Battle of the bods

http://www.hulu.com/watch/42430/battle-of-the-bods-bad-boys-rank-the-bods#s-p2-n1-so-i0

All reality shows represent the body in a specific way, but I have found one where this is more blatant. The name is “Battle of the Bods” and I chose a specific episode where “bad boys” are to judge 5 from “hot to not” and the women rank themselves on how they believe the men will think. During this process the women flaunt themselves in front of a two way mirror while the men remain behind closed doors.

The episode is introduced with clips of men drooling, and shots the women’s bodies in bikinis and lingerie. Accompanying these imagines is the host asking “Will these women be able to work together as a team or will their cattiness land them in the doghouse”; the icon beside the host’s name is a silhouette of a naked woman lying and showing off her curves. This implies a woman’s worth is determined by her body and when she forms an opinion or work with others, her opinion of herself and her pride gets in the way of achieving the goal; in this case that is $500 per match.

This goes with a gendered gaze that is now intensified. 1. A woman’s body is for objectification by males, and her literal and figurative rank is heightened by how sexual she is and 2. She may form opinions, but they’re most likely selfish and not thought through, therefore doing things like working as a team or perspective taking is a spectacle. At one point the host asks “there’s some genius in there, are you sure you’re not really a man”? This is in regards to a women guessing correctly, but it sounds like an assumption that men are the ones with functioning brains.

Although the show focuses on a gendered gaze, race also comes into play. In this episode, there is a woman from China and she is ranked last in all categories. Both the women and men believe that, thinking as “bad boys”, she will not be found as attractive. In other episodes Asian women were ranked higher based on their sexuality and their exoticism, but if she is not Asian American or “exotic”, she is less likely to rank as high. Allowing this image to be seen puts a strong racialized and internalized gaze into your mind: that you should be “exotic” or and Americanized to be attractive.

The internalized gaze is prominent in this show. Although they are determining their rank on how “bad boys’ think, the women will always rank themselves and others based on how women “should” look. The women need a perfect fat to muscle ratio; but, there was more leeway if women are slightly larger and have bigger butts/breasts. For example, one woman didn’t receive high ranks in the face or overall, but when she turned around for the butt competition she received first rank. These standards can be internalized and are usually unrealistic for most women to achieve unless they alter themselves. Also, having 3 men and 5 women come to a consensus on who is the least and most attractive makes it seem like all men have to think the same. This probably is why there are increasing makeover shows. Gallagher highlights this in “You Need a Makeover”; there are socially constructed ideals of what women should look like, usually a “natural look”, but in the end the only way to achieve this is through makeup and other means. Also, in the 18^th century beauty was spiritual beauty in moral goodness, but today there has been a shift and it is quite the opposite (59 Gallagher and Pecot-Hebert). The women in this show are judged based what she can wear (or not wear) on her body and face, and on her outward sexuality rather than lack of. The ideal version of femininity has very narrow constraints and is based on a very specific way that the body should look like and the way that it should be presented in the male’s eye.

The show highlights how women should look based on race and body types, but what it all comes down to is sexuality. The more sexual a woman is, or tries to be, the higher her rank. Karen Boyle states in “That’s So Fun” that the boundaries between the pornographic and the mainstream have become increasingly blurred in recent years, and that this process can be called pornification (293 Boyle). This episode is a perfect example, between the swaying of the hips and the suggestive dialogue, the show is continuing to make women’s sexuality more open in the public eye. This may be a step in the right direction but I find it troubling. A women’s sexuality is nothing to hide but it being directed towards men they have never met to earn a rank on their bodies is not progressive. The show is “supposed” to be about using their knowledge to put themselves in men’s shoes but the direction that it actually takes isn’t fooling anybody.

            “Reality” television with “real’ contestants put an image into viewer’s minds. An image that it is perfectly normal in this society to judge each other on looks, and enforces what society says you should look like. An image of misleading ideals about the nature of attraction and beauty. Also, that woman can heighten their rank in society with sex appeal. This has a big impact on the audience because it sets an example of how men and women act towards each other.

Works cited

Boyle, Karen. ""That's so Fun" Selling Pornography for Men to Women in The Girls Next                                                Door." Gender, Race, and Class in Media (2011): 293-300. Print.

"Bad Boys Rank the Bods." Battle of the Bods. Fox Reality. 3 Aug. 2008. Hulu. Web. 4 Apr.             2012.

Gallagher, Amanda Hall, and Lisa Pecot-Hebert. "You Need a Makeover!": The Social          Construction of Female Body Image in A Makeover Story, What Not To Wear, and   Extreme Makeover. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2007. Print.