That porn-sharing web site: Time for a reality-check

Today I wanted to offer some comments in relation to an article entitled The police response I never expected, by Nina Funnell (18 August 2016). This article was prompted by the now highly-publicised discovery of a web site that is alleged to contain many nude photos of Australian high school girls.

The web site that was the focus of recent Australian media attention went off-line for a time only to re-emerge ten days later. The author of this article claimed that “police managed to have it taken down“, although I have found no evidence of that being the case.

Nina bemoans the ‘fact’ that Australian authorites are not taking the problem seriously, and that the action they did take included warning girls not to take compromising photos of themselves. The latter action is apparently not seen as constituting ‘education’ but rather ‘victim-blaming’.

This is the default feminist response to the issue of taking responsibility for one’s own actions, and doing what one can to minimise risks to oneself. This aspect, in the context of online porn, was addressed in an article by Corrine Barraclough. Articles detailing the feminist perspective on this issue can be reviewed here and here.

By way of background, articles *very* similar to those that recently appeared in the Australian media have regularly appeared in other western countries in recent years without generating much in the way of a fair and meaningful response. A cynic might suggest, given the salacious appeal/guaranteed outrage of the subject, they appear on a cycle as per gender wage gap, etc.

It is dubious whether Australian police can wield any power in relation to the ongoing operation of the web site. And even if they could – presumably via cooperation with foreign law enforcement agencies – they would still need to identify those photographed and prove they were underage at the time they were photographed. No small task, especially when it appears that very few of those whose photos featured in the web site have lodged police reports. Perhaps, realistically, all Australian police could do was to warn young people of the danger of allowing themselves to be photographed whilst naked.

It’s ironic that various articles use the term ‘victims’ to describe the girls whose pictures are featured in the web site, whilst running photos of the girls within their articles (see for example).

The article contains a quote from Sharna Bremner, from ‘End Rape on Campus Australia‘:

“I agree we must be talking to young people about these issues, but we should start by talking to potential perpetrators about the consequences of their choices, rather than always putting it on girls to manage [and prevent] their own exploitation and victimisation”

Wait a minute – time for a reality check, for we know that:

As a consequence, Ms Bremner’s implication that “potential perpetrators” = men/boys is incorrect, as is the implication that girls have a monopoly on “exploitation and victimisation“. I might note here also whilst implied, it has not been verified that the web site in question only contained photos of nude women/girls.

Ms Bremner was also quoted as saying that:

“To direct parents to warn their daughters, without also directing them to talk to their sons is inappropriate. This stems from the same logic that tells girls not to get drunk or wear short skirts, while failing to spend even one second talking to boys about consent”

I agree that parents and other authority figures should talk to both boys and girls, but they should give the same message to both, in the knowledge perpetrators/victims aren’t split along gender lines.

This reminds me of ‘respectful relationships’ programs in schools, such as those run by the White Ribbon Campaign, that lecture boys about respecting girls but not necessarily the reverse. This despite that fact that Blind Freddy can see that girls can, and often do, disrepect and abuse boys.

Nina then proceeds to hold up the highly contentious Canadian public ‘awareness’ campaign known as ‘Don’t be that guy‘ as a good example of how authorities should take a more active role by educating (=shaming) people (=men/boys) into not posting online photos of people (=nude girls).

This despite the fact that the value of public awareness campaigns in changing errant behaviour is generally considered to be dubious, as is discussed in this post.

Nina claims that the Canadian campaign led to a 10% drop in the number of rapes in Vancouver BC. This article may be the source of her claim, but the evidence is hardly conclusive.

I do agree with her though that, in general terms, education campaigns targetted at specific groups in the community are more likely to be effective than broad-brush public campaigns. You just have to make sure you target the right groups based on objective evidence rather than ideological persuasion.

And yet curiously feminists lobby for/support broad-brush public awareness campaigns in the case of domestic violence, sexual violence, sexual harassment/discrimination, etc. And although these are directed at the community generally, they still routinely imply that perpetrators/potential perpetrators are male, whereas in fact they are invariably either male or female.

