The Smokeshow of the Day

Smokeshow of the Day is a little thing on Barstoolsports.com that picks a college girl to be the “hottest girl of the day”. You may not have heard of it because it caters to the greater Boston, New York, and Philadelphia areas. Being from Boston, I’ve had the unfortunate privilege of hearing all about this website. Now, let me preface this by saying these girls are truly beautiful and it’s great that this website can pageant their beauty, but of course that isn’t the actually intention.

The tagline on Barstool  says “By the common man, for the common man”, as if this really needs to be voiced. Let’s be honest, everything in this world is by and for the man. Now, that tagline is just demeaning. What I gather from this website is that not only is it a place for college boys to catch up on their sports, but it is also a place for them to check out the new hot girl of the day. Men control this website (like the rest of the world.) Men send in a picture of a girl that they think is “qualified” to be the hottest girl, and she is voted on by other men who frequent this site. It becomes a huge competition between these women. As soon as these girls catch wind that they’re an option to win the Smokeshow of the Day, they go fucking crazy. However, it’s probably good to note that they might not find out that they’re nominated, which is entirely too creepy for my taste. My best friend from home is obnoxiously gorgeous. She absolutely deserves a trophy for being so beautiful. However, I don’t think this website is the way to show it. My friend didn’t even know she was put on this website, until everyone commented on her facebook saying “Congratulations on winning ‘Smokeshow of the Day!'” and other praising comments. She then surfed the web to find out what the hell they were talking about and there she was, on the front page of the website for any horny boy to check out. A profile picture from her facebook was taken by some nameless boy, and exposed to the world to be voted on. Of course, she enjoyed the attention her looks had just given her, but she found it creepy, as well. I remember discussing this with her and she couldn’t get over the fact that someone had taken her picture without her permission. Could their be men out their looking at this website and jacking off to her innocent face? (eh, I’ve known this girl since I was 2 and she was 1, and she’s always been like a baby sister to me. She’s pure, don’t argue.) Who had done this? Why hadn’t they asked for her consent? Evidently consent is not a concern on this website.

Albeit the issues of consent and objectifying the young women on this website, I’d like to address a different issue. I want to address the issue of competition between these women. In my womens studies class earlier this week, we discussed beauty ideals and the ever so common “hair flip” that females love to use. Hell, I use it. I own that hair flip. As the discussion grew deeper and gave way to a more self-reflecting approach, I got caught up in a certain issue that Barstool also reeks of: Competition.

Beauty to me is almost taking a form of survival of the fittest. You’re only as pretty as men think you are. Excuse my seemingly compulsory heterosexuality, but let’s face it women and the LGB community: this is a man’s world. As I was saying, you’re only as pretty as men think you are. (I’ll get back to this later) Now of course different men have different tastes, but how different can they honestly be? If men can vote on a Smokeshow of the Day, there must be some sort of common feature that these women share. I searched the past months “Smokeshows” and found few commonalities without sounding like I’m stereotyping. But as a woman who is, in fact, into women, I am going to voice what I see and try to come from the standpoint of someone who is willing to objectify.

These girls are all great looking, I cannot deny that.  Commonalities? Hm. White teeth (probably white strips), fake tan, fake hair (whether it be highlights, straightening, or curled) real boobs (maybe) except…definite push up bra usage. That only accounts for the ones not in bikinis, though. At least half are in bikinis. And what do these bikinis show off? Their amazing stomachs, of course! Women have to be skinny. The best abs seem to be the reining champs!

For all you curious kiddies, you can judge too, Here is your Smokeshow of the Day, today.

I feel kind of creepy just posting that picture….
Anyways, I think I’m jealous. Their bodies are great. That’s my point here. Competition is wasting time pinning women against each other when they can be bettering themselves by coalescing and fighting male dominance. Easier said than done, of course, but this website really only is helping them conform.

What concerns me the most is the  severity of the competition. After my best friend won Smokeshow of the Day, her friends went nuts. She has a pretty group of friends, but of course they all want to be prettiest. So all of them sent in their pictures and asked EVERYONE they knew to vote. One of them lost her first try, and it was devastating. She went on and on about how she was prettier than the girl that won and so on and so forth. After resubmitting, she won. Now she is at peace – feeling confident at last.

How fucked up is that?

Why do women need to be prettier than their FRIENDS?! What’s the point of friends if your constantly comparing yourself and trying to look better than them? We all struggle with this. Shit, I struggle with this. I’m going on a cruise with some of my friends (some fellow bloggers, too!) for Spring Break and they have some really great bodies. So how have I been internalizing this jealousy? By going to the gym and trying to diet. It’s so ridiculous! They’re my friends. I think they’re beautiful because they’re my friends, and they don’t care what I look like in a bathing suit, just as I won’t be judging them. No matter what, they are beautiful to me.

If we’re not beautiful according to men’s standards, we’re not beautiful at all. If our teeth aren’t white and our hair doesn’t flip, how are we going to survive?