From Barbie to Playboy, there has been much debate in our culture as to what constitutes empowerment of women and what is merely objectification. With the advent of the internet it seems that the lines have been further blurred, with the true meaning of these pop culture symbols lying in the eye of the beholder.
Traditionally, pornography has been viewed as a method of exploiting women by turning them into mere sex objects and encouraging unrealistic standards of beauty. Models are typically thin, with breast implants and other plastic surgeries, placed in lingerie and high heels and submissive positions, and air-brushed to perfection. Exposure to these images leads women to believe that this- and only this- is what men find desirable, although new “alterna-porn” websites are making an effort to change this standard.
By far the most popular of these is SuicideGirls.com, which is home to hundreds of tattooed and pierced punk and goth girls of all shapes and sizes who pose nude with dignity. According to the website’s founder, “I think the women on SuicideGirls are brave in saying, 'I'm confident, I'm intelligent, and I don't have a problem sharing my sexuality with the world. This is what a real body looks like, and it's beautiful.'" In addition to showcasing the real, unedited bodies of women who demand respect, the site also attempts to act as a community, hosting message boards, member blogs, and news links. The site appeals primarily to the college-age crowd, boasting a mixed audience that is 57% male and 43% female. Though the site is meant to be progressive and challenge mainstream standards of beauty, it has also been criticized for essentially “dressing up accepted norms with different clothes” (Chonin, 2004).
While I fully support the idea of challenging the standards set for women and showing that alternative girls can be beautiful too, I think the method that SuicideGirls uses to do so falls short of its target. As the old adage goes, beauty is only skin deep, and likewise, so are tattoos, piercings, and blue hair dye. To truly stand up and fight against oppression, one must change her actions, not just her wardrobe. To say “I’m smart, I’m tough, and although I wasn’t born with a model’s body, I’m going to be one anyway” isn’t exactly challenging the patriarchy. Regardless of whether a woman invests in breast implants or a full sleeve of tattoos, both are merely visual accessories, and as long as she’s willing to silently expose herself for money to please a man, in my book that’s called compliance, not progression.
Traditionally, pornography has been viewed as a method of exploiting women by turning them into mere sex objects and encouraging unrealistic standards of beauty. Models are typically thin, with breast implants and other plastic surgeries, placed in lingerie and high heels and submissive positions, and air-brushed to perfection. Exposure to these images leads women to believe that this- and only this- is what men find desirable, although new “alterna-porn” websites are making an effort to change this standard.
By far the most popular of these is SuicideGirls.com, which is home to hundreds of tattooed and pierced punk and goth girls of all shapes and sizes who pose nude with dignity. According to the website’s founder, “I think the women on SuicideGirls are brave in saying, 'I'm confident, I'm intelligent, and I don't have a problem sharing my sexuality with the world. This is what a real body looks like, and it's beautiful.'" In addition to showcasing the real, unedited bodies of women who demand respect, the site also attempts to act as a community, hosting message boards, member blogs, and news links. The site appeals primarily to the college-age crowd, boasting a mixed audience that is 57% male and 43% female. Though the site is meant to be progressive and challenge mainstream standards of beauty, it has also been criticized for essentially “dressing up accepted norms with different clothes” (Chonin, 2004).
While I fully support the idea of challenging the standards set for women and showing that alternative girls can be beautiful too, I think the method that SuicideGirls uses to do so falls short of its target. As the old adage goes, beauty is only skin deep, and likewise, so are tattoos, piercings, and blue hair dye. To truly stand up and fight against oppression, one must change her actions, not just her wardrobe. To say “I’m smart, I’m tough, and although I wasn’t born with a model’s body, I’m going to be one anyway” isn’t exactly challenging the patriarchy. Regardless of whether a woman invests in breast implants or a full sleeve of tattoos, both are merely visual accessories, and as long as she’s willing to silently expose herself for money to please a man, in my book that’s called compliance, not progression.
Chonin, N. (2004, July 25). Pioneers / Pretty in porn / Alterna-porn is challenging the Playboy body ideal. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 1, 2008 from Newspaper Source database.
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2 comments:
Great post Brandi! I am a fan of the Suicide Girls myself but I think your insight to the website and it's relation to the Pop Culture aspect was written very well!
I especially liked your last paragraph and the fact that you think the website is falling short of its target. I always loved the concept they were trying to portray but over the past few years I feel they have been falling short.
I'm excited to see what your next article will be about. :)
I enjoyed reading your post Brandi. I agree with you that women in general need to challenge the standards by showing that alternative girls can be beautiful too. However, I believe that most people in this country portray people who have tattoos, piercings, and blue hair dye as different or seeking attention. For instance most people when they see a guy with tattoos and a leather biker jacket that they are rough and unapprochable. However, is this really fair to judge someone by their appearance? Absolutely not. My best friend has tattoos all over his arms and back and he looks intimidating, but he is the nicest guy you would ever meet. Your post is very well written!
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