The September 18-24 issue of the BRW reported that 'sex may sell, but it doesn't pay' with the average wage of the 21,060 workers in the sexual services sector being $33,610 per annum. I think many of us would be surprised by this low figure as the sex industry has been largely glamourised in the media, in film and television, and by those seeking to exploit women. We hear a lot about the high hourly rates earnt by high class prostitutes and strippers, and I think people, particularly men, try and use this high figure as a justification for the subjectification of women.
But I think this supply and demand economical argument fails when you try and put a price on someone's body. Who has the right to put a price on someone else's body? What price would you put on your body? What price would you put on your childs' body? And just because someone is willing to pay x amount and another is willing to provide a service for x amount does this make it ok? Certainly I accept the right of a sex worker to follow that profession, but we need to ensure that it is an informed choice, and like all workers, we need to protect those peoples safety at work. The problem with the sex industry is that participation in the legitimate side of the industry (of both workers and those paying for such services) will ultimately fuel a black-market for said services - of which obviously offers no protection to its workers and leads to the exploitation of someone's body.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
This letter was written by my dear friend Celeste Harrison, and I know would be endorsed by our hero Catherine Deveny who has also made similar comments about the 'blokiness' of the footy show. You go Celeste!
The Executive Producer
The Footy Show – Melbourne
PO Box 27
Willoughby, NSW, 2068
26 September 2008
To the Executive Producer,
My mum and I have watched the Grand Final episode of the Footy Show every year without fail, and I usually find it very funny and entertaining. Last night however, I wasn’t entertained, I was appalled.
In years past the quality of the player review has really started to slide, but last nights review really takes the cake. After watching the half naked women parade around stage, I felt nothing short of dirty.
Why is it that producers of this show feel it necessary to denigrate women in the name of entertainment?
What sort of message is this sending to girls who love the game of football?
In my eyes what you’re saying to us is that our only role in football is as sexual objects.
That we are only as good as we look lying on the floor trusting our pelvis towards a footballer with his shirt off.
Is that how women in football should be portrayed? As slaves hero-worshipping men?
You have to start taking responsibility for how these things make women feel and the social culture it creates. The token efforts of celebrating women in football are not enough if this sort of thing continues.
Constantly the AFL is defending actions of players involved in lewd and sexual acts that are considered distasteful by society, and yet here, sprawled across our screen, is exactly that. It’s unnecessarily sexualising something that our country loves. You should be ashamed.
I’m 23, and hardly a prude or a radical feminist (which is what I now your boys would love to say in order to discredit my opinion), but after watching a girl straddle Brodie Holland’s face and a line of girls spreading their legs in front on the camera last night I was disgusted.
I hope you seriously consider these sentiments before producing a show so disgraceful in the future.
Regards,
Celeste Harrison
The Executive Producer
The Footy Show – Melbourne
PO Box 27
Willoughby, NSW, 2068
26 September 2008
To the Executive Producer,
My mum and I have watched the Grand Final episode of the Footy Show every year without fail, and I usually find it very funny and entertaining. Last night however, I wasn’t entertained, I was appalled.
In years past the quality of the player review has really started to slide, but last nights review really takes the cake. After watching the half naked women parade around stage, I felt nothing short of dirty.
Why is it that producers of this show feel it necessary to denigrate women in the name of entertainment?
What sort of message is this sending to girls who love the game of football?
In my eyes what you’re saying to us is that our only role in football is as sexual objects.
That we are only as good as we look lying on the floor trusting our pelvis towards a footballer with his shirt off.
Is that how women in football should be portrayed? As slaves hero-worshipping men?
You have to start taking responsibility for how these things make women feel and the social culture it creates. The token efforts of celebrating women in football are not enough if this sort of thing continues.
Constantly the AFL is defending actions of players involved in lewd and sexual acts that are considered distasteful by society, and yet here, sprawled across our screen, is exactly that. It’s unnecessarily sexualising something that our country loves. You should be ashamed.
I’m 23, and hardly a prude or a radical feminist (which is what I now your boys would love to say in order to discredit my opinion), but after watching a girl straddle Brodie Holland’s face and a line of girls spreading their legs in front on the camera last night I was disgusted.
I hope you seriously consider these sentiments before producing a show so disgraceful in the future.
Regards,
Celeste Harrison
Sex in mainstream culture
This blog was inspired by the following article:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/life--style-home/relationships/risque-business-sex-toy-parties-take-off/2008/09/24/1222217301423.html
Sex in the suburbs, sex in the city, sex in the bush, sex in popular culture, sex in mainstream culture...yes we use the word a lot, in advertising, marketing, reporting, television, radio and on and on. But how far have we really come in talking about sex, and accepting sex as a normal and healthy part of human behaviour?
