American Apparel is on the hunt for their next soft-core porn model, asking women to put two cheeks to the wind for their “Best Bottom in the World” competition. The clothing company is having women submit photos of their backsides clad in AA products to their website, where they are being scored and commented on. It’s the new “Hot or Not,” except you feel even sleazier after looking at it.
Am I surprised at Dov Charney’s slimeball marketing tactics? No. Was there something about the butt gallery that I secretly enjoyed? Um, maybe.
Sure, the top-rated entries are mostly toned, tanned, and thonged—but when you really dig in, it’s kind of nice to see butts of varying shapes, sizes, and colors being represented. Big butts, little butts, dark butts, and even pasty white butts (like mine!) are all backside-by-backside in some sort of butt melting pot. It’s far from a representative sample of the population, but it’s nice to know that women with all kinds of booties are proud to show off what they got.
Still, I’m torn. The site is undeniably objectifying women, reducing them to their assets and nothing else. Any perv with internet access has free admission to scope out a gallery of derrieres and—even more distressing—comment on them. What we’ve been programmed to think are less-than-perfect booties quickly become the butt of a joke. Some classy comments I came across include “NIGHTMARE BOOTY EWW” and “did you get watermelons implanted into your ass?” If you agree the website is as disgusting and degrading as they come, there is already a petition against it.
No matter how you feel, the reality is over 1,000 women have already uploaded photos of their rear. The winner’s only guarantee is $300 in AA merchandise, which these days amounts to a few v-neck tees and one of those sparkly gold jumpsuits. Check out the website here, but be warned: your going to be bombarded with pictures of butts. Right away.
Image courtesy American Apparel.
