anythings.org

I’ve often wondered about the Pussycat Dolls. Not often enough to actually be bothered by it, but often enough to say something. There is an actual distinction there, but I’m not sure what it is.

Nevertheless, what to do about PCD? Are they feminist idols to young women, showing them that if they got it, they can flaunt it and still be successful women? Or are they scantily dressed show ponies who have nothing better to do with themselves than sing, dance, and perform on call? After spending some time on Wikipedia, I’ve decided they’re the latter.

Now, I don’t know anything about their new album Double the Trouble, which isn’t out yet, but I do knowquite a bit about their first album. For one, they didn’t produce or write anything. The only woman with a connection to the group that helped produce the album was its founder, Robin Antin. In fact, the only woman involved in the putting together of the actual album was Robin Antin (unless “Julian Peploe” is a woman, but I couldn’t find out). The only other women were the dolls themselves, who didn’t so much other than sing and dance how they were told.

I was actually really disturbed by the album cover for the first record more so than their lack of participation in its production. Lots of artists (I use this term loosely to apply to pop artists, and not people who actually play musical instruments and write their own lyrics) don’t have much of a role in their first album’s production because they’re new to the music industry.

Anyways, album cover.

Just look at them! First of all, I don’t know any of their names except Nicole (who used to be the lead singer of Eden’s Crush), which I think is saying something about the interchangeability of the group’s members. They airbrushed a minimum of 15 pounds off of poor Nicole, most of it in the leg and stomach regions. While I do understand that the side angle is not the best for capturing a real woman’s curves, this album cover is still ridiculous. Regardless of how eating disorder the girls/women of PCD look, they managed to pile on as much eye make-up as possible without forcing their eyelids closed under its weight. And the clothes? While I may be no fashion guru, I do know that nothing they are wearing resembles anything a regular person would wear. I don’t know what look the stylist was going for, but they look like they went to Salvation Army and bought the smallest things they could and made them smaller… and then decided they shouldn’t match tops to bottoms and threw them on each girl. Just look at the poor girl on the right! Her skirt is rolled up so high on the side - but notice the length in the back! - that you can see the side of her underwear.

I’m all for “if you got it, flaunt it”… but make sure to be covering up enough of the x-rated bits that you could be seen in an area where children frequent without being stopped for indecent exposure.In fact, 5 out of the 6 singles covers I could find weren’t much better looking in terms of airbrushing, make-up, and attire.

Perhaps my favorite is “I Don’t Need A Man”, in which they are dressed in outfits that - let’s not lie - would only be worn to impress men. You can’t tell me those outfits are comfortable or flattering without airbrushing! Or maybe “Don’t Cha”, because knee high stiletto boots with the tiniest skirt imaginable are clearly what you wear on a dune buggie.

At this point in my “research” I started thinking that Robin Antin may be a bit of a feminist entrepreneur herself. She founded the dolls in 1995 as a burlesque group,

Granted, Antin is probably the one calling the shots in terms of album cover selection, stylists, make-up and hair artists, and tracks the girls actually record. Which is great for Antin, but makes the dolls merely puppets. Tiny little airbrushed puppets.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been known to be at the bars dancing to “Buttons” and various other PCD hits… but I did it wearing less make-up and more comfortable and flattering clothes. I’m a firm believer in the fact that you don’t have to be half naked to be sexy… apparently the dolls aren’t.

The verdict? The dolls are the poor scantily dressed puppets of puppet master Antin. Now, I don’t know if Antin is a feminist or not based on how she packages the dolls, but she sure as hell is a successful business woman who knows how to get her way in the world.