Myth California 1982 to 1983

In the beginning of this extremely rare archival video from the early 1980s about the protests against the Santa Cruz Beauty Pageant Nikki Craft , De Clarke, and Ray Gruneich discuss their political perspectives on how mass media objectifies women and how that objectification relates to other violence against women, including racism and colonialism.

Also included is footage of some of Nikki Craft's creative actions protesting Corporate-sponsored Beauty Pageants where women are required to parade their bodies around for the entertainment of others, and allow themselves to be objectified, in order to get college scholarships .

This, and other organized street actions took place for six years in Santa Cruz California in the 1980s, and were organized by Nikki Craft and Ann Simonton. Due to these protests the pageant, after being in Santa Cruz for a half a decade finally extricated its financial (and other, ties) and moved to San Diego..

The Barbies and World Globe were created as a portion of Nikki Craft's college thesis in ceramics. It was called "But is it Art or Is It Politics?" and was unveiled in the parking lot of the Dream Inn the day the contestants and judges arrived. The Dream Inn was a major sponsor of the pageant. The float was driven on the streets of Santa Cruz for a week. Craft was threatened with arrest numerous times.

To read more about these protests visit:
http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/Nikki/BeautyClarke4.html
http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/Nikki/BeautyClarke3.html
http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/Nikki/BeautyClarke2.html http://www.nostatusquo.com/ACLU/Nikki/BeautyClarke1.html

Category:

Education

Tags:

• keywords: women
• beauty
• beauty pageants
• beauty pageant protests
• scholarship pageants
• Myth California Protest
• Miss Santa Cruz
• feminism
• activism
• objectification of women
• violence against women
• street theater
• Nikki Craft
• Barbie Dolls
• radikal
• radical feminism
• Resistance
• Colonialism
• Racism
• Sexism
• Misogyny
• Oppression
• Ray Gruneich
• Ann Simonton
• De Clarke

[scrubjay93]

Rare footage is right! I was at the 1982 protest :)

[nikkicraft]

@scrubjay93 yeah rare footage indeed, practically back at the dawn of creation.; )

[oceanbreath]

This piece began with the 1982 protest then had the 1983 protest so the title is confusing!!

[nikkicraft]

thanks! I corrected that information.

[NancyToday]

I'm in such a protected environment from all of this.  I don't know if Canada has pageants or not. In my wilderness and neck of the art world, we are blessedly distant from all of that!

[Laceydog]

AS sick and deranged as it was in the 1980's. You listen to this and it makes one cringe. Pageantry has nothing to do with anything. Look at the folks talking. That will give you an indication as to what it was really about.

[underesteemed]

One can wonder about the effectiveness of the tactics, but the thesis is absolutely correct.

[Ammonitee]

I do not mean to belittle this work, it is definitely better to make a point then to go along as though nothing is wrong, but in the end it is probably best just to NOT IDENTIFY. I think society is simply a mess, thus the way is to inspire individuality (not try to change the group), here the analysis is good, so next step I think is NOT going along with ANY kind of group think.

[Ammonitee]

I kindof agree with both arguments, if people are going to be idiots, getting in their face often only serves to strengthen the status quo.

I appreciate the points made here but, I think the main point is : this society is not correctable, a bunch of thoughtless materialists, 27 years later we have not made any "progress," sending women into the workforce to become part of the machine is also not a solution.

[poderiu]

"But is it Art of Is It Politics?" - A very direct work, brilliant! shows very well the intentions and why the protests were done.

[underesteemed]

Right on, Nikki!