I chose the article “Stripping, Sex and Popular Culture” by Katie Barack from Bowling Green University. I chose this article because I have a friend has chosen to have a sex profession. She is an exotic dancer. She chose this route because she thought it would be fast cash and easy access to lots of money.
For this article I chose to read “Stripping, Sex and Popular Culture”. The article goes on to discuss a book about sex and today’s popular culture. An example it used was the Flirty Girl Fitness DVD. The DVD is a weight lost video but with a new twist. It uses exotic stripper dances to help lose weight. Today society is obsessed with wanting to be thin and lose weight. They see celebrities and models that are thin so they think that this is the way to be. What better way to sell a work out DVD than using stripping? There is such a thing as pole dancing classes. Women can pay a fee to learn how to pole dance or do a strip tease. Some women do this for fun, or some do it as a gift for their significant other. Marie Roach became curious about stripping when her friend dropped out of graduate school to become an exotic dancer. Basically she wanted to differentiate the difference between stripping and prostitution. To find out more about stripping she decided to conduct research. The way she went about it was to interview people who worked in the sex industry. She visited strip clubs and interviewed the strippers, the djs and also the patrons who visited the strip clubs. She also interviewed performers in the neo-burlesque movement, sex workers, and political advocates for the rights of sex workers. Most of the people she interviewed claimed that there was a line drawn between stripping and prostitution. She noticed that exotic dancers had different reasons for why they were not prostitutes.
The intended audience is for people who can relate to the author. The author’s “consistent contextualization of her voice as a white, heterosexual, married mother with a religious studies and women’s studies background assures readers of a self-aware and bias-conscious author”. (Barak). People who are curious like Roach herself. Rather it is exotic dancing, escorting or prostituting. It is trying to point someone in the direction of picking up Roach’s book. Some women want to justify having a sex profession with wanting easy money. “The journal stated that readers are left wanting further investigation of those paths”. (Barak).
The key points I idea that I drew from the article, that the point that Roach was trying to make, was a slut is a slut. She compares sex workers to people who sleep around with multiple partners for no money. She calls it a “Slut-positive” identity. Women do not understand that being a sex worker is nothing but a parody of being a woman. This makes me want to pick up the book and read it for myself because as stated before, I have a friend who is a sex worker. She has been presented with plenty of opportunities to have a “normal” job, but does not want to take them. If you call her a prostitute be prepared for a fight because she will argue with you about why she isn’t a prostitute, and what sets her apart from a prostitute. I feel like the book will make me understand my friend more.
I think the article was well written. It makes you want to pick up the book and read it. The only thing that was annoying was the big words. I had to look up a couple of the words to understand what it meant. I felt like with the article having harder to understand words, it might have slightly misrepresented the book, or make one feel that the book may have hard words itself.
References:
Barak, K. (2010). Stripping, Sex and Popular Culture. The Journal of Popular Culture, 6
Retrieved May 4th 2011, from http://0-journals.ohiolink.edu.olinkserver.franklin.edu/ejc/article.cgi?issn=00223840&issue=v42i0006&article=1136_ssapc
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What a great and interesting article! "Slut-positive and a sex worker"....hmmmmm. I guess I could look at it that way. I completely agree with societies desire to look perfect. I was completely shocked when I heard about stripper pole workout classes. My friend went to one and the comments and stereotypes she had about the instructor pretty much matched "Slut-positive and a sex worker” in other words. Good job!
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ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteAs I read Barak's book review, I found that perhaps she contradicted herself. She mentions how "clearly Roach respects her interviewees responses, which creates a refreshing air of open curiosity and genuine acceptance"; however, Roach proceeds to develop the term "slut positive". Based on much of Barak's interpretation, it seems Roach went into her interviews with no intention of "learning" anything about her friend or those in a "sex" based career. She sat high on her horse in front of those girls armed with her, "voice as a white, heterosexual, married mother with a religious studies and women’s studies background", looking for ammunition. No matter what her interviewee's had to say, she already had her mind made up. She only used them as a crutch to show her readers that she covered all of the angles. Now, just to be clear, I am not supporting or condoning the exploitation of women; I just feel that Roach had them dancing for her as well..like puppets on a string, but she was the one being paid.
Great job on summarizing a review, you made some good points. My only critique would be to clarify your side in the argument. It was difficult to safely pin-point which side of the argument you stood for.
Have a great Summer!
This is a very, very interesting article and topic. I understand the your view point and the view point of the author of the article, however, when did it be okay to sell your body for any reason? I may be a bit old fashioned and I may have different morals from those in the pop culture, but this is not right.
ReplyDeleteI too know of females in this industry who state they work smarter and not harder. The get paid for their goods instead of doing it for free. They also realize they may not be able to strip and hook for the rest of their lives, so they will do it, stack up the cash while they can.
Shareen you talk about an interesting topic, this is very confused, all sex workers have one common thing they make their living on presenting their naked body in front of the people. I understand in some areas not all sex workers are prostitutes, for example, exotic dancers who have sex with private clients do not think of themselves as prostitutes, but the legal wise they are. Based on their culture some communities consider a prostitute If the girl present her naked body in front of the people.
ReplyDeleteI personally have a problem with stripping, sex (for money) and popular culture all being in the same sentence. I understand that there are many new exercise videos that are based off of pole dancing. In central Ohio, there are many studios that other this in a class form. Demi Moore made the movie, “Strip Tease”, and it was a success. However, this type of lifestyle does promote women as sex objects, and nothing more. I personally have known some woman in this business; I have talked with them about their life and expectations. Money is a powerful drawl which initially lures them into the business. Many of them become addicted to the money among other things that hold them there.
ReplyDeleteGood analysis, controversial topic!