For the past few weeks, local “alternative” rock station WGRD has been promoting the downtown club, Tini Bikini's with both on air promotional spots and a portion of its website dedicated to promoting Tini Bikini's “American Hottie” contest. Unfortunately, this is not entirely unexpected given WGRD's history of encouraging the objectification of women. A survey of local radio station websites by the Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy (GRIID) produced in early 2004 examined how women were depicted and treated by local radio stations, finding that women were portrayed almost entirely in a sexual manner. WGRD was ranked in the top 4 of local stations for sexual content with a variety of objectifying and degrading material being found on their website.
The sexual content on WGRD's website has increased over the past year, as has its objectification of women both on and off the air. In an apparent effort to reach the coveted college-age male marketing demographic, WGRD has adopted a variety of efforts using women as objects. In addition to collaborating with Tini Bikini's, the station has also hosted promotional events at the similarly degrading Hooters restaurant, hosted burlesque events at 10 Bells, and hosted events such as “Babes and Bands.” The station's website is prominently features a “model of the moment” link, offers photos of women participating in wet t-shirt contests hosted by WGRD, and photos of women topless with the exception of WGRD stickers covering their breasts. Not surprisingly, WGRD's current DJ lineup is entirely male.
Aside from the obvious questions about how WGRD's hypersexual offerings serve the public interest, there is a greater problem with the way this content is directed towards college age males. Both through the messages conveyed via the station's content and “sexploitation” clubs such as Tini Bikini's, the notion that women are objects that exist primarily for the sexual fulfillment of men is reinforced. One in every two and a half women will experience sexual assault in their lives, with the majority experiencing sexual harassment in some form. While some in the community have ridiculously argued that the “experience” of attending Tini Bikini's is not sexual, they ignore the fact that Tini Bikini's reinforces male privilege. This reinforcing of male privilege is especially dangerous for college age males who assault and rape women with great frequency. Seeing women dancing in bikinis or paying them to do lap dances creates a power dynamic in which males hold all of the power. Moreover, by requiring that women stand outside and promote the club in bikinis, where they are required to laugh and flirt with men who make rude remarks, men are taught that street harassment of women and starting at women is acceptable.
Tini Bikini's has drawn the ire of many Grand Rapids residents for its blatant objectification of women, its controversial promotional stunts, and attempts to recruit college students. Since it was opened a year ago by owner Christopher Patrick (he also owns Murphy's Gentlemen's Club in Muskegon Heights) over a year ago, Tini Bikinis has regularly made its female models stand outside on Division in bikinis and yell “enticing” invitations to men, all the while being subjected to constant gawking and catcalls from men. This summer, models have been made to walk around downtown while handing out coupon invitations to men. Moreover, multiple women have reported to Media Mouse that they have been harassed by Tini Bikini's bouncers who have told them that they “should work here [at Tini Bikini's]” based on the size of their chests.
