Domestic violence is an uncomfortable subject. What’s even more uncomfortable, though, is watching girls parade around in princess costumes, adorned with Band-Aids and fake bruises, and shouting the f-word repeatedly in an attempt to confront such a sensitive topic.
Let me begin by stressing that FCKH8 isn’t even an activist group; it’s a T-shirt company. They measure their success by how many “this is not a wife-beater” tanks they can sell, and how many views they can get on YouTube (right now this video has over 1,000,000). Clearly, shock value has been an effective means to rack up hits on their website. But if you take a closer look, this company isn’t just using bad words to make a profit; they’re exploiting young kids, and making light of a serious issue with disgusting lines such as, “What do you tell a woman with two black eyes? Nothing, you already told her twice!”
The girls appear, fully outfitted in princess gowns, with primped hair and makeup, so the moment you hear “fuck that” escape the mouth of one of these seven-year olds, you’re left reeling. While it is meant to be provocative, the cursing isn’t even the most offensive aspect of this video. Did I mention fake bruises?!?! Watching these girls appear on screen in bandages was possibly more offensive than any mere curse word in the entire video.
Don’t get me wrong. As a feminist, I agree with the message that the company is trying to endorse, but the way FCKH8 goes about addressing these issues is positively cringe-worthy. It’s simply unsettling to hear adult issues addressed by little girls, especially when they use such aggressive language to depict a tragic problem; “We want a future that we can dream about. Not one we will fucking scream about. 25% of women will be bullied, beaten and bashed and in their own homes, their lives fucking trashed.” With their sassy attitudes, the content comes off as hostile and insulting.
The main issue with this video is it’s inherent Catch-22—if you’re offended by the cursing and suggestive violence, then you are considered anti-feminist. If you are not offended, then you’re equally at fault, as their video is supposed to offend you. Basically the discourse isn’t accessible to anyone, except, naturally, the princess posse, who snap their gloved fingers in your face, leaving you feeling confused, guilt-ridden, and infinitely awkward.
While their video is a something of a train wreck, FCKH8 has certainly managed a successful social media campaign. Since the first viral video was released in late October, the video received thousands of views and has raised over $30,000 for… well, they don’t actually say where the money goes. Looking at the website’s Frequently Asked Questions page, there is actually no information on what “women’s charities” they mention in their videos, and nothing outside of details on product orders and payments. It’s a little elusive.
In all fairness, the girls’ anger is justified. Society is pretty “fucked up.” But their portrayal of feminist ideals is aggressive and feels un-relatable. Hearing “fuck this,” and “fuck that,” from the girls is appalling in a way that detracts from the positive message. This video has definitely sparked more conversation about whether little girls should be taught to curse, than about domestic abuse.
Should seven-year-old girls have to be exposed to such ideas when they aren’t even old enough to give consent to participate in this video? These girls are speaking not from experience, but are fed lines from a T-shirt company that specializes in marketing. That’s not to say that their issues aren’t valid, but I certainly won’t be buying any of their products on the basis of activism.
This commercial bothered me so much.