Empowerment Reads Like Porn

Empowerment is the most widely used term in social messaging that nobody realizes was made up by a college liberal arts professor in the 80’s. It’s the Kwanzaa of buzzwords. If you picture decayed urban areas receiving economic grants to open essential commerce like drug stores, that’s empowerment. It’s also showing off your tits on Snapchat. The definition could use a trim.

Vogue magazine is a magazine produced by women for women. It claims to empower women. Largely through eating disorders and credit card debt. Also, convincing you to see boring indie films. The Dutch version of Vogue adds the enhancement of a progressive European editorial sensibility. To be European is to be blessed with a universal understanding of moral propriety. Also, you instinctively march when you hear drums.

Dutch models Doutzen Kroes and Lara Stone refer to their photo work as empowering. Neither lives in the Netherlands which makes them empowered and realistic. This mass quantity of empowerment came together for a highly promoted Vogue cover spread titled ‘Dutch Love’, featuring Kroes and Stone naked and making out. Empowerment. Most immigrant grandmas would call it porn and beat you with a broom if they found it under your bed.

Frustrating boys seems to be the most significant goal of empowerment. Or second after making money by playing into archetypal male fantasies. This is why Miley Cyrus can straight faced call her twerking videos empowering but you still have to leave Compton to buy Advil in an actual factory sealed container. 

_{Photo Credit: Mario Testino for Vogue Netherlands}