Sorry this post is so late, btw (this post documents the SYTYCD episode that aired on July 30 — the last couple of weeks have been a little, let’s say, challenging). I don’t have any particular analysis of this episode, except to note that the pattern that’s been consistent throughout this season has been an overwhelming lack of nudity parity between the male and female dancers, and this episode is no exception.
Women are more naked than men (women have bare arms, bare backs, long skirts with deep slits that mostly show bare legs, men have bare arms or short sleeves).
Woman is more naked than man (she has bare arms, bare midriff, low scoop neckline, largely bare back, he is comoletely covered). Also, her outfit is largely skin-tight, his outfit is a regular-fitting suit.
Woman is more naked than man (she has bare arms, bare back, deep V-neck, flowy skirt with a diagonal cut to hip that shows mostly bare legs, he has shirt unbuttoned to show chest and belly).
Woman is more naked than man (she has lace stockings largely showing legs, bare shoulders, largely bare back, lacy sleeves partly showing arms, keyhole neckline, he is completely covered).
Woman is more naked than man (she has bare legs, bare back, bare upper arms, somewhat deep V-neck, he has bare forearms, shirt unbuttons to deep V-neck).
Woman is more naked than man (she has bare arms, flowy slit skirt that mostly shows bare legs, bare upper back, largely bare sternum, he has short sleeves, slightly scooped neckline).
Woman is more naked than man (she has bare arms, bare back, bare sides, partly bare midriff, deep V-neck, he is completely covered).
Rough nudity parity (both dancers are pretty much completely covered, she has a slight scoop neckline). However, her legs are covered with skin-tight tights, her arms are covered with skin-tight flesh-toned sleeves, he’s wearing regular-fitting trousers and shirt.
Note: The mini-group routines, solo routines, and guest routine can’t be used in a strict gender parity comparison. The mini-group routines weren’t like the couples routines where one man and one woman are put into the same performance by the same choreographer and presumably costumed by the same costume designer; I assume that the guest performers picked their own costumes; and as far as I know, the dancers pick their own costumes for the solo routines. But for the sake of completism, I’m documenting them anyway.
MINI-GROUP ROUTINES
Bare backs, bare arms, long flowy slit skirt mostly showing bare legs, mostly deep V-necks or deep scoop necklines (all have some bareness of sternum/chest), some bare midriffs.
Bare chests and backs
Note: There was some interesting gender non-normativity in this routine, both in the dance style and in the costumes, which featured flowy skirt-like things, similar to skirts often worn by women in the contemporary routines. However, rather than having their legs bare underneath, their legs are covered.
GUEST ROUTINE: ACADEMY OF VILLAINS
All dancers literally entirely covered, including masks.
SOLOS
(Sorry, I couldn’t find still images of the solo performances, but the video links should work)
Serge solo, Latin ballroom
Bare forearms
Carly solo, contemporary
Bare legs, bare arms, bare back, largely bare midriff, deep scoop neckline
Casey solo, contemporary
Bare arms, very deep scoop neckline
Emily, contemporary
Bare legs, lacy back and sleeves that are partly see-through
Teddy, hip-hop
Completely covered
Jessica, contemporary
Bare arms, mostly bare legs, bare upper back, bare sternum
I found it odd Zack was completely covered in his paso doble with Jacque. It looked strangely conservative for a paso – at least go sleeveless, if not (semi)shirtless? #alexlikesnakedmen
But women will show up at a dinner party with nothing more than basically a bra and a few straps. Such has it been for close to a century. I don’t see this as any conspiracy to make women naked so much as a sexy outfit arms race that women have imposed on themselves. (Let me make clear, I’m not complaining.) But it is ridiculous to greet a man wearing a full suit and his wife or girlfriend who looks like she’s about to catch some rays on the beach.
huntstoddard @ #2: Really. Women having been wearing “basically a bra and a few straps” to dinner parties for “close to a century” — i.e., in 1915, and in 1933, and in 1947, and in 1955, and in 1964, and in 1971.
And there is no external pressure on women to do this — it is entirely self-imposed.
Really.
Oh hell yes, there was regular dinner party dress for women in the 1920s that would make most attire these days look conservative, whereas the style of men’s attire has remained uniformly unrevealing. They certainly weren’t wearing tank tops to dinner.
Aside from adoring eyes, what do you think the pressures are? Women’s fashion magazines are made for an bought by women. I don’t see why I should present some counter proof when there is no evidence that anyone but scantily clad women are forcing themselves to wear what they do.
huntstoddard @ #4: The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women
Saying that there was one period in the last century where women’s dress wear was revealing is hardly the same as saying “Such has it been for close to a century.”