Radical feminism, porn and prostitution
There seems to be some confusion about the terms "radical feminism" and "anti-porn feminism". They are not interchangeable. A radical feminist is anti-porn because she's a radical feminist. She is not a radical feminist because she's anti-porn.
Radical means root, and it is not possible to see pornography or prostitution as empowering women if you go to the root of the problem, which is the disempowerment of women through patriarchy. The disempowerment of women is the root cause of prostitution and pornography.
Our planet evolved through survival of the fittest; the strongest and most cooperative. Patriarchy invaded through dominance and combat, trying to twist evolution into survival of the most powerful/competitive. It is this that has caused the digression some scientists like to call "progress". In reality, patriarchy is destroying the Earth.
In this survival-of-the-most-powerful era, (which is estimated to be between 5 & 12 thousand years long/short) porn and prostitution have been marketed to women as empowering. More so now than ever, because less women are coerced through desperation. Many women who support these industries do feel empowered by it (and who doesn't want to be a survivor?), but this is at the expense of women in general.
The ability to buy women for sex was only made possible by disempowering women. This is still true.
Porn/prostitution is about as empowering for women as a chicken joining forces with humans to kill other chickens for human consumption (and maybe it's own consumption) is empowering for the chicken. In the end, there's nothing to stop the human eating that chicken. The chicken was never as empowered as it thought it was. In patriarchy, humans consume animals. In patriarchy, men consume women.
The hierarchy of "survival of the most powerful" is killing the planet and its inhabitants. Patriarchy is eating itself and most people are happy to go along with this for fear of conflict.
They aren't radical feminists.
Radical means root, and it is not possible to see pornography or prostitution as empowering women if you go to the root of the problem, which is the disempowerment of women through patriarchy. The disempowerment of women is the root cause of prostitution and pornography.
Our planet evolved through survival of the fittest; the strongest and most cooperative. Patriarchy invaded through dominance and combat, trying to twist evolution into survival of the most powerful/competitive. It is this that has caused the digression some scientists like to call "progress". In reality, patriarchy is destroying the Earth.
In this survival-of-the-most-powerful era, (which is estimated to be between 5 & 12 thousand years long/short) porn and prostitution have been marketed to women as empowering. More so now than ever, because less women are coerced through desperation. Many women who support these industries do feel empowered by it (and who doesn't want to be a survivor?), but this is at the expense of women in general.
The ability to buy women for sex was only made possible by disempowering women. This is still true.
Porn/prostitution is about as empowering for women as a chicken joining forces with humans to kill other chickens for human consumption (and maybe it's own consumption) is empowering for the chicken. In the end, there's nothing to stop the human eating that chicken. The chicken was never as empowered as it thought it was. In patriarchy, humans consume animals. In patriarchy, men consume women.
The hierarchy of "survival of the most powerful" is killing the planet and its inhabitants. Patriarchy is eating itself and most people are happy to go along with this for fear of conflict.
They aren't radical feminists.
posted by jo22 at 10:58 PM
9 Comments:
If anyone wants to argue that survival of the fittest is the same as survival of the most powerful, look around at our world leaders and come back to me.
Jo-I love this-the way you tied patriarchy in with the destruction of the planet. It's so true. The entire system is eating itself, but the planet is being rendered uninhabitable at the same time.
Which will happen first? Nobody knows.
Aha! Re-reading this post which seemed to try to tie in about eight points with very few words after a bottle and a half of wine, I have suddenly realised why so many radical feminists are vegetarian. *Ding*
"In reality, patriarchy is destroying the Earth."
This is also what really gets to me. You are right, feminism, respect for animals, the earth and so on all complement each other in an ethical sort of way. You know as in consistent with agreed principles of moral conduct, respect and what have you.
It *is* all linked - tis nice when you have *dings* :-)
I'm trying to think of how empowered chickens might find chicken-friendly ways of chicken consumption, but something in my brain just won't let me do it.
A bottle and a half of wine does you good!
Excellent post :)
Love this post!
Stop it! You're encouraging me to drink.
hi, new to the site, thanks.
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