More educated sex....
Literature Review
To question who the SuicideGirls are, or what they stand for, brings about questions involving that which is intrinsic to the work of the girls and the site itself. We are confronted with the questions of beauty, sexuality, femininity, pornography and erotic art, which are also subjects of heated debate in social and political discourse. All of these qualities stretch outside the reaches of mere definition and beg for explanation in their ambiguity.
Beauty
In Nancy Etcoffs book, Survival of the Prettiest, the author attempts to examine our human motivation behind the intrinsic idea of human attractiveness. She works down into the root of scientific and psychological studies surrounding our cultural ideals of beauty. Speaking in these terms, Etcoff comes to the conclusion that our ideals of beauty stem from an average (Etcoff, 1999, p. 145). She goes on to explain that average is a base, that for beauty to be average it could not be distinctive. Thus, for that distinction to exist, beauty must lie in rarity or beyond what we consider average. Elaborating, she explains that models are actually statistical rarities that combine height and shape (Etcoff, 1999, p. 193). A sense of bitterness seems to present itself in her writings when the author approaches the traits associated with our cultures supermodels, causing one to consider her possible desire to dispel the concept of an all-encompassing, ideal beauty.
She goes on to further discuss that every human being has an internal mechanism for recognizing what is beautiful. This mechanism works by creating a composite of faces that we have seen. Our vision of beauty actually depends on it (Etcoff, 1999, 146).
Tattoos and piercings are one representation of an ideal of beauty (Lloyd, 2003), but also have underpinnings of feminist statement amongst most women, as found in a study of Canadian women. They have also been defined as body projects, under which category one finds the likes of facial cosmetics or weight control (Atkinson, 2003, p. 219). All the studies researched conclusively showed that tattooing had a deeper, personal meaning of self-expression and individuality associated with its practice (Atkinson, 2003, Cahill & Riley, 2005, Caliendo, 2005, Hancock, 2005, Lloyd, 2003, & Suicide, 2004).
Sexuality and Femininity
It was towards the end of the 1970s that feminists began to recognize the need for women to explore their sexual needs and desires (Segal, 1993, p. 7). Feminist views on the place of pornography in their sexual expression have been split down the middle. The view of the anti-pornography faction can be summed up easily in one womans testimony: I dont need statistics to tell me that there is a relationship between pornography and real violence against women. My body remembers (Russell, 1993, p. 120). Noted leaders in the anti-pornography, feminist movement, Andrea Dworkin and Katherine MacKinnon, entirely base their claims on personal testimony and public opinion polls, such as those featured in the magazines Newsweek and Time conducted in 1985 and 1986, respectively (Dworkin & MacKinnon, 1993, p. 94). Those scientific studies that do exist on the pornography-violence causal link have been flawed or refuted by the introduction of additional variables (Donnerstein, Linz, & Penrod, 1987).
The Dworkin-MacKinnon regime works entirely upon the pathos generated within the argument that pornography causes violence against women. In one essay, Dworkin goes so far as to state her personal feeling on the matter saying, inside I wanted to die (Dworkin, 1994, p. 260). This sort of blatant emotional appeal in light of no conclusive evidence is a complete disregard to rationality. Not only that, this regime often utilizes highly loaded words in description of anything of sexual reference, what most people would consider obscenities.
Segal (1994) claims in her essay that blaming pornography displaces the cause of violence from the perpetrator to the material (p. 362). She claims that pornography became a scapegoat for the anti-pornography faction to take out their frustrations after the defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment by the Reagan Administration and New Right. This led to the arguments of feminists to take a more defensive stance, as opposed to a stronger, offensive stance, on feminine issues (p. 355). Nadine Strossen (1995), president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) since 1991, recognizes the cultural and political repercussions of this stance. Anti-pornography legislation has included such acts as refusing grants from the National Endowment for the Arts to any art that is sexually explicit, or goes against traditional family values (p. 24). Public concerns regarding reproductive issues of abortion, contraception, STDs and AIDS are being denied a voice under some of these legislations (p.29). Even safe-sex education in schools has come under attack (p. 26). It seems the Dwokin-MacKinnon regime has less concern for education and facts, and more for technique.
Strossen asserts that freedom of speech is a primary weapon in the fight against misogyny and compromising this right would be detrimental to the cause (p. 30). Dworkin and MacKinnon (1994) repeatedly attack the ACLU, claiming they help pornographers wage war on feminists by protecting pornographys constitutional right to freedom of expression (p. 91). Their stance may be said in the words of MacKinnon herself, If pornography is a part of your sexuality, then you have no right to your sexuality (Strossen, 1995, p. 161).
Pornography and Erotic Art
Those lines dividing pornography and erotic art are not well defined. The previously mentioned dictionary definitions display the vast difference between the denotative and connotative meanings of pornography and erotic art, as well as their ancient links to the Greek language. One classic example of this is that of feminist performance artist, and former pornography worker and director, Annie Sprinkle. One of her performances faced censorship of her act of showing the audience her cervix by way of a speculum. It may also be added that she openly defied laws against tattooing in New York by participating in the activity (Williams, 1993, p. 178).
