Where’s the social justice in a ‘booty bag’?

Deeply rooted in practical scholarship and principles of social justice expressed as ethical awareness, leadership development, economic progress and civic engagement, Roosevelt University encourages community partnerships and prepares its diverse graduates for responsible citizenship in a global society. — excerpt from Roosevelt University’s mission statement

The above quote comes from the university where I’m currently doing my grad work, the same one that hosted bikini clad models handing out ‘booty bags’ in our main lobby just last Thursday. Let me explain:

Our spring break officially began today and continues on all next week, and in preparation for the break our Student Center for Involvement brought in Macy’s to do a promo event.  The event was 2 tall, white, thin models wearing bikinis and ski jackets handing out Macy’s paraphernalia.  Apparently it’s a part of Macy’s Star Beach Party, a campaign specifically directed at college students, where Roosevelt is not the only target.  Loyola, Depaul, Northwestern and UIC have also been targeted to host this “beach party” on their campuses, and if it goes well Macy’s intends to take this on the road, so watch for half naked models in a town near you.

As if their presence was not enough, they were handing out what Macy’s has called, ‘booty bags’.  One side features a black and white close up of a very thin, white, female bikini clad behind-where her bikini is threatening to creep up and reveal her entire tiny butt — and the other side features a black and white bikini cleavage shot, with the phrase “This spring break is gonna be hot” across the chest that is threatening to fall out of its tiny bikini top.

I found out about this event from a female in my WGS 404 “Comparative Feminisms” class, when she proudly brandished the bag she had received that morning, and said she didn’t see what the “big deal” was about.  When our instructor informed the class that another WGS class was planning to write letters to the university complaining about the event, this same female rolled her eyes and said, “oh my god”.  At this point, I could feel an anger stroke slowly creeping over me.  The professor then asked her to elaborate, which was a real treat.  I can’t quote her exactly, as half way through her ignorant defense of consumerist misogyny, my ears simply shut off.  But she said something along the lines of, it’s just a joke it’s not meant to be taken seriously I don’t see why people are making such a big deal, so forth and so forth.

At that time, I remained silent because I knew I would only respond with rage and probably some less than polite language.  But now, I offer this as a response:

Here is why it is a “big deal”.

First of all, this campaign has no place at our university.  We cannot claim to have a social justice mission, one deeply rooted in ethical awareness, and support the exploitation of women in such a fashion as this.  When I show up for class, I expect to be academically challenged by thoughtful discourse, not met with sexist objectifications of women the moment I walk into the lobby.  Even exiting the lobby is no use, as the disembodied images of female sex, captured so cleanly in the booty bag, are all around the building.  While the dismembering of the female body is not a new advertising concept, it too has no place in this school.  The reduction of females to large tits and a small butt were not in my course descriptions for the spring.

But what I am perhaps most troubled by, is the fact that the university condoned bringing all of this, into the school.  I can only be so angry at Macy’s for inventing this campaign, because their main goal is get money.  They’re not a social justice institution, I don’t pay them tuition, they sell over priced labels to image obsessed consumers. Needless to say, Marshall Field’s would never have invented trash like this.

Back to the point, I am angered that no one in the decision making process of bringing this to our school, had any qualms about it.  Did they not see how problematic this entire event really was?  Perhaps they were unaware that 10%of college aged women suffer from a clinical, or nearly clinical, eating disorder.  Or that(according to NCADV 2008 statistics) one out of four women will be sexually assaulted on a college campus.  Or that at least one college student has died while on a spring break trip for the past 6years.  It is difficult for me to believe that not one person involved in this process had at least heard of any of these statistics.  Which leads me to believe that they, like the female in my class, thought it was all in good fun, all for a laugh. So hysterical.  That would mean that the school is not living up to its mission statement by instilling ethical awareness in its student body.  The choice is ignorance or failure, neither one seems particularly desirable.

Unfortunately I am all too aware that most of the complaints, particularly those coming from the WGS class, will be quickly dismissed in a-pay no attention to those feminists behind the curtain-fashion, but I urge more students to step forward and let our school know that this is not acceptable.  That it is not acceptable to bring us a sexist, degrading, cheap, consumer ploy and call it ‘student programming’, and that we won’t stay silent about it.  If we all yell loud enough someone has to hear, right?