WAYS THE 2000s WAS SEXIST
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lastic Doll'' is a song by Lady Gaga, as part of her studio album “Chromatica,” and acts as a response to her objectification during her early to mid 2000s career. The artist draws a comparison between herself and Barbie, even referring to herself as “Malibu Gaga” at one point in the song. Gaga likens herself to the iconic doll because she felt an expectation to perform and appeal to the public gaze. Her aim was to tell her audience both the public and the music industry that she no longer wants to play this role of a plastic doll, in which she was put in a box and taken advantage of.
represented a larger issue of misogyny many female pop stars in the 2000s had to deal with. Being in the limelight as
attention and harassment were all part of the job. But like the plastic doll Gaga sang about, these women were only expected to dress pretty and entertain; they were not allowed to fully speak for themselves or reveal any kind of
In her 2020 interview with artist Zane Lowe, Lady Gaga explains how she used “Plastic Doll” and other songs within her album to reclaim this fantastical pop star image that was used by the media to shame her. “I am doing an incredibly human thing, even though I feel like a plastic doll. Look at me, I’m so fucking human.” This became Gaga’s mantra when developing this personal album as part of her process of healing; the songs acted as self reflection on her early years in the music industry, a “crazy” era she now feels compassion for. Gaga once believed the ridicule she faced for her substance abuse and self harm was deserved because of the “weird shit” she would do. However, Gaga felt her suffering only proved she was worthy of love as it showed signs of her fragile humanity beneath her celebrity costume.
So when Gaga was open about her battles with sobriety or when Britney Spears had her mental breakdown, much of the public turned against these stars as they had gone out of their “picture perfect” roles. Not only did these women not receive moral support for their problems, they were also blamed for them because of how they had presented themselves in the spotlight. The subject matter of their music or the clothes these pop stars wore were being used against them, as though it was justifiable that they were receiving this negative attention. The idols, having sacrificed most of their autonomy for the public during their career, were now the public enemy as they were now viewed as bad role models for young girls. The dolls that originally entertained thousands were now being shelved.
From a 2022 lens, it's easy to see now that these pop stars were a product of their environment, as the constant barrage of hate and gossip likely exacerbated their poor mental and physical health. Their very human problems were being demonized by the media and the public followed suit because of the above average expectation set for celebrities. This era that normalized this mistreatment only enforced this negative narrative against pop stars, which led to an era of internalized sexism, the popularization of gossip outlets, and overall objectification.
femininity by putting down other girls. Though it could be as simple as hating the color pink or becoming a “tomboy”, the development of this behavior had more serious implications. This kind of misogyny is normalized as a means of rewarding womanhood accepted by the patriarchy and demonizing women’s sexual freedom.This did not happen overnight; rather, teen oriented media in the 2000s encouraged this in fighting, aligning such attitudes to heroines of their stories.
One of the main offenders is the film Mean Girls (2004), which tells the story of Cady Heron, a formerly homeschooled teen that finds herself in the clutches of the “Plastics”, a clique of popular girls that take advantage of her naivety. The aim of the film was to discourage girls from fighting over male attention and instead to empower one another, which was echoed by the character, Ms.Norbury, near the end of the film. Though it occasionally succeeds in this goal, other times, the film is — in the words of Gretchen Wieners— not so fetch; their attempts at empowerment through “slut shaming” contradicts the movie’s feminist values. As Laurie McMillian writes in her essay, MixedMessages: SlutshaminginMeanGirlsandEasyA, the film establishes this clear divide between the behavior of a good girl versus that of a bad girl, specifically when it comes to female desire. The innocent, down to earth Cady Heron juxtaposes with boy obsessed, popular girl Regina George, who is the main antagonist of the film. Most of Cady’s problems begin when she joins Regina’s clique, as she temporarily becomes the antagonist while looking the part, donning mini skirts instead of her usual worn out jeans. Cady returns back to “normal” by the end of the film, where she now prioritizes studying and healthy friendships. Regina receives her own transformation as well, where she leaves the Plastics and joins the Lacrosse team to manage her anger.
Though not apparent on the surface, the girls’ fate implies a problematic message to young girls about their womanhood, specifically what is seen as acceptable to have a happy ending. As mentioned before, much of what is seen as “bad” for Cady is heavily associated with sexuality and hyperfemininity, losing the respect of her friends and crush, Aaron, because she had become what she once hated — Regina. In order to be accepted again, Cady had to return to her former ways, which she was rewarded for (i.e. being friends with Janis again and dating Aaron).
This association of self respect with repressed femininity was similarly valued in the real world, as singers such as Avril Lavigne and Hayley Williams were praised for their “not like other girls'' attitude. While these artists were praised, women that expressed their sexuality through their art were heavily demonized; female pop stars were seen as bad role models by parents because they were “selling their bodies”. When they were in the public gaze, these women were sometimes deemed controversial and criticized for not aligning with an acceptable standard for femininity. In the 2000s, being a female artist comfortable with her sensuality was like a double edged sword; though much of their fame benefitted from being sexually free, it also meant becoming a social pariah. Much of the harassment female pop stars endured would continue under internalized sexism, as many women believe it to be justified.