When I think about sex in mainstream culture, the first two things that pop into my mind are, firstly Christina Aguilera's music clip where she wears crotchless pants, and secondly, porn. Now I've seen very little porn, and from what I've seen I'm not interested in seeing much more. It just seems so fake! I mean can you really believe that a woman is finding pleasure in being put upside down and poked and prodded aggressively? No...to me, those two things don't represent the healthy sex life that everyone deserves to have.
I've been raised in one of those hippy households were nudity is natural and sex is healthy. I'm the oldest of four children, and my parents were high-school sweethearts and are still very happily married. We were taught that sex shouldn't be a tabou topic, and shouldn't be a dirty secret. As teenagers we were encouraged to feel comfortable in bringing our boyfriends/girlfriends home with us (based on the argument that our parents would rather know we were safe when we were doing it!) and I was always encouranged to talk to doctors about my sex life to ensure optimum sexual health. To me, it makes sense that we should be able to talk about sex. We're all doing it, and if we're not getting any we want it, and if we are getting it we are experimenting with it, and you should feel comfortable talking about what you're doing, as this will ensure a safer equitable situation with your sexual partner.
Doctor Kinsey (if you haven't seen the movie 'The Kinsey Report' go out and get it to watch this weekend) was hugely instrumental in the 60s in bringing the topic of sex, and making people feel comfortable to talk about sex, into mainstream culture. His research helped many people understand their anatomy, their desires, and come to terms with their sexuality. Kinsey made such a difference, and bought about such great change, but I don't think we've really come as far as Kinsey would have hoped.
The recent sensationalist report that Lindsay Lohan is gay speaks for itself - why should we care? Why should it be a big deal? And look at our current legislation. The discrimination against unmarried homosexual partners is outrageous. We will now hopefully see these discrimanatory laws changed, thanks to the Labor government and the Law Reform Commission's thorough review (and hopefully Turnbull will show some guts in standing up against the draconian Liberal members still prevalent in that party).
But back to sex...
The article, 'risque business: sex toys parties take off' by Karen Pakula in The Age this week, discusses the current trend and use of sex toys in Australia. Apparently women do not want to utter the words 'masturbation', 'sex' or 'vibrator', but instead use the words 'love toy' and 'sensuality'! Whilst I'm all for encouraging whatever helps people learn more about their bodies, why are we still all so prudish when it comes to a sexual vocabulary? Sarah O'Hare recently stated that when she first started supporting the Breast Cancer Foundation the word 'breast' was tabou, so when it comes to medical terminology we seem to be making some headway, but why shouldn't we also be able to talk about sex and our sex lives?
Masturbation, for instance, is still a tabou topic within many a social circle. When canvassing my girlfriends (males are generally honest and open about masturbation, so why isn't it just as socially acceptable for women?) very few of them are willing to talk to me about masturbation, and a lot of them have blatantly stated that they just don't do it, and would be terrified or disgusted to try it. Perhaps if we were more willing to talk about it, more women would consider what turns them on? As Joan Suers argues (author of 'The Sex Lives of Australian Women') "if women can learn how to get themselves off, they can talk to their partners about what they like, which is what sex toys help them understand." Once I was told by a bit of a 'cad about town' that his best lovers were those women that masturbated, and he could tell straight away if a woman did masturbate, because she would always be able to guide him to help her orgasm. The upsides to talking about sex seem to me to be endless: better sex, better orgasms, healthier sex lives, and equity in the bedroom! And apart from anything else it can certainly help get you in the mood!
So now on to the interesting findings in this article on sex toys: apparently, the penis is deflating! Whilst women are increasingly making use of sex toys, the size of a penis shaped object is getting smaller. I think this might have something to do with scientists out there understanding how the female body works, how female's get turned on, and designing the technology based on that. Although having said that this article also states that '70 per cent of women can't climax with vaginal stimulation alone' - just another piece of evidence that women need to truly start getting 'in touch with themselves'!
http://www.theage.com.au/news/life--style-home/relationships/risque-business-sex-toy-parties-take-off/2008/09/24/1222217301423.html
Sex in the suburbs, sex in the city, sex in the bush, sex in popular culture, sex in mainstream culture...yes we use the word a lot, in advertising, marketing, reporting, television, radio and on and on. But how far have we really come in talking about sex, and accepting sex as a normal and healthy part of human behaviour?
When I think about sex in mainstream culture, the first two things that pop into my mind are, firstly Christina Aguilera's music clip where she wears crotchless pants, and secondly, porn. Now I've seen very little porn, and from what I've seen I'm not interested in seeing much more. It just seems so fake! I mean can you really believe that a woman is finding pleasure in being put upside down and poked and prodded aggressively? No...to me, those two things don't represent the healthy sex life that everyone deserves to have.
I've been raised in one of those hippy households were nudity is natural and sex is healthy. I'm the oldest of four children, and my parents were high-school sweethearts and are still very happily married. We were taught that sex shouldn't be a tabou topic, and shouldn't be a dirty secret. As teenagers we were encouraged to feel comfortable in bringing our boyfriends/girlfriends home with us (based on the argument that our parents would rather know we were safe when we were doing it!) and I was always encouranged to talk to doctors about my sex life to ensure optimum sexual health. To me, it makes sense that we should be able to talk about sex. We're all doing it, and if we're not getting any we want it, and if we are getting it we are experimenting with it, and you should feel comfortable talking about what you're doing, as this will ensure a safer equitable situation with your sexual partner.