And to close off this discussion, just one example of the double-standard that invariably goes hand-in-hand with any feminist position on gender:

Wilderness School girls under fire for ‘hook-up wall’ of boys, who claim a double standard of sexual objectification (11 November 2016) with related Reddit discussion thread here.

Female students afraid to return to Pembroke School over misogynistic list (29 August 2024)

Sydney schoolgirls’ ‘disgusting’ act after Liam Payne’s shock death (18 October 2024)

On the sexualisation of children

Most of us are aware of, and concerned about, the extent to which children appear to be becoming sexualised at a younger and younger age. The contributing factors are primarily social/cultural, although physiological factors also play a role (for e.g. diet and environmental pollutants). What needs to be done, and who should be held responsible for taking whatever action is needed to address the situation?

With regards to social/cultural influences, a linkage has been established, for example, between the increasing prevalence of households in which the father is not present, and children becoming sexually active at an earlier age (Source).

Other social factors that may be relevant include the trend towards families having less children, parents delaying having children until they are older, and the increase in the proportion of families where both parents work.

Clearly we must also consider sexually predatory behaviour by some adults, together with the related issues of child sex tourism, child prostitution and trafficking. The latter is more common in developing countries, yet is nevertheless still present here in the first world. It is important to note that both men and women perpetrate and/or facilitate these crimes, and that their victims may be either male or female.

I am by no means an expert in this field, but some of the more significant influences would seem to be:

The example provided by parents, teachers, and carers, & the messages they convey regarding what constitutes appropriate values and age-appropriate behaviour

Parents make many decisions affecting children, for example, what clothes are bought/worn, what films are watched at the cinema, what magazines are purchased, etc. There have been stories in the media about parents who encourage (persuade?) their children to take place in beauty pageants or similar activities that many other would consider questionable.

Who is responsible? In order of significance … mothers, fathers (where one is present), other family members, and carers/teachers. Governments and the courts play a role through the social and welfare policies they put in place, particularly in relation to issues of custody and visitation.

See my post in relation to feminism-inspired programs in schools, as well as the following examples:

Bethenny Frankel blasted for posting bikini photos of 13-year-old daughter: ‘So inappropriate’ (30 December 2023) Scan the readers comments on Twitter, and see all the women protesting that the ‘influencer’ mum did nothing wrong. Imagine the alternative reaction if it was a dad who published the pics.

Pre-pubescent girl dancing for money (6 March 2023) Video

‘I would never pose with my daughter like Heidi Klum – it’s wrong’ (12 October 2022) OK, so the daughters aren’t children, but it’s still a bit ewww.

Mum shamed online for editing photo of 8-year-old daughter (24 August 2022)

School suggests ‘modesty shorts’ for girls, sparking fury among parents (news.com.au) (8 June 2021)

Boobs, cleavage edited from high school yearbook photos at Florida school (news.com.au) (24 May 2021)

LGBT community celebrates 8-year-old drag queen. Critics call it child abuse (9 June 2017)

Reality star Farrah Abraham accused of sexualising daughter, 7, in bikini photoshoot (27 June 2016)

Story about the promotion of dance costumes for young girls and related dance culture (26 April 2015)

Mother of ‘most beautiful girl’, 9, slams claims she sexed up daughter (7 December 2014). Feb 2016 update on Kristina and her mum here

Exposure to media images and stories, particularly for example in tween/teen and young womens magazines, that promote, glamourize and normalize sexually-charged behaviour and styles of clothing

Sophie Guidolin hits back at trolls over bikini snap with teen son (4 April 2022)

Preteen bada bing (14 September 2020)

GOP lawmakers call on justice department to take legal action against Netflix for sexualizing children (11 September 2020)

10-Year-Old Boy ‘Drag Kid’ Photographed With Naked Adult Drag Queen (11 January 2019)

‘Art of Safe Sexting’ video slammed by Victorian Education Minister (30 June 2018)

First she became a 13-year-old internet meme. Now, she’s treated like a porn star (23 March 2017)

