Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and The Rise of Raunch Culture
This semester I’m (supposed to be) attending a class that is intended to develop my worldview. A worldview is a complex thing, doubtless. I have a worldview already, some of which I understand, and some of which I should understand more. But learning about worldview as a concept does not in itself teach you what your own worldview is, nor does it develop your worldview. Much less does having your own worldview academically affirmed teach you about anyone else’s world view.
I do like having my worldview challenged, and to that end I recently read Female Chauvinist Pigs; Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture, by Ariel Levy. Ariel Levy has a very different worldview than I, yet makes incisive observations in this book.
I have often wondered, when looking back at quite recent history, at what point did someone decide that it was okay that every day I leave my house I be confronted with women showing their breasts to the world. As long as the nipple is covered, as much cleavage as you want is fine. Why? Do women want to be objectified? Do they enjoy seedy men fantasising about them? Levy calls this generation of ‘fashion’ adherents ‘Female Chauvinist Pigs’. If I may quote the blurb;
“If the male chauvinist pigs of years past thought of women as vacuous sex objects, then the female chauvinist pigs of today are going one better – embracing raunch culture all by themselves. This is a world in which young women … adopt the Playboy bunny as a symbol of liberation. They see these post-feminist antics as a shortcut to cool.”
The book introduces the problem of women adopting raunch culture; talks about the failure of feminism, the failure of women to perceive that they are having someone else’s dream, the generation of girls growing up not knowing any real freedom, and the way that women are taught to look to someone else to shape their sexuality. Although it’s aimed at women, it is an insightful uncovering of what has shaped current culture that will interest anyone.
A quote from pioneering feminist Susan Brownmiller in Chapter two (‘The Future that Never Happened’) captures the essence of the book; “You think you’re being brave, you think you’re being sexy, you think you’re transcending feminism. But that’s bullshit.”
It reminds me of the song Generation Sex by The Divine Comedy.
Generation sex respects the rights of girls
Who want to take their clothes off
As long as we can all watch, that’s okay…
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I have often pondered this question reflectively each summer where it seems women’s swimmers seemed to, once again, shrunk in size. I use to think it was liberation of what women could wear and this was certainly true up to a point until the commercialism of sexuality kicked in.
But where can you draw a line? What is the definition of ‘too raunchy’ and not appropriate? Where on the scale between the burka and the c-string should we tell what our daughter should dress? I can’t answer these question, to err on one side will create an uproar. I think it might be just easier to be blind :*)
Jon Donker, March 11th