Doctor Kinsey (if you haven't seen the movie 'The Kinsey Report' go out and get it to watch this weekend) was hugely instrumental in the 60s in bringing the topic of sex, and making people feel comfortable to talk about sex, into mainstream culture. His research helped many people understand their anatomy, their desires, and come to terms with their sexuality. Kinsey made such a difference, and bought about such great change, but I don't think we've really come as far as Kinsey would have hoped.
The recent sensationalist report that Lindsay Lohan is gay speaks for itself - why should we care? Why should it be a big deal? And look at our current legislation. The discrimination against unmarried homosexual partners is outrageous. We will now hopefully see these discrimanatory laws changed, thanks to the Labor government and the Law Reform Commission's thorough review (and hopefully Turnbull will show some guts in standing up against the draconian Liberal members still prevalent in that party).
But back to sex...
The article, 'risque business: sex toys parties take off' by Karen Pakula in The Age this week, discusses the current trend and use of sex toys in Australia. Apparently women do not want to utter the words 'masturbation', 'sex' or 'vibrator', but instead use the words 'love toy' and 'sensuality'! Whilst I'm all for encouraging whatever helps people learn more about their bodies, why are we still all so prudish when it comes to a sexual vocabulary? Sarah O'Hare recently stated that when she first started supporting the Breast Cancer Foundation the word 'breast' was tabou, so when it comes to medical terminology we seem to be making some headway, but why shouldn't we also be able to talk about sex and our sex lives?
Masturbation, for instance, is still a tabou topic within many a social circle. When canvassing my girlfriends (males are generally honest and open about masturbation, so why isn't it just as socially acceptable for women?) very few of them are willing to talk to me about masturbation, and a lot of them have blatantly stated that they just don't do it, and would be terrified or disgusted to try it. Perhaps if we were more willing to talk about it, more women would consider what turns them on? As Joan Suers argues (author of 'The Sex Lives of Australian Women') "if women can learn how to get themselves off, they can talk to their partners about what they like, which is what sex toys help them understand." Once I was told by a bit of a 'cad about town' that his best lovers were those women that masturbated, and he could tell straight away if a woman did masturbate, because she would always be able to guide him to help her orgasm. The upsides to talking about sex seem to me to be endless: better sex, better orgasms, healthier sex lives, and equity in the bedroom! And apart from anything else it can certainly help get you in the mood!
So now on to the interesting findings in this article on sex toys: apparently, the penis is deflating! Whilst women are increasingly making use of sex toys, the size of a penis shaped object is getting smaller. I think this might have something to do with scientists out there understanding how the female body works, how female's get turned on, and designing the technology based on that. Although having said that this article also states that '70 per cent of women can't climax with vaginal stimulation alone' - just another piece of evidence that women need to truly start getting 'in touch with themselves'!
Letter to the editor of BRW 25 September 2008
Business take note and Rudd take note, "we need to start thinking seriously about investing in human capital, that is, the people we have, and their productivity, education, health and age" ('It Doesn't Add Up' by Jeanne-Vida Douglas, BRW Sep 18-24 edition). Whilst this is of particular importance in a culture which has bred an obesity epidemic, we also need to think about the root causes as to why women are choosing not to have children in the first place. As a young female lawyer of the Y-Gen I certainly don't have, much to my mother's dismay, aspirations to juggle my career with children (are you kidding me, it's hard enough being a businesswoman as it is!) so I'm not going to go on about how business, and the government, should be making it easier for families (both partners) to look after their kids.
However, despite all that, I am concerned (yes, us Y-Gen's do have the capacity for compassion!) about ensuring that the young people that are and will be joining the workforce are doing so with adequate levels of literary, numeracy and problem solving. The last thing I want is to give up having children for a career and end up in a senior management role, stuck with the 8 per cent of the population over 65 still in the workforce (as they can't quit because there's not enough young people to support the services they need) and under-achieving youths! Let's support Labor's plan to boost the public education system, which will in turn lead to good employees for Australian businesses, provide the youths with an education and job prospects, and give the old codgers a break!
However, despite all that, I am concerned (yes, us Y-Gen's do have the capacity for compassion!) about ensuring that the young people that are and will be joining the workforce are doing so with adequate levels of literary, numeracy and problem solving. The last thing I want is to give up having children for a career and end up in a senior management role, stuck with the 8 per cent of the population over 65 still in the workforce (as they can't quit because there's not enough young people to support the services they need) and under-achieving youths! Let's support Labor's plan to boost the public education system, which will in turn lead to good employees for Australian businesses, provide the youths with an education and job prospects, and give the old codgers a break!
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