[WARNING THIS BLOG DEALS WITH SUGGESTIVE CONTENT AND VULGAR LANGUAGE...READER DISGRESSION IS ADVISED]
Let's be honest, unless you live in a cave you have to have come to the conclusion that parts of our society run on the idea that sex sells. The media tends to "sex up" our television shows, magazines, and music and we, the hungry public, take it all in. Some of the most controversial and sexual parts of media involve women. For decades, women have been battling the fine line between being portrayed as innocent verses the role of the sex kitten. Particularly in our pop music culture, women have been scandalized as being too sexy and over the top. But is there a message behind their actions?Are these women actually revealing a more sexual side to raise awareness towards female empowerment or are they trying to build a larger fan base?
Girls Gone Wrong....?
Sexuality is definitely being showcased more-so in recent months. A large amount of attention was brought onto music video content with female songstress and fashionista Lady GaGa's release of her video "Telephone" back in March. The song's video which featured singer and actress Beyonce Knowles showed a scantily clothed GaGa dancing around jail in caution tape and in very sexual situations with other females.The 9 minute video caused a lot of hype in the music industry for the risque scenes shown.
However, according to theatlantic.com, GaGa's video is symbolic to the way that fame has caged her up and left her vulnerable. The jail represents the platform she has been put on by "The Fame Monster" and by being stripped of her clothing is symbolic as if she was being bared before the media.
If we look to pop princess Christina Aguilera who has just released her newest video "Not Myself Tonight", the singer's image is very different than her previous one on her "Back To Basics" album where her image was 1930's inspired. The video has been released with edited and unedited versions. Is Aguilera degrading herself?
Many fans are either shocked by the sudden change of image or a bit upset because of her resemblence to Lady GaGa in the video. Others are looking to Aguilera as further establishing female power and sexual control.
"I watched the unedited version, and I dont really see the video as degrading," said Sophmore Stephanie Diaz. "I dont particularly like the video, because I feel like it is too much from Christina. It's kind of like "Dirrty" meets Lady Gaga, it's just not her. I dont feel the video is degrading because it doesnt show men using women, the women of the video are in charge of their own sexuality and to me that is an empowering message."
The video itself raises many questions about Aguilera's upcoming "Bionic" album. Fans are upfront about their feelings on the song/video combo.
"It's quite a disturbing video, but I don't see the women being degraded." commented Sophmore Jaclyn Light. She explains her distates for certain parts of the video including when the singer seems to be bound and gagged. "I think she is just being way too sexual. It's not even hinting at it, it's full out saying "porno" to me," said Light.
One has to question whether Aguilera's actions are for female empowerment 
or self gain in a fan base as this is not the first time she has changed her image.Taking a look into Aguilera's history, it seems she was a case of good girl gone bad with her "Dirrty"video. Fans were shocked by this image as well because previous to this image, she was known as the Disney mousketeer and associated with her image in pop hits such as "Genie in the Bottle" and "What A Girl Wants".
Breaking Out From Disney
Aguilera is not the only artist to break out of her good girl image as former Disney star Miley Cyrus is shedding her Hanna Montanah days for a more sexual side. Her new video "Tamed" portrays the teen as a wild bird who cannot be tamed and includes a bit of suggestive choreography. Brittney Spears has also been one of the most publicized cases of changing images in pop culture. Like Cyrus and Aguilera, Spears was also a part of Disney. Former Cheetah Girl Kiely Williams has also released a video which raises questions from fans. Williams' "Spectacular" depicts a woman who gets drunk after partying and doesn't remember anything but having intercourse.
Many fans took their outrage to YouTube coming down on the star for her newly acquired image in the video.
The magnitude of comments ad reactions caused Williams to vlog her own reply stating: "Yes, I still believe in girl power, yes I still believe that young women should stay true to their dreams, stay true to themselves, and their friends. But I also do know a lot of 20 somethings who go out and get a little bit too drunk and go home with a guy whoose name they can't quite remember." said Williams. "It does happen alot and maybe it's something that all we need to talk about."
Are these women seeking attention from fans or just trying to get a message of female empowerment on to young women?
The circle could represent a pentagram circle and Rihanna is donning horns that could also represent the goat horns of satanic worship. But hey, it could just be me looking too far into images..! Rihanna could just be very smart and simply using extreme images for attention. All could just be fun with abstract...I don't know....
