Saturday, November 15, 2008

Risky and frisky

After reading a particularly grim Kate Millett book back in the day (1980something?) -- I turned the TV to this newfangled MTV and saw a sluttish woman writhing on a gondola proclaiming she was “like a virgin.” I laughed so hard at this I fell out of bed and knew that the Madonna-Whore complex was being reassessed in new ways and that the conversation about it had changed forever.

Women were packaging their powerful sexuality – profiting and gaining stardom. The woman was the captain of her ship at last and what harm is in it if it’s all just for fun. AIDs put an end to the sex party for everyone and sex has gotten more, not less complicated as the years have worn on.

I should not have to rehash why sexual objectification especially of women is well, evil. But it is a complicated sin in that, like money, we do all like sex. If you are thinking about it in terms of “harm to culture” then anything that strips a woman of her personhood and turns her into a sex object that exists only for your pleasure, then you have committed objectification. Some critiques of racy ads are a little humorless, but it is the price for vigilance. If you are thinking in terms of harm to a client just know that people are watching this and they are not quiet people.

Sex with humor and no harm I think is great and most people will appreciate it.

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