Walking the streets of downtown Los Angeles, it is not uncommon to see gangsters dressed in their expensive Nike kicks with a series of ladies by their side. If you walk down Skid Row, you may even see a young female walking past you wearing nothing but a bathrobe. This is the life of the pimp and his ladies; A life full of sexual favours as women become a play toy for males in return for his ‘security’, shelter, food and the next hit of methamphetamine.
If you were to see this, you would probably be shocked. The streets of downtown LA are closer in resemblance to the slums of Uganda than the polished lights of Hollywood only a few blocks away. Your heart would go out to these females and your first instinct would be to clothe them, feed them and enable them to live without this security that is often paid for with their lives. Even if you have never visited Skid Row, you have seen this.
Last time you walked into the movie cinemas or record store, did you not notice the ladies posing suggestively with an album title strategically scribbles over their breasts? I often ignore these or cover them in distaste. But when I found out that one of my favourite Disney stars had become one of these dare I call them porn stars, I couldn’t keep quiet any longer.
Selena Gomez, star of Disney Channel series ‘Wizards of Waverley Place’, accomplished singer and infamous ex of the Biebs himself, is one of four up and coming actresses to star in the new flick ‘Springbreakers.’ Promo posters show Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical), Ashley Benson (Pretty Little Liars) and Rachel Korine dressed in their underwear staring suggestively at the camera. Apparently the film is about four young college girls who end up in jail after robbing a restaurant. They are released by James Franco’s character and must repay him. How do they do this? By enacting out robberies while acting sexually and doing drugs of course.
After my initial reaction (“Disney stars have turned to PORN?!”) I became enraged. Not only are these actresses’ tempting the helpless men who walk past these posters, but they are actually ENDORSING the lifestyle of the pimp and his girls! Before people respond to this and say it is a females right to how they use their body, and that it is empowering to embrace ones womanhood, let me just say this; even if a female or male chooses to use their body for the sexual favours of others, legal or illegal, IT IS NOT RIGHT. A person’s body is to be treasured, it is sacred. Sexual intimacy is sacred and designed to be between two people who love each other. In doing a sexual act, two bodies become one. They are forever linked.
Sure, these beautiful Hollywood actresses have the choice to act in this movie. But that does not make it right. James Franco looks beautiful, but after realising he directs the openly explicit porn film ‘Kink,‘ a documentary where females are made to do sexual acts in front of the camera, I cannot respect him. Selena Gomez may ask her younger fans to avoid this R Rated movie, but they are still going to see it. They are going to see that it is cool and beautiful to act sexually as a commodity.
When I think of the women of Skid Row struggling to stay awake after boosting themselves with meth just so they can black out the memories of the violent night before, I cannot stand for this. So I refuse to watch ‘Springbreakers’ because there are some things that will never be right.
It is worth noting that I have not watched ‘Springbreakers’ and can therefore only give you an interpretation of what I have read of its plot. After receiving feedback from people, it seems that I was incorrect to initially cite that the girls do sexual favours for Franko. However, the nature of the promo for this film suggests to me that the behaviour of the girls far exceeds robbery and I thus thought it important to publish this article. To read a summary of the plot and spoilers please visit http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/springbreakers.html so you can make an informed decision for yourself.