Sweat It Out: A Self-Esteem Campaign

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Bikini coffee shop

June 24, 2008 · 3 Comments

I admit I like local news, not so much the way it is reported, as a matter of fact I don’t much like the way any news is reported, but I go on-line and check out one of the local news stations every morning. This morning I came across this Bikini Baristas in Portland now I just don’t know what to think about it. They are opening up a coffee shop where the baristas are going to be clad in bikinis only. This objectifies women (it is only women who work there as always), this really isn’t a debatable issue, people are going to go there to LOOK at the girls, but is it overall harmful? That is what I struggle with. I do not think there is anything wrong with looking at a body for pure pleasure, nor do I necessarily think it’s wrong to show off your body in a job. Yet I find something about this whole thing just wrong, the feminist in me rebels against anything that has “The Man” making money off young scantily clad women. The dichotomy of my feelings for this is played out in so many other aspects of my life, I just try to do my best, if I were ever to encounter any of the people that work there I would not look down them or call them whores, nor would I secretly think they are, I will try to respect their choice as I would hope that they would respect mine for doing what I do.

Categories: Self-Esteem

3 responses so far ↓

  • Courtney // July 7, 2008 at 5:43 am | Reply

    I certainly agree with your statements about respecting others choices and I also feel torn about this.
    I do think it is an interesting commentary on our culture that everything has to be sold with a sex adjunct.
    There are many ads on tv where I cannot even tell what they are trying to sell me because the emphasis on sex (or really just women as sexual objects) is so central and product placement more subliminal.

  • sunsevvur // August 20, 2009 at 3:58 am | Reply

    This is going to remain as long as men don’t realise what they are doing. How women are treated is better in developed countries. In underdeveloped countries their conditions are pathetic. They don’t have a save even in decisions that are going to effect them.

  • Renée // November 25, 2009 at 3:21 am | Reply

    I totally understand your feeling of not knowing what to think about it. I wonder, though, how it makes you FEEL…in your gut. That’s a good place to start.

    What makes me sad is how it’s all tied up in such a knot…that is to say that men AND women seem to work together in our culture to exploit one another sexually. It’s all about women “exerting power” via sexuality (by being all “okay” with it) and about men being treated like drooling, boob-ogling idiots who will go wherever there is young flesh on display.

    I just think that a general rule of thumb should be to keep blatant sexuality (such as the bikini barista) away from commerce. Period. A little class, please!

    Good post…thanks for sharing it.

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