Subverting, or Submitting?
Monday, August 17, 2009 by BoSox
This is a follow up to our tutorial discussion today about suicidegirls.com. Questions were raised about whether or not this website subverts the cultural norms of pornography and reinforces feminist ideals. I, personally do not think it does either. That the women featured are called "girls" does not make me think of them as strong feminist role models. Instead, it reasserts that they are controlled by another dominant force, just as a girl (child) answers to a parent. While they do get to choose which photos are posted, the girls must conform to a preordained “look.”
The fact that the girls post information about themselves and have an interest in "intellectual" happenings, does not make them worthy of the title of subversive feminists. For me, it does come down to the requisite naked photos. This simply reinforces the idea that women can and even should be taking their clothes off and posing seductively for the (male) public. There is a section of Spike TV's (television for men) website dedicated to "girls," where "each week the Suicide Girls bring you their hottest girls." (http://www.spike.com/channel/girls) The fact that suicidegirls.com advertises here shows a clear targeting of male "viewers." Nothing is mentioned about the intellect of the girls.
If Suicide Girls really want to be subversive, feminist women, they should stop trying so hard to embody a certain "look" and simply be strong in everyday life.
The fact that the girls post information about themselves and have an interest in "intellectual" happenings, does not make them worthy of the title of subversive feminists. For me, it does come down to the requisite naked photos. This simply reinforces the idea that women can and even should be taking their clothes off and posing seductively for the (male) public. There is a section of Spike TV's (television for men) website dedicated to "girls," where "each week the Suicide Girls bring you their hottest girls." (http://www.spike.com/channel/girls) The fact that suicidegirls.com advertises here shows a clear targeting of male "viewers." Nothing is mentioned about the intellect of the girls.
If Suicide Girls really want to be subversive, feminist women, they should stop trying so hard to embody a certain "look" and simply be strong in everyday life.