There is a much-quoted scene in the hit film “Barbie” in which the protagonist Gloria gives a monologue about what it means to be a woman. The actress America Ferrera just got an Oscar nomination for this; in the film she lists the contradictions that apply to women: being thin but not too thin, ambitious but not too ambitious. “You should stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much,” it also says. And the jungle camp provided impressive proof of this thesis on day 11.
Jungle camper David Odonkor actually asked his fellow campers Kim Virginia and Leyla Lahouar to change for him. “Can you please put something on? I always look there when you’re standing there,” he demanded when the two women appeared at the campfire in thong panties. He even followed up on the jungle phone: “I don’t think that’s for the jungle camp is suitable. This isn’t a dating app. You are welcome to do this freedom of movement at home. Everyone knows what a woman is not allowed to do and what a man is not allowed to do,” he claimed. And with these statements he exposed himself: If you think of dating when you see a naked butt, it’s better to start with yourself – and not dictate to others. how they should dress.
The incident shows how deeply rooted everyday sexism still is among many men (and women). Women are automatically turned into sexual objects, regardless of whether they are attracted or not. It starts on Instagram, where female nipples are censored but male nipples are not, and ends in schools, where girls are asked to dress differently – “so as not to distract the boys”. Women are always looked at from a sexualized perspective. What is particularly annoying is the double standard that resonates: What is a man not allowed to do? Women always have to adapt. As if men couldn’t help but lose control at the sight of a woman’s butt or, like Odonkor, at least feel disturbed in their natural dominance. But this understanding of roles is not harmless, but dangerous.
There is also the idea that there is a correct way to dress and behave as a woman. And if you just hit that middle ground just right – not too sexy, not too stuffy (the Barbie monologue, you know…), then everyone could live in peace. You come across this idea not only in the jungle camp, but also in the comment columns on articles about acts of violence against women. “What were you wearing?” is a question that victims of sexual violence often have to hear. As if the miniskirt was to blame for male attacks. An exhibition about this perpetrator-victim reversal has been touring through Germany since 2021, in which the clothing of those affected from the day of the crime is shown. “What were you wearing?” makes it clear in an impressive way that it doesn’t matter how women dress. You are always and everywhere at risk of being sexualized – and possibly even the victim of a violent act.
David Odonkor would be recommended to visit the next stop of the exhibition. He had time for that: the ex-footballer was promptly voted out of the show.
Transparency note: Der stern is part of RTL Deutschland.
