Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Oh Bitch, Why Porn?

Here's a miserable little tale: I started reading feminist blogs after I stumbled on Bitch PhD. I came across her site one day last year and I liked what I read, so I stayed. I eventually strayed into my own blogging territory and those of other radical feminists but the Bitch still offered a good place to visit occasionally. Sadly, not any more.

You may or may not know (via Twisty, thank you very much) that Bitch has taken a paying job with Suicide Girls, blogging as culture editor or some such thing. My disappointment is palpable. Really, I believe it may be felt from yards away. I feel betrayed and I don't know why. She doesn't owe me anything. We're not friends. We have only academia and feminism in common... Oh, that may be it. The feminism thing.

Suicide Girls purports to be all about "unique, strong, sexy and confident women". They "are an army of 1,318 unconventionally gorgeous pin-up girls devoted to changing your idea of what makes women beautiful. [They] are the girls you've wanted to meet all your life."

Good God Almighty! How does an intelligent woman fall for this bullshit? Look at the "girls" page. Do any of those women look unconventionally beautiful to you? Do any of them have stretch marks, mastectomy, body hair, body fat, acne or any other human feature that might be (culturally) considered imperfect? Do me a favour. These "girls" are not even afforded the courtesy of being described as women, having adult status.

Porn irreparably damages women and girls. Porn encourages rape. Porn is a tool of the patriarchy. And porn is porn, no matter how you tattoo it, pierce it, label it, dress it up in faux-feminism and try to defend it. That's all.

8 comments:

Morgan said...

Blech.

Then again, it didn't strike me as a most colossal surprise, for reasons I won't go into unless somebody asks. (It's not that exciting, just long-winded).

Fuck knows what happened - perhaps her views were tempered out of necessity as she made peace with the establishment. I mean for god's sake, could this be any more unoriginal?

Maybe it's hypocritical for you to call yourselves feminists while you stand in judgement of a woman who succumbed to desperation at her economic disadvantage and took a job writing for a porn site. Then again...

Pippa said...

No it's not hypocrisy. I stand in judgement of anyone (male or female) who supports porn in any form, whether that involves taking a paying job for a porn site out of economic disadvantage or otherwise. Feminism doesn't advocate the unqualified support of all women, i.e. regardless of their behaviours, lifestyle choices, politics etc. Feminism calls for the liberation and empowerment of women(among many other things). I also must call bullshit on the idea that Bitch might be financially desperate. Not that it makes any difference to my point. Cheers, Pippa x

sparklematrix said...

Hear hear Pippa!

Pippa said...

Thanks Jo22, yes, I see it now. Sorry MisterM...sense of humour bypass in Salford at the moment!

jo22 said...

Sense of humour bypass? In Salford?Unthinkable!
Where is Salford anyway?

Morgan said...

Ah, I left a comment but apparently the poor blighter has died it. Trust me when I say it was erudite and posed many insightful questions.

No worries Pippa, of course!

Michael said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Pippa said...

because I can....