Sexting: Should teens be left to their own devices? (8 October 2016) Australia

Children as young as 10 years old are sending sexually-explicit images to friends (26 September 2016)

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/cute-or-creepy-kristina-pimenova-may-be-six-but-shes-already-a-supermodel/story-fnixwvgh-1227135126748

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/porn-stars-describe-how-their-families-reacted-after-learning-about-their-careers/story-e6frfmq9-1226888926971

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/vanessa-knowles-pays-for-25k-law-degree-by-stripping-on-the-web/story-fnixwvgh-1226888337382

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/three-porn-stars-explain-why-they-chose-the-porn-industry/story-fnet0gt3-1226917259841

Sexualisation of children (13 February 2011)

Who is responsible? Editors and journalists of the relevant publications (these being primarily women), and parents who ostensibly control TV viewing habits and determine which magazines are purchased and brought home.

The availability and social acceptability of certain products, particularly clothing, that could be seen to facilitate the sexualisation of children

Department stores, for example, often assert that they stock products based on there being a consumer demand for them. Whilst many parents are against stores stocking provocative and age-inappropriate clothing, there is another group of people who are against restrictions or censure in relation to the public dissemination of questionable photos of children in general, and dressing girls in adult-style clothing in particular. Here’s an example of that line of thought here.

The members of that group see such photos, and such clothing, as “cute” and “harmless fun – just like playing dress-ups”. Their views seem to be akin to the criticism of so-called ‘victim-blamers’ as practiced by feminists. In other words, they feel that others who say that pre-teen girls should not be wearing skimpy/provocative clothing are ‘sick’ (or even accuse critics of being paedophiles themselves), and that girls of any age should be able to wear whatever they want without judgment or fear of repercussions on themselves or others.

Pole dancing for kids as young as 10 – addressed in articles in the Whitehorse Leader and the Herald-Sun but behind a paywall. See also Daily Mail article (25 October 2019)

Wife scolds husband for discouraging his 12-year-old daughter from buying sex toys (1 May 2019)

‘I’m sexy and I know it’ dress for tots disgusts parents (28 November 2017)

Pole dancing video sparks backlash on Facebook (12 July 2017)

House of Fraser forced to remove ‘provocative’ Calvin Klein advert after shoppers complain that it sexualises children (14 March 2017) UK

Child models in bikinis spark controversy at fashion show (19 July 2016) USA and Would you let your pre-teen daughter pose like THIS for a fashion brand? (Australia)

Best & Less accused of selling ‘sexualised’ children’s clothes (3 June 2016)

Mother objects to short shorts for young girls (10 February 2016) Video

Online retailer Missguided slammed for selling ‘offensive’ top (1 December 2015)

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/texas-dad-challenges-school-dress-code-labeling-sexist/story?id=30704598

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/fashion/mothers-outrage-at-unsuitable-girls-clothing-strikes-raw-nerve-20120814-246tw.html

Reader ‘Molly Black’ writes: “As for the sexualising of young girls—it isn’t paedophiles grooming them, it’s their own mothers dressing them like little tarts. I had lunch in the Kings Rd on Saturday and I couldn’t believe the way 11,12 and 13 years old girls were dressed , often with their mothers. ‘Mini-me-s’ and looking at older men too to check out if they were being given the once over.” (Source)

Who is responsible? Retail owners/managers, product manufacturers, and parents (primarily mothers)  who make clothing purchasing decisions

Exposure to poor role models in popular culture, e.g. actors, models, pop stars and social media ‘celebrities’

Who is responsible? The artists in question (again, who appear to be primarily female) and the companies responsible for creating/marketing their image

TikToker accused of grooming 13-year-old confirms her unborn baby isn’t his (23 February 2021)

See also ‘Baby-faced Instagram star posting sexy snaps‘ (16 January 2016) and ‘Thanks Iggy big butts are ‘in’ for teens’ (28 November 2014)

Exposure to pornography

It appears that the influence of pornography on early onset of sexual activity by specific individuals may have been overstated, although one would imagine that its effect as part of the broader social milieu is still likely to be significant. See http://human-stupidity.com/stupid-dogma/teenage-sexuality/porn

The issue of pornography in general is addressed in this other blog post.

