighted, and cheap.
There is a difference between being strong-willed and crass. A difference between being influential and forceful. A difference between being someone you unfortunately remember and someone you don’t want to forget.
The opposition that the women in this parody combat sound like horrible professionals as well. The video states that they call their female colleagues derogatory names, ask them to overlook prompted questions, and negatively suggest that they use alternative tones when speaking.
To my ears and eyes, the video is portraying two sides of the same uninspiring “professional.”
There is a way to achieve professional success that does not include either of the personalities described above. A way that does not include crude behavior, negative opinions of the opposite sex, or vulgar words.
This is not a suggestion to be prude or uptight. It’s a suggestion to teach ourselves (and ESPECIALLY those following in our footsteps) that success, wealth, position, and prosperity is best attained with hard work, integrity, intelligence, poise, and respect.
That to apologize is sometimes necessary.
That being a kind human is not submissive, it’s respectful.
That using articulate, insightful, and intelligent words is far more honorable than using expletives and grabbing private body parts.
Before you may ask, I know full well what it's like to live and work in a professional space very much like what this video illustrates. I am currently 1 of 2 females in a sales office with 16 men. 90% of the time I'm the only female in a boardroom with a dozen males and have conversations with the opposite sex FAR more often than my own.
I get it, I'm not naive.
What I don't understand is the mentality that the females in the video describe. That they feel they need to use lewd, unattractive vocabulary to promote equality. That they feel being apologetic at times is unacceptable and being "hard" or a "badass bitch" is inspiring.
I hope my future children don't aspire to a be a "bad ass *itch who doesn't give a sh*t " but that's just me. I hope they don't think that women have two options: meekly submit or forcefully oppose. I hope that they don't think that resisting a viewpoint is best matched by using the same measures of their opposition.
I don't usually highlight something that doesn't have to do with fitness, peanut butter, or food but this really struck me and warranted rambling.
And it does have something to do with our little fitness world. Time and again I see a woman describing herself as a "badass bitch who doesn't give a *uck what other people think." (usually in relation to women with muscle "fighting" stereotypes). You're not fighting, you're using vocabulary that makes you look unintelligent. Pony up, understand people have different viewpoints, and rock what your momma gave you because YOU love it. Not because other people don't.
I hope more women (and men) realize that we're human. That yes inequality exists (in the weight room and in the boardroom) but you're not doing any favors to your intended cause by opposing it in a disrespectful way.
Grab your heels, sneakers, purses, briefcases, and brains and realize that there's something better than being a bad ass *itch and it's called being an intelligent human.
