Thursday, December 21, 2006

Slut-Be-Gone!

So... should the word "slut" be banned from the English language? Should immigrants thus be required to learn a version of our language that does not include calling a slut a slut? A spade a spade? Should that good 'ole timey trash talkin' be banished from the Dirty South, and elsewhere?

When did sex become Absolute Righteous Sex? Hey, don't ask me. I'm a forty-something soccer mom. What in the world would I know about the path to the feminine divine, or towards divine sexual liberation for that matter? Apparently, and applied liberally, sexual freedom now gets one a free pass into World of Sex Industry Support and Land of Porn Glorification. Hey, let's tell our daughters all about it! Or let 'em read more here.

As for the bs stuff, as the olde saying goes, never EVER bullshit a bullshitter. You simply won't win that one.

8 comments:

Amber Rhea said...

I don't know how many times I have to say this, bc I - and many other bloggers - are getting REAL sick of false characterizations of our positions. And I've been through this a hundred times, at least, on some of the radfem blogs. I still don't understand why allowing for women's agency and self-determination - a central tenet of feminism, after all - and not relegating sex to some other, "lower" part of life immediately means we're DEFENDING PORN and GLORIFYING THE SEX INDUSTRY. All anyone has to do is read what we've written to know that's a ridiculous, ludicrious mischaracterzation and all I can assume is people who do it have personal shit they must not be dealing with? 'Cause otherwise I really don't understand. All of us who've been painted this way have PLENTY of criticisms of the sex industyr, mainstream porn, etc. The thing is though that our criticisms are aimed at the PRODUCTION side and the economic roots which lead some women - and men - to be manipulated within the industry. But we DON'T think there is anythign wrong w/ consenting adults doing whatever the fuck they want with or for other consenting adults.

And as for the "slut" business? You show me how it accomplishes ANYTHING, this stratifiction of women. Just show me. Because I'm not seeing it. Or is it really that important for some women to feel superior to others based on such a tenuous distinction?

I'm happy to talk about this stuff and disagree and have a conversation, but don't paint me as something I'm not, and don't start with the derogatory, condescending language and expect me to just take it. We've been thru this once before and I'm not going to put up with that kind of thing.

Grayson: Atlanta, GA said...

Ahhh... language, and the use thereof. Now there's where illusions of equality, superiority, divine intellect, etc. will surely creep in on 'ya. Best use it sparingly if you can't use it wisely!

Amber Rhea said...

Okay, I still don't understand. What are you getting at here? How is this anything but an attack.

Grayson: Atlanta, GA said...

Whew... terrible time with Blogger this morning. Won't behave! Hate when that happens. And "attack?" Good Lord hon, that is sooo not my style! Let's just call it great marketing strategy, just between us girls of course.

Amber Rhea said...

Uhhh... okay.

Still not getting it though.

griftdrift said...

I really don't understand all this. Probably because I am a member of the penile elite.

Grayson: Atlanta, GA said...

Yeah, it's all kinda dopey when you think about it, which I try not to do a whole lot of when it comes to the politics of sex. My bad I suppose. Least we're not fighting for our very existence, as in the Love Shack saga!

Tania Rochelle said...

I personally like labels based on behavior (as opposed to labels based on things one cannot choose: gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, natural looks, etc), perhaps because they do make me feel superior, like I'm doing SOMETHING right.

So if a person robs a bank, I say he/she is a crook. If a married person sleeps with someone not the spouse, I consider him/her a cheater. If a man lives to hump anything that moves, I figure he must be a dawg, and if a gal goes around showing all the world her Gina while her kids are home with the sitter, I'm liable to regard her as a slut. (Wouldn't a man habitually "oopsing" flashes of his penis be arrested?)

No one has to agree with my definitions, of course.

Furthermore, I'm all for a man or woman's right to do whatever they want, even being a slut or a dawg.