By Pia Guerrero, Co-Founder and Co-Editor
I just came across this post at Jezebel revealing an interesting make-over of Mariah Carey. The new Mariah no longer sports a body baring tube top. Her body jewelry has disappeared and a simple top covers her shoulders, chest and trunk. Clearly the old school Butterfly album cover has been photoshopped.
Apparently some Saudi Arabian digital manipulators have masterfully put clothes on the famous singer in accordance with their cultural standards. In Saudi Arabia women are denied the right to vote along with freedom to wear what they please. And while this digital effort reinforces the widespread Saudi practice of oppressing women–I kinda like the the results. In our culture we are constantly overwhelmed with hyper-sexualized images of girls, women and celebrities. It’s refreshing to see Carey purposely sexed down instead of sexed up.
In looking at this transformation, I actually noticed a shift in my own perception. I’ve become so numb to the sexual objectification of women in our media, I’ve never noticed the clothing (or lack there of) that Carey wore in her younger years. In fact, the Saudi’s modest Mariah actually made me consider who the singer is as a thinking, breathing person (then and now). To me she’s been an object and a carefully crafted construction used to move product. Not so much anymore. Thanks Saudia Arabia!
Click here to see more of Modest Mariah.
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I certainly like the covered version better. She still looks sexy but not so contrived. The tube top version looks like she is trying waaaay to hard to do something, but I’m not exactly sure what. And while I am all for attractive girls and women being smart, somehow the revealing photo just doesn’t fit. It’s not convincing at all.
I admit that I’ve always discounted Mariah Carey’s talent and IQ because of her poor taste (or her manager’s) in wardrobe.
Admittedly, sex appeal is a big component of selling entertainment. I find, as with the change above, that my response is much more positive, engaged, and curious when less is overtly revealed.