History of Feminism
Related: About this forumThe evangelical pro-life guide to sexy feminism
As long as Liz brought it up, let me just say this one last thing about sexy feminism. Its a too-too-tool of the patriarkay. Its an expedient justification, a way to rebrand what everybody does when theyre in their twenties, which is to drink too much and screw a lot, as a cool 21st-century-activist political activity. This would just be kind of funny, you know, youthful hi-jinx and whatnot, except that, since it is entirely devoid of philosophic value, sexy feminism has sort of caught on. Its had the untoward effect of diluting the message of actual feminism. And the even more untoward effect of vilifying radical feminism. And the even more untoward effect of strengthening patriarchal oppression.
What do I mean by sexy feminism? Suicide Girls. Bust magazine. BDSM. The position that women should be free to choose femininity if thats what bangs their box. The idea that embracing sexploitation is empowering. The notion that women can do what we want despite patriarchy. What I dont mean is: the effort to liberate womens sexuality from the clutches of its traditional, misogynist, male-defined constraints, i.e. the effort to define womens sexuality in terms of women, as opposed to men defining women in terms of sex. These are issues of ongoing concern to serious feminists and committed spinster aunts, but, as it turns out, have nothing to do with the preservation of feminine submission as a lifestyle choice.
*
Sexy feminism creates two groups of women, but, oddly enough, neither group is for women. I allude to the sex-positive group and the anti-sex group. The first benefits the status quo. It reassures women who fear the burden of true liberation that femininity is a legitimate identity. The second is the fictitious enemy of the first a stand-in for the real oppressor and functions as the dark, hairy background against which the glowing orgasmic accomplishments of the sexy feminists may glitter in the light of lifes dudely disco ball. Of course there is no real group of anti-sexites; this is a fabrication that allows sexy feminists to indulge in patriarchy-appeasing misogyny on feminist blogs. I propose third, easy-breezy alternative to the suffocating conformity demanded by this tiresome positive vs. negative binary thought system: sex-neutralism. Get busy, dont get busy, whatever! While recognizing that penis placement has enormous political, social, and economic ramifications, particularly for members of the sex caste, the sex-neutral feminist and I may be the only one alive puts the act itself on a par with sneezing. Pleasant enough when it happens, but hardly worth elevating to the pinnacle of human acheivement, or devoting 98% of an internet to.
http://blog.iblamethepatriarchy.com/2008/03/25/the-evangelical-pro-life-guide-to-sexy-feminism/
LiberalLoner
(9,762 posts)stripping and prostitution were empowering career choices for women.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)stripping naked as he stays clothed. taking any abuse, crudeness, insult to make a buck to be able to eat. doing as told while he holds up a dollar waving it in front of her.
who really has the power.
where, does the woman have any power at all.
but, also, i get that with choices people have to put themselves in a place to be ok.
people make choices. that is their right. but, lets be honest and real about the choices.
CrispyQ
(36,574 posts)I was stunned & even more stunned to discover that it passes for a category of feminism these days. WTF?
patrice
(47,992 posts)I think they regard their bodies as capital and may enjoy seeing the effect of their physical power on others, some of whom mistakenly take it as a tribute to themselves. Needless to say, personal lives can get quite messy.
GOOD education and good jobs would help.
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)that i would not "use" my sexuality for gain. it is so easy for women to fall into, because we are conditioned in that manner. having made the conscious decision it was never hard not to. and i found out, it was totally unnecessary for success. and has always served me well and made life a hell of a lot easier and much less messy.
yes, women do that.
but, though i did not have an awareness in feminism, i grew up in a time and in a sport for a lifetime (competitive swimming coed), and in calif where naked and interaction with my age guys where as balanced as i have yet to see. so it all just made intellectual sense.
patrice
(47,992 posts)It's an instinct. I remember the power, like a positive intoxication. Many women are not talking to one another and, worse, to their daughters about what this is. The most my stern German-blood mother would say was stuff about how bad it is to "be vain", which had other, less than positive, consequences.
Re the women we are referring to here: Like many other education/self-identification issues, it's stupid to demand that "a dog should sing opera" and then punish it, because it doesn't/can't/won't. (And please understand this is a positive metaphor for me. I love dogs.) There needs to be somekind of response that is more constructive than the punishment, dealt by society, or by this kind of women upon themselves.
MerryBlooms
(11,777 posts)<Im sex positive, (stupid term) by the way, and I think that this label is completely misused by practically everyone as a way of insinuating that those who disagree with their self-exploitation are somehow anti-sex.>
seabeyond
(110,159 posts)the sexuallity we see from our girls is handing it over to the guy. it is NOT her owning her own sexuality. that is the most horrible thing to me. i dont understand how the girls have turned their sexuality over to the men, yet say they are empowered.
i KNOW what it is to be able to be naked and it is just naked
when men on du says, just boobies, all you need to grow up. i think about this. exactly. yes. lets grow up
and that means when stripping down to all swim nude it isnt the guys staying clothed, jumping on their toes, clapping their hands and yelling boobies. it is not a mass of guys climbing polls to video the young gals having a topless march in portland oregon. that is NOT being grown up about nudity.
yes. lets grow up. lets let the women own their won sexuality. the men arent handing theirs over. it is all theirs and all about them. yet the women, it is all about the men. how the fuck does that work.
MerryBlooms
(11,777 posts)That's how it works. There's a ton of work to be done... 'You've come a long way baby'...
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)And I have been saying these same things for years:
(she's not the only "sex neutral feminist" alive, plus me makes at least two)
Love this article. Thanks. Will be sharing widely.
redqueen
(115,108 posts)She doesn't blog so often lately but lots of good stuff there.
ManyShadesOf
(639 posts)The rigid strictures for young women now are to look like Sex&TheCity Lipstick Lesbians or standard Barbies. There are a lot of different styles and a lot of young women into health, fitness, unique personal style. It comes down to authenticity - being allowed to be yourself, not a cartoon. I finally realized so many young women look plastic b/c they cake their faces in makeup (again). When did THAT become a thing to do. Hiding behind a mask ... (I said "caked," not "wearing" . And the SHOES