Literature Review
To question who the SuicideGirls are, or what they stand for, brings about questions involving that which is intrinsic to the work of the girls and the site itself. We are confronted with the questions of beauty, sexuality, femininity, pornography and erotic art, which are also subjects of heated debate in social and political discourse. All of these qualities stretch outside the reaches of mere definition and beg for explanation in their ambiguity.
Beauty
In Nancy Etcoffs book, Survival of the Prettiest, the author attempts to examine our human motivation behind the intrinsic idea of human attractiveness. She works down into the root of scientific and psychological studies surrounding our cultural ideals of beauty. Speaking in these terms, Etcoff comes to the conclusion that our ideals of beauty stem from an average (Etcoff, 1999, p. 145). She goes on to explain that average is a base, that for beauty to be average it could not be distinctive. Thus, for that distinction to exist, beauty must lie in rarity or beyond what we consider average. Elaborating, she explains that models are actually statistical rarities that combine height and shape (Etcoff, 1999, p. 193). A sense of bitterness seems to present itself in her writings when the author approaches the traits associated with our cultures supermodels, causing one to consider her possible desire to dispel the concept of an all-encompassing, ideal beauty.
She goes on to further discuss that every human being has an internal mechanism for recognizing what is beautiful. This mechanism works by creating a composite of faces that we have seen. Our vision of beauty actually depends on it (Etcoff, 1999, 146).
Tattoos and piercings are one representation of an ideal of beauty (Lloyd, 2003), but also have underpinnings of feminist statement amongst most women, as found in a study of Canadian women. They have also been defined as body projects, under which category one finds the likes of facial cosmetics or weight control (Atkinson, 2003, p. 219). All the studies researched conclusively showed that tattooing had a deeper, personal meaning of self-expression and individuality associated with its practice (Atkinson, 2003, Cahill & Riley, 2005, Caliendo, 2005, Hancock, 2005, Lloyd, 2003, & Suicide, 2004).
Sexuality and Femininity
It was towards the end of the 1970s that feminists began to recognize the need for women to explore their sexual needs and desires (Segal, 1993, p. 7). Feminist views on the place of pornography in their sexual expression have been split down the middle. The view of the anti-pornography faction can be summed up easily in one womans testimony: I dont need statistics to tell me that there is a relationship between pornography and real violence against women. My body remembers (Russell, 1993, p. 120). Noted leaders in the anti-pornography, feminist movement, Andrea Dworkin and Katherine MacKinnon, entirely base their claims on personal testimony and public opinion polls, such as those featured in the magazines Newsweek and Time conducted in 1985 and 1986, respectively (Dworkin & MacKinnon, 1993, p. 94). Those scientific studies that do exist on the pornography-violence causal link have been flawed or refuted by the introduction of additional variables (Donnerstein, Linz, & Penrod, 1987).
The Dworkin-MacKinnon regime works entirely upon the pathos generated within the argument that pornography causes violence against women. In one essay, Dworkin goes so far as to state her personal feeling on the matter saying, inside I wanted to die (Dworkin, 1994, p. 260). This sort of blatant emotional appeal in light of no conclusive evidence is a complete disregard to rationality. Not only that, this regime often utilizes highly loaded words in description of anything of sexual reference, what most people would consider obscenities.
Segal (1994) claims in her essay that blaming pornography displaces the cause of violence from the perpetrator to the material (p. 362). She claims that pornography became a scapegoat for the anti-pornography faction to take out their frustrations after the defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment by the Reagan Administration and New Right. This led to the arguments of feminists to take a more defensive stance, as opposed to a stronger, offensive stance, on feminine issues (p. 355). Nadine Strossen (1995), president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) since 1991, recognizes the cultural and political repercussions of this stance. Anti-pornography legislation has included such acts as refusing grants from the National Endowment for the Arts to any art that is sexually explicit, or goes against traditional family values (p. 24). Public concerns regarding reproductive issues of abortion, contraception, STDs and AIDS are being denied a voice under some of these legislations (p.29). Even safe-sex education in schools has come under attack (p. 26). It seems the Dwokin-MacKinnon regime has less concern for education and facts, and more for technique.
Strossen asserts that freedom of speech is a primary weapon in the fight against misogyny and compromising this right would be detrimental to the cause (p. 30). Dworkin and MacKinnon (1994) repeatedly attack the ACLU, claiming they help pornographers wage war on feminists by protecting pornographys constitutional right to freedom of expression (p. 91). Their stance may be said in the words of MacKinnon herself, If pornography is a part of your sexuality, then you have no right to your sexuality (Strossen, 1995, p. 161).
Pornography and Erotic Art
Those lines dividing pornography and erotic art are not well defined. The previously mentioned dictionary definitions display the vast difference between the denotative and connotative meanings of pornography and erotic art, as well as their ancient links to the Greek language. One classic example of this is that of feminist performance artist, and former pornography worker and director, Annie Sprinkle. One of her performances faced censorship of her act of showing the audience her cervix by way of a speculum. It may also be added that she openly defied laws against tattooing in New York by participating in the activity (Williams, 1993, p. 178).
how's things? hope alll is well. im going to be online a bit more now, so i wanted to say hey.
looks like you have a kick ass long entry - so i'll try and give it some time and read over it soon.
give us a shout when you have some time, and smiles,
widow.