Fergie recruited some of her very famous friends to star in the video for her new song, “M.I.L.F.$.”
Released on Friday, the video rolls out one star-studded cameo after another, as Fergie’s “mom friends” Ciara, Alessandra Ambrosio, Amber Valletta, Kim Kardashian and more join the 41-year-old singer in the fictional town of Milfville – where pole dancing in giant milkshake glasses and dairy showers are apparently the norm.
One of the eye-catching video’s early scenes shows model mama Chrissy Teigen breastfeeding her brand new baby Luna. Little Luna isn’t the only celebrity child to put in an appearance – Victoria’s Secret model Ambrosio’s 7-year-old daughter Anja also shares a scene with her mom.
While the acronym M.I.L.F. is generally kind of cringe-worthy, in this case Fergie, who has son Axl with her husband Josh Duhamel, says that it actually means something quite different.
“Changing the acronym to Moms I’d Like To Follow is about empowering women who do it all,” she explains. “They have a career, a family, and still find the time to take care of themselves and feel sexy. With a wink of course :).”
Take a look…
So, do you feel empowered yet?
This song isn’t exactly my summer jam, but I give them credit for attempting to show that motherhood can be sexy, too. It’s an unexpected addition to the standard fantasies: Sexy school teacher, sexy waitress, sexy model, sexy rock star. And yes, sexy mother.
Despite rumors to the contrary, that part of us doesn’t necessarily shrivel up and die the moment our babies are born. The famous moms featured in this video are proof of that, often pushing the boundaries of society’s expectations of motherhood. Kim Kardashian kicks off a heated debate every time she bares her body on Instagram. Ciara came under fire not long ago for the “racy” gown she wore to sing the national anthem at the College Football Playoffs.
As Fergie says, the message comes “with a wink” – the video is meant to be provocative and over-the-top, and from the gratuitous milk baths to the Milfman’s sudden dairy craving at the sight of a mom nursing in public, it definitely does achieve that.
This is always something I struggle with, though. Women as objects, women being ogled, women being a collection of physical attributes. Same old, right? But on the other hand, there is progress in women taking control over that, just as there is in acknowledging that we should be able to celebrate every aspect of who we are without being vilified. If a woman is objectified, that’s on the audience, not on the length of her miniskirt.
In the end, I just don’t think this video exactly shatters, or even pushes all that hard against, the status quo. You could argue that as a singer, as an artist, that’s not Fergie’s responsibility. But if you’re going to label something as “empowering,” I think you have to go a lot further.
What do you think of “M.I.L.F.$.?”
Photos: PR Photos, REX USA
