Nine Pearls-Blogging for Fun and Cash Prizes

Yes? Yes! No.

Now, really, I never hear about anything from Feministing unless something ridiculous has happened. And, with that crew, it’s never just run of the mill drama, oh, no. It’s always gnawing on your own ear, “What were they thinking” drama.

This time, though… I’m just sort of confused.

I mean, sure, I’m sort of foggy and Mommy-brained. And, I haven’t been keeping up with whatever boob job/nipple tint/lip gloss/sport’s corset I’m supposed to be aghast at this month. But… I honestly cannot figure this one out.

Imagine a world where women enjoy sex on their own terms and aren’t shamed for it. Imagine a world where men treat their sexual partners as collaborators, not conquests. Imagine a world where rape is rare and swiftly punished.

Ok. Good so far.

But, then…

Welcome to the world of Yes Means Yes.

Yes Means Yes! will fly in the face of the conventional feminist wisdom that rape has nothing to do with sex. We are looking to collect sharp and insightful essays, from voices both established and new, that demonstrate how empowering female sexual pleasure is the key to dismantling rape culture.

Seriously?

Now, I am not against empowering female sexual pleasure. Not at all. And, I think that an anthology full of essays about empowering female sexual pleasure could even be a good read… But, then I get to the end of the paragraph and remember why I don’t identify as a Sex Positive Feminist. Because, people, that’s about the best example of Underpants Gnomes Logic I’ve seen in couple of weeks. Can someone please detail just exactly how empowering female sexual pleasure is going to dismantle rape culture? Or, is it more like, “Empower Female Sexual Pleasure + ? = PROFIT!”

There is, of course, the requisite list of “possible topics.”

Revamping how public sex education is taught, and to whom.

Well, okay… that might actually make a dent in dismantling rape culture. That might also make an excellent book in and of itself. Can I get that book, instead?

The new backlash against rape survivors (i.e., media obsession with drinking, Girls Gone Wild culture being to blame for assault)

New? Um… when wasn’t there backlash against rape survivors? Is it that, perchance, the persons putting together this collection of stories about dismantling rape culture haven’t actually ever been raped? ‘Cause no rape victim would be under the impression that the “backlash” is new.

Bringing men back into the conversation, making men leaders in the movement to end rape culture

Back into the conversation? When were they involved? And, who is it “making” men leaders? Women? So… the solution to ending rape culture is for a bunch of sexually empowered women to elect some dude President of the End Rape Club? Really?

Taking Back the Porn: How changing the pornography industry can stop rape

Well, that’s about as sensible as the whole rad fem notion that eliminating porn will end rape, like, ya know, rape didn’t exist before cameras, or something.

How good sex (where women’s pleasure is central) can mean an end to rape culture, and how a society that values genuine female sexual pleasure will make it easier to identify and prosecute rapists.

First… shouldn’t that be the first suggestion, given the stated purpose of the anthology? And, second… what the fuck?

Now, I’m just trying to parse all this, so let me be sure I’m getting it all:

1. “Good sex” is an end to rape culture, so… “bad sex” is to blame for it? How obnoxious is that? Like, rape wouldn’t happen if we were all having “good sex” as defined by… the people at Feministing?
2. “Genuine female sexual pleasure?” As opposed to the pleasure that isn’t genuine? What is actually being discussed there? Fake orgasms? Or, women that haven’t really “examined” their real ones?
3. What exactly does pleasure have to do with identifying rapists at all? Maybe I’m too old school for this new fangled Yes Means Yessiness, but last time I checked, we were all trying to push the notion that there is no universal set of identifiers for rapists—that, in fact, that nice young man over there could well be a rapists, that men of color are not more inclined to rape, that men are not immune from sexual assault. Since when is it feminist to insist that there’s a Rapist Identity to push?
4. Prosecution of rapist is fucking legal issue. Not a pleasure issue. Even if everyone in the jury is having “good sex,” the letter of the law is still stacked against the victim—pushing for better laws, insisting on stricter SOPS within law enforcement and medical communities, THAT will help prosecution. Touchy feely essays on “pleasure” aren’t going to make much headway.

Okay, now I’m a little angry. But.. I’ll push on!

Rethinking sexual interaction as a private joint performance, as opposed to as an exchange of a commodity or service

Because, no one has ever done that before.

An analysis of the economics of female sexual alienation/oppression, and an economic model for resistance

Is that College Speak for “Housewives and whores: how your own paycheck will prevent rape?” Or, is it more like, “No, dinner wasn’t permission to rape me?”

Holding the MSM accountable for torture porn, kidnapping crusades and faux feminism.

How on earth do you get from “Media obsession with cut up white chicks” to “faux feminism?”

Desegmenting the Market: overcoming commercially enforced sexual stereotypes to organize across race, class, gender, and difference

Perhaps I could suggest that a good place to start would be for the people that consider themselves enlightened leaders of the movement to end rape culture do so much as mention that there might actually be specific myths about women of color to tear down? That, in fact, rape culture has it’s own mythology about who can really be raped, and historically that pretty much only includes select types of economically-advantaged white women? I mean, I’m not saying that I’m enormously surprised that it didn’t merit mentioning to the folks in question, but for fuck’s sake already, can that not be a footnote for once?

On pulling out the invisible lynchpin of rape culture: homophobia.

The “invisible lynchpin?” I, uh… does not compute.

Yeah, homophobia sucks. And, I can see where prison rape jokes totally contribute to rape culture as a whole, but I still think I’m missing something here.

Creating accurate media representations of rape

What? Like as an hobby?

Just… it’s all so circular and bizarre.

And, well, it’s typical. That’s what it is. And, frustrating. There should be a space for talking about how honoring female sexuality might affect rape culture. But, the bombast of it, stating that rape happens because of a lack of female pleasure, as if having more orgasms would be more effective at preventing rape than say… gun training.

tags: feminism