Why Does Sex Sell?

So, I tried to watch that video. I had to turn it off with a full 40 sec. left to go.

But to inject some realism as I do, to your question above: Are there women out there who think this is a classy display of outdoor achievement?

Yes.

You already said it, “check out the hashtag on Instagram.”

There are topless women saluting the mountains, women shredding pow naked, and limitless amounts of scantily clad yoga poses at summits.

This video, as horrible as it was, simply took what was already out there to the next level…as anyone trying to gain notoriety does.

And while were on the sexification of what doesn’t need to be sexy, what about crossfit? Never before in my 18 years of gym going have I seen so many booty shorts so short that they look like underwear. Each rep of squats look like their shorts just got swallowed. Shirts? What shirts?

Before fitness became such a huge “sport”, the only people that deemed it ok to go workout in public looking like that were bodybuilders/figure athletes. And we all thought they were f*cking WEIRD. But now you crossfit, and sexy bodies everywhere, and the limitless marketing machine of the sport. No, they’re not producing clips of a slo-mo ass grab or having models do hip thrusts in bikinis, but they are perpetuating the exact same issue you’re against here. So is it just the level of extremism you’re against, or the overall objectification of women?

Deep thoughts at 7am are deep. :-p

Omg that video is pure ridiculousness. I am not a fan.

I’m all for being naked in nature and celebrating human bodies! But being naked in nature isn’t slomo t&a shots – which is, frankly, what this is. Also, it’s very obviously celebrating only one type of body. Athletic, thin, young, etc. If there was some sort of body diversity promoted, I would probably have less of a problem with it.

Sorry…hopefully you will get a clearer picture of the original mission of mtnbabes that these film
Makers clearly distorted.

The video seemed like intentional absurdity to me… They took everything #mtnbabes to the extreme, on purpose, showing goregous scenery and goregous girls, and hyperbolizing the “idgaf, I am in nature and I am a wild human and I do what I want” spirit of the #mtnbabes sentiment. I think they hit the nail on the head. You might not like what you see, but the whole point is that they are doing what they want, and owning it. They are in nature and aren’t looking for approval.

Wow. To jump into the convo a bit late, my unsugar-coated two cents are

1) the video is a bullshit, wet-dream representation of women in the wilderness,

2) the Mountain Babes Facebook page made it very clear they were not in any way associated with the video and did not find it very inspiring,

3) personally, I’m not remotely interested in getting naked or just partially naked in the wilderness *for a camera* although I don’t mind it if I’m sure no one else is around,

4) to answer one of your questions, I don’t remotely think this video is a classy display of outdoor achievement–because really, what particular outdoor achievement was displayed in it?

5) Wes Coughlin and his Bivy or whatever it is may possibly have some intellectual property issues on his hands, since he blatantly ripped off the Mountain Babes wording and ideas,

6) the Bivy.tv page states it is “The most awesomest action sports comedy dirtbagin’ show in the world,” which aside from the typo in there also indicates perhaps they saw this video as comedy????

and finally, 7) Watching a video like this would have intimidated the hell out of me when I was in my 20s, as it would have preyed on my bodily insecurities as well as steered me into thinking a woman can only play outside if she’s in a bikini and grabs her friend’s ass. Which…really? Watching it now, all I can do is smh and be very f*cking glad the way I play and work in the outdoors looks nothing at all like that ridiculous beer commercial ripoff, but instead is representational of a real woman who sweats, has hat head, dresses for the activity at hand instead of the gaze that may be upon me, and really enjoys the wilderness without needing to share pics of myself in it without my shirt on. (Remember, my personal two cents, not slamming anyone else’s personal decisions or desires to do that. The clear exploitation in that video is what really bugs me.)

Anyway…that’s what I think. Lol!

Yes!^^^^

“Is this more appealing than watching some bomb female skiers carve down a mountain face or rip up some waves on a surfboard?” No. They could have shot this entire thing at a frat party and just called it Babes. There’s not much of Mtn in there, and it almost couldn’t be less authentic if it tried. I’m pretty sure literally every single result from Googling Ingrid Backstrom or Melissa Arnot would be more attractive to me. I’m 33 so perhaps I don’t fit the target audience, but still, like you said, where’s the mountain achievement here?

I love the beauty of the female form as well as the beauty of the outdoors. Having said that, the promo looks like a cliche’ Superbowl beer commercial. I see virtually nothing empowering nor inspiring to women in it.

