On fandom and "Expressing Sexuality"

[t3h_toby_chan]

So one of the things that I've noticed about certain objectifying tropes is that they're often ham-fistedly defended by non-feminist (or pseudo-feminist) people as being "empowering" or a means for women to 'express their sexuality".  Recently this attitude was used to laude a new TV series about playboy bunnies in the 60's, claiming that the job

Comments

[ivy_chan]

I also hate that idea that female power = their ability to be sexually desirable to men. Doesn't that just underline their position as subordinate to men, since 'plain' or 'unattractive' or hell, older women are therefore powerless, while male power is linked to intellect and strength and charisma, none of which are connected to how they affect women at all?

Awesome piece of meta here.

[t3h_toby_chan]

Ugh, yes. And I think the devaluation of less attractive women only further emphasizes the concept of women as a 'sex class'; men are sexual people with desires and autonomy, and women are sexual objects to be used by them, and the only way those objects can raise their level of control over any situation is by using their position, playing by the rules of the sex class, and using themselves as bargaining chips.

I think there are elements of male power connected to how they affect women, although the power dynamics are still skewed there: Male prowess is strongly linked to quantity or quality of female 'conquests' or collections, which still emphasizes the gathering of a woman as a sex object. The very idea that seduction is the way that women have power over men still makes obvious the fact that it's assumed that men hold all the power to begin with and it must be somehow compromised or seduced-away.

(Icon relevant because the character is doing her little seduction-dance number because she actually just wants to fuck the guy.)