Fergie recently released her much-anticipated new video featuring several celebrity moms. The hit song and video have gone viral, but the tongue-and-cheek visuals have enraged many people on the internet (surprise, surprise).
When I first heard the song and saw the video it was clear to me that it was created to be intentionally ridiculous, to the point where I found it to be obviously poking fun at a derogatory word/acronym. This was even more apparent when Fergie released a public statement of her intention with the song and the “real” meaning of the title:
“Changing the acronym to Moms I’d Like To Follow is about empowering women who do it all.”
Is it clear that this is the new acronym for the song? I don’t think so…. but I don’t think this matters. The video is so over-the-top with its typical sexist visuals that come to us in the atypical packaging of motherhood. This points the finger at society, who tell us women should not be seen as sexy in the context of motherhood, because our culture still greatly suffers from a madonna-whore complex. And it becomes even more apparent with the use of props in the video to play with the minds of those watching (i.e. dousing themselves in what seems to be breast milk).
Even in this context could the video still be seen as offensive? Absolutely (although I think they could have pushed the envelope even more)…. but again, this comes down to using humor with provocative and sensationalistic content to drive home a point or a cause that is quite sobering. In this case, it’s sexism in our culture and the problem we seem to have with seeing women as multifaceted and complex individuals.
And on a final note- Chrissy Teigen breastfeeding at the beginning of the video, even this silly video, shows us the continued normalization of this particular issue in western culture. Everyone has their own way of advocating for something important.
So good job, ladies… discomfort by society is necessary in order for us to move forward.
