F-Bombs for Feminism

holyguacamole79

Warning - NSFW (Language).

I thought some of y'all would get a kick out of this video.  I'm not usually one for this much foul language from kids, but I liked it!
https://player.vimeo.com/video/109731596

emmaaa

I personally hated this. The message is good but the delivery is awful. I don't use language like that as an adult and I sure don't want children using that kind of profanity.

holyguacamole79

That's the weird thing, @emmaaa.  I expected myself to hate it, but I kind of liked it. 

hellohkb

I'm a huge feminist but I'm not fond of the video. I feel like all the girls dropping F-bombs were simply for shock value and to gain views. I love the message behind the video, but I'm not fond of how they chose to go about it.

emmaaa

holyguacamole79 said:

That's the weird thing, @emmaaa.  I expected myself to hate it, but I kind of liked it. 

I think it would have been better received if they didn't subject children to that behavior. An adult put those words in their mouths. Like I said, the underlying message is really good but it is hard to respect the way in which it was presented.

jenna8984

I posted this to my FB yesterday. I love it. Granted I realize that as a Masshole I was raised to talk like a sailor. Literally, my parents would sit down at the dinner table and say "So, how was your fucking day?" That's just how I was raised so I can see how others might not love it.

But one really good point was that someone on FB said "I don't approve of this because we should teach little girls to be classy". And someone responded THAT's the exact point this video is making. That you wouldn't tell a little boy he has to be classy, so why tell a little girl that, you know?! Don't hold them to a different standard just for being a girl.

Sugargirl1019

I personally don't like this either for its delivery.

I would totally raise my boy to be "classy" and gentleman-like. I want my girl to be "classy" and lady-like. I just don't find issues with this.

Gentleman and ladylike have to do with manners and speech and behavior, not what their job or dress is. (But a son who dresses smartly in slacks and a sports coat just like his daddy gets the mommy approval in my book lol)

chibiyui

I've been swearing since I was a kid. I don't judge the swearing, I judge the context of the swearing.

Can't watch the video cause mobile.

morphemes

I thought it was great! Kids know these words (of course they do!) and yes, of course the language was used because of the shock value. To a certain extent. However, the fact that more people are outraged over the language than the contents of the video is quite unsettling. 

flyingfoxes

I dunno - I haven't watched it, but I just don't find kids swearing to be all that charming, no matter the context.

hellohkb

morphemes said:

I thought it was great! Kids know these words (of course they do!) and yes, of course the language was used because of the shock value. To a certain extent. However, the fact that more people are outraged over the language than the contents of the video is quite unsettling. 

It just seemed forced, IMO.

morphemes

hellohkb said: I thought it was great! Kids know these words (of course they do!) and yes, of course the language was used because of the shock value. To a certain extent. However, the fact that more people are outraged over the language than the contents of the video is quite unsettling. 
It just seemed forced, IMO.

I honestly thought it seemed like they were having a good time and talking about important topics. I think it's great that kids are able to think and talk about these topics from a younger age. And, generally speaking, adults don't like the idea of kids using this type of language (or even the idea of kids knowing this type of language) but realistically kids are far more aware than we think. 

ETA: woah disappearing quote boxes

bethsmiles

morphemes said:

I thought it was great! Kids know these words (of course they do!) and yes, of course the language was used because of the shock value. To a certain extent. However, the fact that more people are outraged over the language than the contents of the video is quite unsettling. 

Well they chose to overshadow their message by including children swearing. Of course that's what people were going to focus on. When you do something for shock-value you shouldn't be surprised that is what gets the attention. Plus all of those statistics have been heard before, they've (despite how disgusting they are) lost their shock value.

I don't really have strong opinions about the video either way. I can see how it appeals to some but I also think they alienated people with it. I'm guessing they knew that would happen and figured the benefits would outweigh the cost.

KatieinBkln

I liked the concept better than the execution. I don't love it when little tinys swear like sailors. The older kids, sure, I guess--but the really little ones make me sad, because I like to think they really didn't know those words before they were given their lines.

I agree with the notion that people should be WAY more offended by the stats than by the word "fuck," though. That shit is correct.

chibiyui

Jezebel.com has a write up on the video and links to an ad week article that mentions the Girls Just Want To Have Fundamental Human Rights merchandise that FKH8 is hawking still makes a sizeable profit though some proceeds go to charity. So, the swearing is definitely shock value.

I prefer the feminist sing along to "You Don't Own Me"

ohannabelle

I approve of the video, from the perspective of both a mother and a feminist.

The really shocking thing is not the language, but the fact that people are more offended and shocked by the language than by the disgusting fact that women are still, after all the work of our mothers and grandmothers, second class citizens, and that society accepts that. 

And of course, an adult "put those words in their mouths." These children are acting, reading from a script, and doing it pretty well. Children aren't stupid, and their intelligence shouldn't be underestimated. They know that it's inappropriate language, and presumably why they're using it in this performance. 

I would gladly have let my children drop a few F bombs to contribute to a socially relevant piece of performance art like this. And they would have been smart enough to get it, and not to drop those bombs at home, or school. 

hellohkb

bethsmiles said:

morphemes said:

I thought it was great! Kids know these words (of course they do!) and yes, of course the language was used because of the shock value. To a certain extent. However, the fact that more people are outraged over the language than the contents of the video is quite unsettling. 

Well they chose to overshadow their message by including children swearing. Of course that's what people were going to focus on. When you do something for shock-value you shouldn't be surprised that is what gets the attention. Plus all of those statistics have been heard before, they've (despite how disgusting they are) lost their shock value.

I don't really have strong opinions about the video either way. I can see how it appeals to some but I also think they alienated people with it. I'm guessing they knew that would happen and figured the benefits would outweigh the cost.

--
Yep. I don't think it's a huge deal but it would be cool to see videos that focus on the facts instead of doing something for shock. The shocking part is that people are still expected to adhere to gender roles. Adding something else to make it edgy and gimmicky is just meh.

[Deleted User]

bethsmiles

pinkrevenge said:

Frankly, even if I think the delivery was clumsy, I don't think even one of us would be talking about this video it the little girls didn't say fuck.

So saying it "distracts from the message" to me, feels disingenuous, because I doubt the message would have even left the website without the controversy.

If you don't want to resort to controversial shit, fine, but realize that the grim reality is that the message isn't strong enough for people to listen unless they added the shock value. None of these facts are new, but no one talks about them until you stick a child in a princess outfit and make her swear. That's the real problem.

You make a very valid point. I think it does just come down to the fact that the people who made this video knew some people wouldn't like it but decided that getting people to talk about it at all was worth some people being negative because of the swearing. And of course anything pointing out gender inequality gets plenty of comments from sexist assholes.

[Deleted User]

mrs4everhart

If this video had zero shock value it would never get watched by the exact same individuals who need to see it most. 

sophhabobopha

Fuck yes.

hellohkb

It did get people talking, which is great. I hope people talk about the actual issue and not just the swearing, though.

VulgarGirl

When I was 7 I gave a class presentation about feminism and unequal pay. There was a Q&A portion and someone said that feminists were just gross and couldn't get men to take care of them (other 7 year old said this, cause kids do hear the fucked up shit their parents say) and my response was "That's fucked up"...there was a parent teacher conference. 

These little girls sound like my future daughter.