Who is responsible? The producers of pornography, the models/actors featured therein, and adults responsible for either facilitating or failing to exercise control over childrens access to porn.

Passive exposure to sexually-charged advertising on billboards, magazines in stores, and free-to-air TV

This is the ‘white noise’ of sexualised messages and imagery that we are all unwittingly exposed to as we go about our daily business.

Who is responsible? The media. Companies that advertise products. The advertising/marketing agencies (most of whose staff are female) who create the ads. To a lesser extent, bureaucrats within government agencies that make determinations as to whether ads are acceptable.

Diet and environmental factors affecting children

It has been established that the early onset of menstruation can be triggered by body weight reaching certain thresholds. Given an increasing number overweight children then it seems likely that this is an increasingly significant factor in early development, and in some cases the subsequent early onset of sexual activity. The presence of certain household chemicals is another possible contributing factor.

See:

Something is happening to our kids, and it’s time we talked about it (29 July 2017)
Poor kids hit puberty sooner and risk a lifetime of health problems (24 May 2017)
http://mums.bodyandsoul.com.au/kids+health/health/why+girls+are+maturing+early,12327
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/04/16/early-precocious-puberty.aspx
What causes girls to enter puberty early? (5 February 2015)

Who is responsible? In terms of economic disadvantage, primarily broader societal and economic forces. In terms of dietary choices and product purchasing decisions, primarily parents/children, but also food processing companies and supermarkets.

Conclusion

Clearly,  the increasingly early sexualisation of children is a significant social issue. Is it also a gender issue? It shouldn’t be, as both boys and girls are affected, and both men and women share responsibility for creating the environment in which this phenomenon is occurring.

At the same time though, I’m not seeing a lot of patriarchy at work here. It is largely women who create and purchase the magazines in which sexualised images of girls are portrayed, their pages filled with messages conveying the idea that dressing and behaving like a tramp is a desirable expression of excitement, independence and maturity. It is women who promote the acceptability and the alleged allure of the ‘cougar’. It is women who design, market and purchase provocative clothing lines aimed at tweens and young teens. It is female celebrities, actors and pop stars who twerk and nipple-slip their way across our TV and cinema screens.

All of this is presented, by a particular group of women (and the occasional mangina), as being some noble expression of ‘girl power’. See some graphic demonstrations of that perverse mentality, here, herehere, and here.

In an article entitled Sexualised girls are seen as less intelligent and less worthy of help than their peers‘ the bad guys are those people in the community who make certain value judgements concerning sexualised girls, rather than the adults who allowed them to become sexualised in the first place.

A petition I came across on change.org provides another such example of the whacky logic of liberal progressives. This was summed up in the title of a reddit discussion thread, “So, telling girls they shouldn’t dress sexually is sexualising women“. In other words it is the person who discusses or draws attention to the fact that a girl is dressed like a hooker, who has compromised judgement/morals … not the girl in question or her parents. How frighteningly short-sighted, shallow, and foolish.

sexualising

And now upon viewing the fruits of their self-indulgence, that same group resort to heaping of blame upon the male gender. A more mature and reasoned course of action would be to accept a degree of accountability and to direct their energies to turning things around. The problem though is that there is an obstacle preventing progress in that direction. And that blockage is gender feminism.

On the other hand, men hold the majority of elected positions in government and within the ranks of CEO’s and thus could institute reforms to more effectively address many of the factors noted above. A small minority of men (and women) also participate in child sex tourism and other pedophile activities.

If there was ever an issue for men and women to set aside ideology and work together to protect future generations, then this is one.

See these related sources:

Australian male feminist & academic Mike Salter discusses his ‘research’ (6 June 2021) Hint: Men are the baddies. Video

Cuties: Netflix indicted by US grand jury over controversial film (7 October 2020)

Tracey Spicer: Why do men think it’s OK to comment on my pre-teen daughter’s looks? (5 February 2017) Australia. Apparently it’s all men’s fault. Tracey doesn’t like men on planes either.

