Sexually objectifying USO entertainment traditions reinforce the objectification that enables sexual assault.

Evidence

In addition to camptown-style prostitution, pervasive sexually objectifying entertainment in the military plays a role in the victimization of locals who have suffered rapes and assaults committed by the very people whose presence in their countries is supposed to provide security. Like the camptowns that grew around bases in South Korea and elsewhere, the “camp show” tradition dates to World War II. Under the auspices of the United Service Organizations, hundreds of musicians, actors, and comedians began going on tours designed to boost troop morale overseas. USO shows have since become an iconic staple at bases abroad, featuring the likes of Bob Hope, John Wayne, and Stephen Colbert, as well as “pinup girls” such as Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, and Betty Grable. In a 2005 USO show at Camp Victory in Iraq, Al Franken did a comedy routine about Army chow; then, two scantily clad Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders in their trademark short-shorts, halter tops, and cowboy boots took the stage to dance before throngs of troops. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 567

Categorization

• ADDENDUM: The USO cheerleader show parallels the ‘Complaints About Immodesty’ article’s theme of women’s attire as political/identity signaling, here repurposed as state-sanctioned troop morale.