Blog 6

The You Tube video chosen, “Bootylicious”, consists of a collection of clips featuring Cuddy and is an obvious example of the objectification of women’s bodies that occurs in media. Among other scenes, the video contains clips of Cuddy in low cut clothing, night gowns, and clips that focus more on her butt and her walking away. These scenes and the entire video as a whole, used in conjunction with its theme song “Bootylicious” by Beyonce, are symbolic of how “women are systematically objectified and commodified in the media” (Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey 251). By doing this the video negates the professional standing, skills, and abilities of Dr. Cuddy and portrays not only how the show, but “dominant culture often reduces women to bodies, valuing us only as sex objects” (Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey 121). This negation of Cuddy’s professional image in light of her beauty/sex image favors “the separation of body and mind as a fundamental element of Western thought” (Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey 124). This can be combined with the idea that “the main use of any culture is to provide symbols and ideals out of which to construct a sense of what is real” (Johnson 34). Thus, according to this view and ideal media works to show that “what is real” (Johnson 34) is that women are expected to be judged foremost by their bodies, not by any professional position or accomplishments they’ve achieved.

The video also has an obvious connection to the idea that equates “women’s attempts to be thin [to being] a third job” (Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey 123). The opening scenes of the You Tube video depict Cuddy exercising and then putting on make-up. This provides a subtle connection to what Gwyn and Okazawa-Rey depict in their discussion of the efforts women take to live up to beauty ideals put upon them by dominant society.

The end depicts House grabbing Cuddy’s butt and making a joke while Cuddy laughs. This is especially concerning in terms of what it symbolizes about male-female interactions. The fact that this scene is not only a part of a popular TV show but also included in a fan video shows the impact it has on a wide audience. It appears that the creator of the fan video included this scene not to critique its demeaning undertone but to further emphasize the part of Cuddy that serves as the focus of this video, her butt. This supports the idea that such portrayals of women are instilled and ingrained into culture in such a way that “when we hear or express sexist jokes…we may not recognize it, and even if we do, we may say nothing” (Johnson 36).

“Dr Cuddy – Bootylicious.”: Lililo78. YouTube. 2007. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ay-lvSwAJX0&feature=related>. 2 March 2009.

Johnson, Allan G. “Patriarchy, the System (1997).” Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. 28-37.

Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey. “Women’s Bodies and Beauty Ideals.” Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. 121-130.

Kirk, Gwyn and Margo Okazawa-Rey. “Violence Against Women.” Women’s Lives: Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk and Margo Okazawa-Rey. 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2007. 249-263.