When is someone finally going to come out and say that the much fawned-over 2016 Pirelli Calender is just plain God-awful?
And also, by the way, strong evidence that feminists, who to a woman are gushing over this pictorial turkey are letil-brained conformists who will fall for any line that attaches the buzzwords "powerful" and "accomplishments" to the female sex.
As everyone who isn't orbiting Alpha Centauri knows, the Italian tire manufacturer decided to ditch the arty photos of mostly nude supermodels for ultra-arty photos of so-called "women of achievement," some of whom are clothed but others of whom are nearly as buck-naked as the supermodel except far less gorgeous. Pirelli then hired Annie Leibowitz to take the pictures–and somehow even she couldn't make them look interesting.
But watch the feminists swoon!
From the New York Times's Vanessa Friedman:
Along with Playboy’s decision in October to end nudity in its pages, the Pirelli pivot seems to give real substance to the theory that we are at a flexion point in the public objectification of female sexuality.
From Bustle's Georgina Jones, in an article whose title reads "A New Dawn for Feminism"
This year's calendar, however, takes the focus away from sexualization and places it on the achievements and accomplishments of some of the most powerful women of the year.
From the Huffington Post's Julee Wilson:
The 2016 Pirelli calendar is finally here and it's just as sexy and inspiring as promised.
Sexy? Inspiring? Powerful? Let's see who makes it onto Pirelli's list of "women of achievement"
Yoko Ono! Yes that Yoko Ono–the one whose sole "achievement" was to marry John Lennon, take over his life, and ruin his music.
Another calendar pick is Agnes Gund, whose main claim to fame is that she's a rich lady who spends a lot of money on the arts.
And another is Tavi Gevinson, the 19-year old fashion blogger who says such things as “A white, able-bodied cis-gendered woman being naked is just not revolutionary anymore,” indicating that she must be in college.
Tennis powerhouse Serena Williams, here wearing only her underpants, is sexy–but only if you go for dominatrixes.
Amy Schumer, also wearing only her underpants, is at least funny as she mugs with a coffee cup, although the most flattering thing about this Leibowitz photo of her are her Stuart Weitzman stilettos.
And most of the rest of the women I've never heard of. You'd think for a bunch of liberals, they'd at least stick Hillary Clinton into the 2016 calendar, in the month of November, for example.
Who will love this calendar? You guessed it–women! Who will be saying, "My eyes, my eyes!" I don't have to tell you.
And maybe that does signal a cultural shift. And a power shift among the cultural elites who decide what is allowed to appear on high-end, supposedly male-oriented artifacts such as the Pirelli calendar. And it's gorgeous supermodels no more.