Stop the sexualisation of our children. Right now, by Kylie Lang (8 December 2016) Australia

You’re A “Bigot” If You Don’t Support Pedophilia (31 May 2016)

Children with sexualised behaviours need support, not silence and stigma (27 May 2016) Australia

Controversial sex-ed program will teach Aussie toddlers about cross-dressing (6 March 2016) Australia
“Children are sexual beings and it’s a strong part of their identity, and it is linked to their values and respect”

I see articles about young girls being “sexualised” all the time, but never about boys (1 December 2014) Reddit mensrights discussion thread
Feminism, consumerism & the sexualisation of girls
Don’t blame advertisers for the sexualisation of children

Tramps like us: Target and modern day misogyny (20 August 2012)
Study: Girls as young as six want to be sexy (17 July 2012)
Sexy clothing for young girls makes up 30 per cent of the market (10 May 2011)

Sexualisation in child beauty pageants (wiki entry)
http://www.theguardian.com/media/blog/2011/jun/06/sexualised-children-media-blame
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/37158.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/education-22002324
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008009/Sexualisation-children-blamed-parents-want-bond-them.html
http://www.womensforumaustralia.org/significant-issues/premature-sexualisation-of-children
http://www.tai.org.au/documents/downloads/DP93.pdf
http://www.thejournal.ie/poll-who-is-to-blame-for-the-over-sexualisation-of-children-171919-Jul2011/
Twelve going on 20: Are girls reaching puberty earlier? (10 August 2011)

Girls showing their bits = empowerment? patriarchal exploitation? self-indulgence? other?

Let’s look at the issue of female nudity. I imagine that most readers would have observed the naked female form, both in real real life and by way of advertising material and pornography. Indeed, the nude or partially nude images of many thousands of women and girls can be encountered in various forms of media. Most of these images were provided with consent, and often on the basis of financial compensation.

Readers would also likely be familiar with activist groups such as FEMENPETA and Pussy Riot, who routinely employ nude or partially nude females ostensibly to advance their political agendas. We might then add various events/memes such as #FreeTheNipple and #Slutwalk.

The Wikipedia entry for ‘Feminist views of Pornography‘ states that “pornography has been one of the most divisive issues in feminism”, and provides a general introduction to the issue.

As to whether the sale and/or public display of female nudity is empowering or oppressive, the answer seems to be “it depends”. Obviously it depends on who you ask. It also depends on the gender of the person asking the question, being viewed or doing the viewing. It depends on what is going through the viewers mind. And so on. The universal exception is material at the far end of the spectrum, particularly images of minors or those obtained surreptitiously and/or without consent.

softporn

Some feminists are on record as stating that women who make a living from selling nude photos of themselves and/or performing in pornographic films and/or working as prostitutes, are empowered. Many in this group identify themselves as ‘sex-positive feminists‘.

Many other feminists, however, argue that such behaviour is harmful to women, and that it promotes and/or facilitates violence against women. As a consequence many demand stricter censorship of pornography, whilst other feminists are both anti-pornography and anti-censorship.

(And yet even anti-pornography feminists manage to accommodate their proclivities via strategies such as creating a distinction between ‘pornography’ and female-friendly ‘erotica’.)

Many of these feminists have suggested that women involved in the sex industry do so as a result of earlier emotional damage inflicted by way, for example, of child abuse combined with economic and educational disadvantage.

The only area where the disparate tribes of feminism come close to speaking with one voice is when it comes to condemning men who view pornography or purchase sexual services from women. Such men are portrayed as misogynists partaking in a form of patriarchal oppression, or even violence against women.

As a consequence feminists in various jurisdictions have lobbied for changes to laws that would see the selling of sexual services by women decriminalised, whilst making the purchasing of sexual services by men a crime. But again, even with this issue there are some differences in feminist opinion.

