The Filipino YouTuber, singer, and actor Toni Fowler has previously received harsh criticism for her “M.P.L.” (“Malibog Pag Lasing”) music video.
She recently unveiled a new contentious music video for the song “M.N.M.” (“Masarap Na Mommy”), which received mixed reviews from online users.
Even while the movie emphasises that mothers are not “past their prime,” it nevertheless draws criticism for objectifying women.
To Fowler’s credit, “M.N.M.” and “M.P.L.” are both unlisted YouTube videos that are only accessible to people who are 18 or older.
Despite her attempts, the videos have nevertheless succeeded in going viral and sparking discussions on social media. This does not totally relieve her of the obligation to take ownership of her writing, either.
Fowler posted a video in which she berated parents for letting their kids watch her content after learning that kids were dancing to “M.P.L.” to enter her iPhone 14 contest. She has emphasised numerous times that her content is not suitable for young audiences.
Fowler uses stripper aesthetics in her music videos just as Cardi B does. Fowler’s usage of the aesthetic appears to be more like a co-opting of body and style trends that can be linked to the wave of Black culture and Black women appropriation, even though they both previously worked as strippers and exotic dancers, respectively.
There is a lot to be said about the “M.N.M.” music video’s male gaze-y and outright objectification of women, even while it may be true that mothers aren’t “past their prime.”
Fowler wears a number of skimpy costumes that exposes her chest, and there is a picture of her exposed genitalia.
In several scenes, Fowler is shown cutting with a pregnant woman. There is also a continuous shot from the point of view of someone who is having affairs with every woman in the video.
The music video for “M.N.M.” alternates between saying that mothers, even those who are pregnant, are attractive and fetishizing pregnancy.
A prop vulva is worn by one woman around her neck, while another wears it around her belly.
Additionally, there are multiple scenes of pregnant women pole dancing, which may be inappropriate for more traditional audiences.
Although the music video wants to show that moms may be attractive, the words “Ang sexy-sexy ng ‘yong body, ‘yan ang gusto ko na MILF” reveal excessive beauty standards on mom bods.
The words of the song might also put more pressure on women to meet the unattainable standards of beauty set by society.
Some online users applaud Fowler for her honest portrayal while denouncing the hypocrisy of her detractors.
They contend that similarly pornographic Western music videos by artists like Cardi B’s “WAP” or Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl” are regarded as “acceptable.” This reasoning, however, ignores the cultural distinctions between the West and the Philippines.
The debate that Fowler’s “M.N.M.” music video aroused demonstrates that content producers must assume responsibility for preventing the hypersexualization of children.
Despite Ms. Fowler’s assertion that her work is not appropriate for children, a large audience can still watch it on YouTube because there are no age restrictions in place.
Despite promoting the idea that mothers may be hot, her music videos may be more geared towards motivating males than women.
To promote positive ideas without sexualizing or objectifying women, it is crucial to achieve a balance.