Yesterday I went to a teaching conference held at Harrah’s Casino. It’s Vegas, people; everything happens at casinos. Anyway, as I was driving home I passed a “gentlemen’s club” and noticed a sign announcing a Sarah Palin contest from the night before. Here are some photos from the contest (found at the Toronto Sun). Though there are no topless women in the photos, they might not be safe for your workplace (women in bikinis, including one in a thong bikini photographed from behind).
We’ve had several posts about the sexualization of Sarah Palin (as well as other female politicians) (see here, here, here, and here), but I thought these photos were worthy of their own post. In addition to the sexualization of Palin herself, notice the sexualization of guns (see also here, here, and here). (Also, on the “in Palin we trust” sign in the top photo, there are crossed guns on either side of her face).
The winner got $10,000 and a trip to D.C. for the inauguration.
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I think the replacement of the word “God” with “Palin” is also kind of interesting.
Some of them look more like Tina Fey than Palin, that’s ironic.
What I can’t figure out is: does this event mock Sarah Palin, or endorse her?
In related news, there’s also a Sarah Palin porno being produced.
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/10/07/2008-10-07_new_details_on_larry_flynts_sarah_palin_.html
I have yet to figure out why Palin is being so sexualized, unlike Clinton (who suffered rather the opposite.) I don’t see that big a difference between the physical attractiveness of the two. Is it because Palin “puts herself out there” more? Her relative youth? The longer hair? I don’t get it.
Anna - I’m going out on a limb here, but there are (I believe) a few reasons why Palin is sexualized more than Clinton.
1. She is younger.
2. She used to be a beauty pageant contestant (AFAIK Clinton was not). This mean that there is video and photo footage of her as a contestant, and ties into pre-existing connections with (a) mock beauty pageants and (b) contestants cashing in on their looks in either modeling or pornography.
3. She appears more “in shape” and “shapely” than Clinton. Combining this with 2(b), pushes the envelope for what Kristin writes about above.
4. Many conservatives have sexualized her, and this likely ‘endorses’ similar actions from followers.
5. She is running on the conservative ticket, which has men who tout family/religious values, then publicly fall way short-of-the-mark and normally stands in opposition of vice, both of which therefore makes her a prime candidate for ridicule as a proxy for other established GOP people who support the censure of pornography and vice.
Although this is just conjecture.
@Anna - In fact Clinton was sexualized, its just that the sexualization was in the opposite direction. “She’s so ugly” vs “She’s so hot.” However it amounts to much the same thing: framing the individual as a conduit for male genitalia. (”She’s so ugly” frames the individual that way and implies that the individual is “lacking” because she isn’t a “proper conduit”).
The folks at Feministe can explain it much better than I can: http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2008/10/29/strip-club-holds-sarah-palin-lookalike-contest/#more-9286
While guns are certainly being sexualised, this is not the case, here. It’s Sarah Palin who portrays herself as someone who loves guns. There are two more items that are in the pictures because they belong to Palin’s public image: glasses and Stars and Stripes. To say that this bikini show sexualised guns would mean to say that it also sexualised the American Flag (which is indeed not uncommon) and glasses (which is).
Not to be overlooked, though, is the sexualisation of bathing attire. Or should we all swim in long dresses?
Who cares? It’s perfectly fair and it IS the American Way of capitalism to make money, ain’t it? She puts herself forward as a viable candidate for president (since all vice-presidents have a chance of becoming president) despite her shortcomings on every issue, she has to weather the storm of criticism and satire, no matter what its origin.
I have to add that Hustler’s look-alike in the film (Lisa Ann) probably has better jugs! Oh, yeah, Todd gets some of the parody as well. GO LARRY FLYNT!!!
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[...] Via Sociological Images — a truly great blog I discovered recently — comes this story about a Sarah Palin lookalike contest held at Vegas strip club (oh, sorry, “gentleman’s club”). Lots of bikinis, sexualized use of guns and sexism abound. You can view more photographs of the event here. [...]
[...] by Alternet, I read this blog post at Socialogical Images about a Palin Look-alike contest at a Nevada Strip Club. Funny and the ladies aren’t too [...]
[...] Via Sociological Images — a truly great blog I discovered recently — comes this story about a Sarah Palin lookalike contest held at Vegas strip club (oh, sorry, “gentleman’s club”). Lots of bikinis, sexualized use of guns and sexism abound. You can view more photographs of the event here. [...]
[...] put exactly into words what I’ve been struggling to explain when it comes to Sarah Palin: Via Sociological Images — a truly great blog I discovered recently — comes this story about a Sarah Palin lookalike [...]