As a 53 year old mom of a 20 year old daughter who was raised in the outdoors, I may not have a place in the conversation. I am likely old enough to be your mother.
I grew up and discovered myself hiking and skiing before there were really any female role models. I hung with the guys because there weren’t any girls who could keep up. I have since admired the inroads young women are making in athletics and sport, however, the persevering path for success of many of these young women is still that sexuality will sell. Really, that has never changed. And will not change until young women either see it for what it is an exploitation of the male dollar or exploitation of themselves and make peace either way. If you don’t make it, they (males) won’t have that to exploit for financial or whatever means.
I found it interesting that the Warren Miller movie for 2013-2014 showed some women skiers. Awesome, except when Sierra Quitiquit took off her clothes and skied (not terribly well ) in a bikini. Their highlight of her as a skier was so far off, she is a want to be model. I kept thinking it was a Warren Miller joke that there are so many talented women skiers and they had to show one skiing badly in a bikini as a jest (which made it even worse).
Even Lindsay Vonn and Julia Mancuso have fallen into the sex sells. Google female skiers and the first thing that pops up is http://guyspeed.com/hottest-professional-female-skiers/ and bared bodies are front and center. Is that bad? If Julia and Lindsay have made a ton of money from it, maybe not (I think they are smart women who have figured out how to exploit their sport and the wallets of men).

Michelle Parker and I had an email conversation discussing just this type of thing. Her perspective was one of wanting so badly to be accepted in the world of big time skiing that she had to weigh the pros and cons of disclothing. Youth and hunger plays a role but ultimately, by persevering and maintaining a savvy business sense she has found a way to be a true mountain babe.
MSP films informed me that until BIG sponsors supported female skiers they would not be a focus in their films. So perhaps the focus should come back to the business side of nature and athletics and sport and the focus should be on the corporate world. Instead of women trying to make their way into a male dominated endeavor, women should just make their own endeavor or boycott those companies that have still not seen the value of women.
If taking your clothing off at 14,000 feet is empowering to you, or dribbling PBR (now Russian owned) down your breasts is empowering then the power has been centered. But to declare that this is how mountain babes want portrayal is not accurate. I don’t think the young women are financially benefitting from the movie above. Men for goodness sakes were filming it.
Maybe if the women in “The Coolest Mountain Babe Video Ever” had real corporate sponsors who are willing to invest in the female side of sport, the false portrayal of what true mountain babes are about would be realized.
Seeing my 20 year old finish a 6 mountain pass , 38 mile backpack trip with another 22 year old young woman, brings the true meaning of mountain babe to reality. If they bared their breasts at 12,500 feet, then all the more power to them, the good news is that they didn’t make any money. They reflect what women want to see, strong bodies, strong minds, and a true sense of self.

I would love to see this same scene replicated by the 50 year old women I know who are hikers, bikers, skiers, kayakers with sagging breasts, soft butts, dimply thighs, and flabby arms. We are the women you will become. And the men who honor you at that point are the true sponsors. I wonder how many corporate sponsors we would get ( I actually think that would be a great parody, who’s game?).
Might suggest http://www.doglotion.com/shredding-sociology-worlds-intelectuals-explain-state-skiing-part-one-sociologys-new-school-dr-holly-thorpe-phd

I’m really late to this conversation but had to weigh in. Heather, I totally agree with your take on this video. I was appalled within two seconds. Anything with slow motion is instantly creepy and the sexual innuendo while that can of whatever was being poured in that girl’s mouth…SHUDDER. I think there is a stark difference between celebrating human form with nudity that is artful and the opposite which is objectifying and demeaning. It’s not always easy to figure out what’s what. Even as a woman I find it hard to decide how I feel about certain things that could be harmless, like the #mtnbabes hashtag. Is it just freewheeling fun that I shouldn’t feel so uptight about or is it completely moronic for someone to reach a summit and feel the need to strip their shirt off and pose? (I tend to think the latter.) I recently read Caitlin Moran’s “How To Be A Woman” (a book which I’m also conflicted about…being conflicted is my shtick) and she said the trick she uses to imagine if something is sexist is to reverse the genders and picture the sceanrio happening with men instead. In the case of the Bivy video, no men would be stripping. They’d be killing it athlectically. Both the video and the #mtnbabes hashtag are not conveying women’s accomplishments or our stake in outdoor adventure. They’re posing us as Barbie dolls with a pretty backdrop. The Bivy video is frat-inspired babe fodder for guys who dig bikini clad chicks and mountains. It’s no celebration for us.

I hope the tides start to change and that female athletes–and females in general–start to get the respect and equality that they deserve. Looking forward to seeing your interviews and I hope they get that ball rolling.