April 22, 2012

The Feminist Porn Awards

I read this article about The Feminist Porn Awards. Yes, there is feminist porn. No, I wasn't aware of it until I stumbled upon the article.

As the story goes, some critics were concerned these pornographic videos aren't feminist at all. A bit baffling, but as I delved around the internet, I noticed a few disconcerting stigmas attached to feminism.

There seems to be this misconception that there is no room for sexuality or sexual enjoyment when it comes to feminism or being a feminist. That's a little worrisome for me. As I think feminism is sexy. And men who are pro-feminist, that's a very real turn on. Nothing like equal rights to get me all hot and bothered.

My question is, where in the rule book does it say being a feminist means you cannot enjoy sex? Or men? Or penises? Or dirty movies?

This make come as a shock, but some women like sex. And some women like porn. And according to breaking news, some feminists like sex and porn. And, to throw the world completely off kilter, some feminists like sex and porn and being submissive.

I'm not too sure why feminism is so hard for people to understand.

It is not about striping away our sexuality and becoming asexual, unfeminine burlap sack wearing nuns. It's about equal rights. It's the movement which advocates the social, political and other rights of women to be equal to those of men.

Simply put, men have the right to watch and enjoy porn, to be submissive in the sack or dominant - women should too.


It's true the pornography industry has a very shady belly most of us wouldn't want to explore while suited up in riot gear. A lot of pornography centres around women being degraded and controlled. Women are slapped, spat on, used and abused in a vast array of 'films'. There is the whole humiliation, rape fantasy scene which seems to have become very popular, but which mostly just scares the living daylights out of me.

Sure, women in porn will vow up and down that they love their jobs, and I'm sure many of them do, but we cannot deny there is a certain air of intimidation in a lot of porn. Lately, the trend does seem to be very misogynistic. But, that doesn't change the fact that there is a lot of other porn out there. And it doesn't change the fact that some women prefer the masochistic sexual endeavours. This does not make them women haters or anti-feminism. It just means they like more colourful ways of rocking their socks.

I understand what I am saying could bring up a very heated argument. But a very wise friend of mine recently said, 'Sex does not define you. It's just an expression of elements of your psyche. It has nothing to do with real feminist issues.' 

And I will leave it at that and go check out what exactly feminist porn is. Colour me curious. 

April 7, 2012

Hairless Wonder

Question: when did women start being hairless? For some reason, I wasn't informed. Maybe I should have invested in the new Vogue or Cosmo.

The other day I was on the train and trying my best not to make eye contact with weary travellers around me when two young, nubile girls perched across from me. Of course, I turned down my tunes so I could take a listen to their conversation.

The young women, who couldn't have been older than twenty, were talking about hair removal and how they needed to get their bodies waxed. Not their legs and underarms, but their arms, stomachs and even backs. Then they expressed how desperately they wanted laser removal of all the hair on their bodies, except the obvious.

And I thought, when did it become cool to have no hair?

To be up front with you, I'm not a fan of the prepubescent look sweeping the nation. If you ask me, which you haven't, it looks a bit on the noncey side. The least amount I'm willing to participate in is a landing strip. I won't even get into how ridiculous the tiny, wee tuft of hair that some of the porn stars are sporting looks. It simply looks as though it was left behind by accident.

All I'm saying is, if we were intended to be hairless, we would have been created in the image of the Chinese Crested Terrier. The hair is important. If not to tell us what, or who, is prime to play field hockey, then to protect us from the elements. And where will it stop? What happens when the powers that be decide it's sexy to NOT have eyebrows and eyelashes? What then?

Not only do I find the little girl look cringe worthy and unattractive, but who has the time to invest in such overzealous hair removal?

Certainly not I. After all, I barely have time to comb out these locks of mine. Bedhead is sexy, right?


Is it cold in here?