Living in a time in which it seems natural for a President (to be) to brag about him to “grab them by the pussy” (Jacobs, Siddiqui 2016) solely because of his fame and without paying attention to whether women give their consent or not one tends to believe that women will never be respected and objectified forever. How could one criticize this pessimistic point of view which I share too, as long as Tom Ford positions a bottle of his fragrance on a woman’s shaved vagina or between her breast – in both cases one cannot see any other part of the woman and the perfume bottle or the models’ fingers cover only the parts which have to be covered – and presents this as advertisement for perfume for men? Where is the context? Does the newest fragrance smell like a vagina or does it develop a special scent if it is rubbed against women’s breast? Having advertisements like this, men in higher positions boasting about women or women like Kim Kardashian who achieved her big breakthrough due to a sex tape consequently on my mind, in my opinion women have been completely sexualized and objectified, hopelessly lost in a world in which they are devices to sell products by using their bodies. Given that, the seminar “Pornification of Culture” caught my attention and appeared interesting since it was not only the topic that is the most tempting of the whole module but it is also up-to-date and seemed to be related to feministic subject matters. Just by reading the course description I realized that the objectification does effect both women and men and that most of the described phenomena which have become common in our society are not only accepted but also may be desired by both genders, for instance being considered “fuckable”. In consequence I thought about how much my opinion would change by attending the whole course if solely the course description has been able to make clear that I may have put women in an all-time-victim role in which they are sexualized and objectified by men without even considering that women may want to be sexualized or that men may be victims of sexualizing and objectification, too.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Initial Position
- Writing Approaches
- 2.1 Carmen Rios' Nicki Minaj's Feminism Isn't About Your Comfort Zone: On 'Anaconda' and Respectability Politics
- Impressions before and while Reading the Text
- Review and Questions
- 2.2. Jess Butler's For White Girls Only? Postfeminism and the Politics of Inclusion
- Impressions before and while Reading the Text
- Review and Questions
- 2.3. Michael Winkler's Wo denkst du hin, Hengstin?
- Impressions before and while Reading the Text
- Review and Questions
- 2.4. Gail Dines's Visible and Invisible: Growing Up Female in a Porn Culture
- Impressions before and while Reading the Text
- Review and Questions
- 3. Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This reading journal aims to provide a personal and critical analysis of the seminar "Pornification of Culture," exploring the author's evolving understanding of feminism and its relationship to the cultural phenomenon of pornification. Through an examination of selected texts, the journal seeks to shed light on the complex issues surrounding female representation, sexuality, and the impact of pornographic culture on society.
- Exploring the evolving nature of feminism in the context of pornification.
- Analyzing different approaches to feminist activism and the portrayal of women in popular culture.
- Examining the role of respectability politics in shaping public perceptions of female sexuality.
- Investigating the impact of pornographic culture on societal views of gender and sexuality.
- Reflecting on the author's personal journey towards a nuanced understanding of feminism and pornification.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The reading journal delves into various texts related to pornification and its impact on feminist discourse. One chapter focuses on Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" video, examining how her explicit sexuality challenges traditional notions of respectability politics. The journal explores the contrasting ways in which Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé are perceived within feminist frameworks, highlighting the complexities of navigating female sexuality in the public sphere. Another chapter dives into the complexities of postfeminism and the politics of inclusion, exploring how different groups of women might experience and engage with feminist ideas. The reading journal also explores the German context of pornification, examining how the representation of female sexuality in popular culture contributes to broader discussions about gender roles and societal expectations.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The reading journal explores key concepts related to feminism, pornification, respectability politics, female sexuality, and the complex interplay between popular culture and social change. It draws on the work of prominent authors like Carmen Rios, Jess Butler, Michael Winkler, and Gail Dines to analyze the evolving nature of feminism in a world saturated by pornographic imagery.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Talia Baskaya (Autor:in), 2018, How I Found out about the Importance of Sexuality for Feminism and How I Developed My Own Variation of Being a Feminist, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/536578
