The Commodification of Women

Our discussion in Ethics class today really sparked my thoughts so I wanted to just reflect on something I feel very strongly about.

So about a year ago, I began a story about a stripper called "Take Cover." The novella was originally going to be about a husband/wife relationship and the trial of the wife's dishonesty in her occupation. But the story turned into something totally different. It became my way to project how I feel about how society degrades women. I ended up making a sequel called "The Letter" and now I'm working on the third book and calling it "Breathless."
I have written characters that I am so in love with. I can't let them go. So I've been working on this series.

Today in ethics, we talked about an article by Cirillo that discusses "sexual labor." Sexual labor means sexualizing occupations that are not normally sexualized (i.e.- topless maid services, topless secretaries---yes these things exist! and things like waitressing in skimpy outfits.)
A kid in class said that there's a barber shop in Englewood, CO. called "A Little Over the Top" where women cut hair topless. (I'm willing to bet that this kid's knowledge of this shop pretty much downed his chances of getting a date after class.)

So the justification of these jobs is: these women aren't forced to do these jobs. They can quit, they can find another job, etc.

The article focused on the restaurant Hooters a lot. Hooters is a prime example of sexual labor. It is a restaurant who's reputation and very name rely on the sexualization of women. Our professor had a copy of the employment contract that girls must sign before they begin waitressing. One clause stated the "appropriate" job duties of Hooters girls and listed things like "entertain, flirt," it also said to expect things like- being groped, winked at, leered at, propositioned, and have comments made. Girls must agree that they are okay with this kind of thing happening.
I mean just wrap your mind around this- girls must sign an agreement, accepting things that in any other workplace would simply not be tolerated.

Our professor then asked if those requirements they agree to are demeaning and degrading. I was happy when the cute kid with the South African accent said they are definitely demeaning and degrading. Still though, the professor played devil's advocate.

WHY are comments made about your body degrading? He asked.
We answered that our worth shouldn't come from our bodies--at least not in a sexual way (athletes, dancers get their worth from their bodies) our worth should come from our intelligence and personality, etc.

Another girl awesomely pointed out that men don't just make those comments at Hooters--those comments make their way out into the streets and women who don't sign on to be treated that way STILL get treated that way.
I can totally vouch for this. Every year on our way to Tablerock Lake, we stop in Kansas City. After dinner, all of us high school/college girls walk over to wal mart. On our way, every time, there are cars that honk and guys who roll down their windows and shout obscene sexual remarks at my friends/sisters.

Ultimately, allowing those restaurants to exist, allowing that behavior to be okay--that allows women to be disrespected. It allows women to become objectified, and objectification of women leads to violence of women (a main theme in my series.)

NO JOB should have these conditions.

Another question was raised. Our professor asked a guy in class--"If we went out to dinner, and you don't know the woman working at Hooters, she's just your hot waitress, then would you have a problem if I said 'hey dude she's got nice....[fill in the blank]s" and the guy was like "nah, it's your opinion."
then our professor said "well what if I said to you, 'dude, I saw your sister working at Hooters last night...you wouldn't believe the ass on her...' then what would you say?"
the guy said "I wouldn't say anything--I'd punch your lights out."

WHY do men subscribe to the commodification of women when they would never be okay with their sisters/moms/wives being looked at like that? Does personalization matter?

It shouldn't! You may not know that waitress but she is a PERSON. She's someone else's sister or mom or girlfriend.

What messages are sent to women when we have sexual labor? What messages are sent you young girls? To men? To young boys?

Going back to the justification--they don't HAVE to do this job. Okay fine. But look at it for a second.
Women are pressured by the media to be sexual.
Right now especially, jobs are limited. Chilis isn't going to pay what Hooters pays. If you have a kid who needs to eat, don't you want to make more money as a waitress?

So is sexual labor REALLY voluntary?

(Spoiler for my books: the answer is NO.)

Religion has had its own way of degrading women, just in a different way. We see it in Islamic cultures, we see it in Christianity today--how women can't be deacons of a church (even though Phoebe in the bible was a deacon)
This is why I am so crazy about Jesus. When the people around that time saw women as second-class citizens, Jesus rocked that norm with a few simple encounters. Jesus was truly epic in his respect and love for women.

If we as a society become desensitized toward the sexual exploitation of women, who knows how low the worth of women will sink.

All I can say is, I'm praying for those of you with little girls.

STOKED

So today I babysat for my parents' friend Lindsay. He has twin 5 month olds, a boy and girl. We've known Lindsay for a long time. He's just a brilliant man. He's rich and has so many connections. ha. He's been to 100 countries, he's deeply intellectual and theological, but also just so cool to hang out with. His wife was out and he and I took care of the babies today.

We started talking about my wanting to write novels one day. He asked how good I was at writing and I told him I'm pretty good--as far as technicality and creativity both go. He then told me that he has a book proposal/story idea.

In a nutshell, he has this really good, well-planned out storyline/character, but he doesn't really write. So he wants ME to write it for him!
He has publishing connections, so he can get it published when/if I write it.

He said worst case scenario--the publishers reject it, but he'll pay me 2 grand.
Best case scenario--in one year, we'll sign a contract for a million dollars and split the profits. He said he will use some of those profits to take me to any country I want to with one person (I'll probably pick my mom, sorry guys)

He then showed me his library....it looked like Heaven (to me.) He has the library of a genius. No joke. He has books that no one else has. Everything from Hebrew bibles, to an original robe from the Ming Dynasty, the to a 16th century copy of the Koran, to Native American readings and even an original scroll from the Renaissance of the book of Esther! I was seriously in awe.

His library/experiences are going to guide the novel.

So I'm beyond stoked. He's scanning his blueprint and e mailing it to me and then we're going to play it by ear. The plan is to have it done in a year!

I'll have to keep you all updated....but for now it's pretty top secret. ;)

Joy, I thought you'd appreciate this one.

So in my political science class there's this guy who is a cowboy. Or...thinks he is. I dunno.
He has the hat, the tight pants with the huge belt buckle, the boots, the accent, etc.
However, he is not a hot cowboy. He's like the cowboy in the movies that hot cowboys tie up and shoot.

I thought he'd be from Texas but he said he's from southern Missouri near the Arkansas border. That's near Tablerock lake so I can vouch for that--it is HICKTOWN USA.

So today we talked about seperation of church and state and our professor explained that a teacher could never, for example, walk into a public high school classroom and go, "ok everyone let's pray to Jesus before we start class."And we were all like okay. We know this.

Mr. Cowboy, however, had to put in his two cents. (He is always making closed-minded conservative remarks that make the rest of us conservatives look bad)

He says, "Then my high school totally violated the constitution. Cuz every mornin' the whole school, all two hunnerd of us, stood around the flagpole, held hands, and prayed and said the pledge."


---awkward silence----

and the teacher was like "wow..."

and he continues, "that's just all that people know down there. No one thinks anything of it and no one would challenge it. If there was someone who didn't believe it or took a stand, they'd get run outta town with dogs shotguns. That's my hometown."


And then I whisper, "Is dancing outlawed there too?"

And the (hot) late 20's guy who sits in front of me burst out laughing. I was glad he understood the reference.

Speaking of Kevin Bacon, (if I had a nickel for every time I said that one) I hear they're making a new footloose--starring Zac Efron??

Say it isn't so... :(

I am, however, STOKED too see Seventeen Again. Don't judge me.