I'm sure you are getting my gist right about now. Earlier this month Madam Tussauds in Las Vegas released the wax figure of Nicki Minaj as demonstrated below on all fours based on a scene from her record breaking video for Anaconda. Immediately when I saw this figure I was really short of words and all I could do was gasp. Although I remember thinking how real it really looked.....
To be quite honest I really felt disgusted looking at it and thought to myself if she is really trying to be a role model like for young girls who look up to her and love her music this is definitely not helping in any way.
What then further fuelled my annoyance was a video on Facebook I watched by Janet Mock talking about Nicki Minaj as being a victim of violation and objectification. Sort of blaming Madam Tussauds which I think is out of line.
Can somebody please explain to me how Nicki Minaj is a victim in any way shape or form?
Fair enough its a person's choice if you have chosen continuously to portray yourself as an image of lust and sex do you boo but then please accept the consequences of your actions!
According to Janet Mock via video she released on Facebook many people like her side eyed the figure in disgust, not because it depicts Nicki in a sexual way but because her "Her body is being taken out of context and being made to be some sort of prop, a stand in for other people's desires and fantasies''. Hold on I thought that's what the music industry was all about? correct me if I'm wrong but all I see in music videos these days is bum, boobs and basically nakedness. Why then suddenly when this figure is released Nicki is some sort of victim?
Poor Madam Tussauds they were just doing their job, doing what they always do with the celebrities they immortalize. Madam Tussauds in fact defended their choice to the Fader magazine
by saying "We made the decision to celebrate Minaj's unforgettable pose (The Anaconda video) because it resulted as one of the most iconic videos ever produced. As with all people we immortalize in our attractions her representatives were kept informed every step of the way during the figure creation process"
By that statement it is clear that Nicki in fact was aware of the creation process and was informed every step of the way and could have refused the figure to be moulded in this sort of position but in fact she hailed the figure all over her social media calling it 'Iconic'.
If the so called 'Victim' herself is in awe of the figure and loving it why is it so shocking that visitors will be groping the breasts of the statue and fondling the figure?
It makes me so confused that Janet would say that Tussauds intentionally chose to position her this way on all fours and "didn't do enough to protect her". It is not as though this position has not been re-enacted in her music video. Janet it is not like the 502,618,840 and counting have not seen her do it on TV and probably replayed it over and over again and done what they need to do in the comfort of their homes. The only difference here girl is that people are living their fantasies in flesh in the public.
Lastly as a woman of colour myself and as a woman of colour that Janet Mock is, she says that historically women of colour have had their bodies framed as public property, as "mere objects to gawk and fondle".
Well what I will say is that this trend is still going on and its on voluntary basis. Take a look at the music videos and the adverts, 'women of colour' in the celebrity world choose to make themselves objects, they are not forced. We see it everyday in the music videos, so please Janet we are not victims we are the ones making ourselves objects.
The only way this objectification and perceived view of women of colour would stop is if they themselves wake up to the fact that we are not objects of sex for people's desires and sexual fantasies. Until then this will be the perceived view until I don't know when.....
It's going to take more than security forces to guard the perception and imagery that has already been waxed into the minds of the public even without this figure.....
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