News Reports About Wardrobe "Oops Moments" Of Actors Are Problematic

The lives of celebrities are under constant scrutiny owing to their public personalities. They are nearly watched like hawks by everyone—media and millions of other people globally. Fans get indulged in happenings of their favourite stars’ lives through tabloid reports. As good as it may feel to indulge in reports as such, sometimes it can be disturbing. For instance, when a celebrity faces wardrobe malfunction, especially women, they are publicised to a great extent.

At the recent MET Gala, Nicki Minaj grabbed eyeballs with the stunning black gown she donned. She hit the headlines for two things—her banter with someone unknown and for reports about her alleged wardrobe malfunction. Minaj's gorgeous dress was slightly ill-fitted and she had to adjust it constantly. She addressed the issue and spoke about the incident in an interview.

Wardrobe Malfunction

This is not the first time a woman celebrity faced an issue with her outfit which made it to the headline. Indian actor Deepika Padukone had locked horns with the country’s supposed leading daily in 2017 for publishing a video of her breast that showed out of her plunging neckline dress. The debate raged for days.

Padukone called them out for posting the video. She also raised questions about why the paparazzi do not focus on men’s crotch.

Her statement does compel one to mull over how the media reports on the purported wardrobe malfunctions objectify the female celebrities. What compels us to write, publish and read reports about incidents such as a woman’s ill-fitted dress? Is the value of women celebrities limited to their bodies and nothing else?

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Media reports of this nature are wrong on not one but two accounts—for propagating yellow journalism and for objectifying women.

Why should we care about media houses propagating yellow journalism? What does the term mean?

Yellow journalism is a term broadly used for the reportage which relies more on sensationalism than facts. Yellow journalism has perpetrated the emergence of a culture of sensationalism; it changes the social, political and economic lives of people and poses a threat to gender equality for it may lead to increased discrimination and violence.

Moreover, when issues as such are given more prominence and gain traction on social media, we miss out on important subjects that are happening in society. While people on social media were focusing and debating over Kim Kardashian and her MET Gala appearance in late actor Marylin Monroe’s 1962 dress, reports emerged of the United States Supreme Court’s internal decision of overturning the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade judgement which enshrined abortion rights.

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Additionally, when media reports about the women celebrities’ outfits make it to the headlines, we only reduce them to their fits, misfitting clothing. The reports of wardrobe malfunctions also violate the actor and their personal space.

Are we not invalidating the contributions they have made in their choice of career or as a person by focusing only on their outfits?

When Padukone and many others hit back at the publication, a distasteful editorial appeared on the front page. The appalling editorial questioned the actor why she was comfortable with consensual exposing her skin but not with their coverage.

The publication hadn’t just questioned the importance of her consent but also the agency she had over her own body through the editorial.

Why is it okay that women’s consent and their agency over their bodies are being questioned? Are women supposed to be mute spectators to the rampant objectification of their bodies?

Issues concerning women are interconnected because of a social system—patriarchy. The fixation on a woman’s physique, objectifying them, and sensationalising their bodies is a systematic issue which stems from the notion that belittles women, and does not see them as individuals capable of thriving without men.

Will our news outlets ever stop ridiculing women? It is possible and will require a lot of unlearning from everyone in society. It’s 2022, and we as a global society can all make an effort to unlearn the toxic ideology which berates and objectifies women.

Views expressed are the author's own