Feminists tend to remain silent on this issue of women purchasing sexual services. Quelle surprise.

male_dominated

See also:

Dress Codes: How high is too high? The evolution of the women’s running brief (3 August 2024)

Woman holds up supermarket checkout line for ‘infuriating’ reason (11 June 2024) Australia

Wild reason content creator flashed portal revealed (19 May 2024)

Stars’ wildest Met Gala afterparty looks (8 May 2024) Just after the boys at Yarra Valley Grammar School were vilified for a webpage that objectified girls, here are some young women doing it for themselves.

‘Inappropriate’: Playboy Model shamed over Disney park outfit (2 April 2024) “I wear what makes me feel good and confident. I’m not here to please everyone. If they don’t like it, that’s their problem”

Sydney woman divides after revealing shock at male attention (5 October 2023)

Unwritten rules of wearing swimwear in public revealed (20 September 2023)

Sad reason women are wearing a baggy T-shirt on public transport (24 May 2023)

‘I was kicked out of a supermarket over my shorts’ (27 April 2023) Narcissistic fool

Woman claims she was asked to ‘cover up’ at Queensland hotel (7 February 2023) An “Only-Fans star“? Oh, ok

Horse racing ditches ‘offensive’ dress code in dramatic change (3 February 2023)

Woman reveals unique Aussie reaction to her ‘giant boobs’ (17 January 2023)

US fitness influencer sparks outrage with ‘revealing’ gym outfit (30 November 2022)

Woman claims she was kicked out of restaurant over low-cut top (4 November 2022)

“Polska, who regularly posts videos of herself wearing low-cut dresses for her army of fans, explained: “My friend Tootatis and I were prevented from entering this restaurant because of our cleavage.””  -> Air-head

Twitter discussion regarding self-objectification by women/girls (23 September 2022)

Meet the Gen Zers who insist on wearing sexy outfits to the office (20 September 2022) #RespectWomen. In their dreams. Absurd self-indulgence

US teacher’s ‘inappropriate’ outfits and ‘booty pics’ slammed (28 August 2022)

Woman claims venue forced her to cover up because of body size (1 August 2022) Ewww, and another one of these embarrassingly vulgar, shallow & stupid articles 

Man busted looking at photo of woman’s bum in a pub (22 July 2022) Absurd

Woman kicked off jury duty over outfit doesn’t see what’s wrong (8 July 2022) UK

Disney World guest asked to leave park or buy shirt to match dress code (28 May 2022)

Topless vegan activist slams ‘sexist’ cop request during Perth protest (24 May 2022) They just have to get naked, now don’t they?

TikToker reveals why she chooses to go braless (18 May 2022) See entry below – well it’s same thing here – see this narcissist on Instagram

Woman with naturally big boobs details H-cup horrors (16 May 2022) Go ahead, gender swap this story and see how it reads. And yes, she’s on OnlyFans. More pathetic hypocrisy and questionable leadership from pro-feminist news.com.au

Woman reveals ‘annoying’ issue with having ‘naturally big boobs’ (13 May 2022)

Nadia Bokody: Lie men tell about ‘kinky’ sex (24 April 2022) Blame it on men – again. And yet surveys show that it’s mainly women searching online for violent sex.

Influencer slams ‘jealous women’ for posting ‘hate comments’ (11 March 2022)

Woman claims theme park told to cover up ‘big breasts’ in crop top (2 February 2022)

Playboy model Elizabeth Marie Chevalier ‘too beautiful’ for love (19 January 2022)

Aussie fitness influencer speaks out over backlash to supermarket outfit (11 January 2022)

Bunnings shopper’s wild bikini stunt goes viral on TikTok (5 January 2022)

Outfits that got people thrown off flights | escape.com.au (13 July 2021)

TikTok user shares ‘underboob’ free $97 T-shirt hack at Disneyland (news.com.au) (15 June 2021)

Mum with autism claims she was ‘body shamed’ by Six Flags officer (news.com.au) (11 May 2021) with more details regarding her offensive behaviour here

Why Do Men Watch Porn? – Woke Father (25 April 2021)

Backpacker asked to leave Bondi restaurant over ‘not acceptable’ outfit (25 December 2020) Australia

Clothes banned on flights: Raunchiest eyebrow-raising outfits from 2020 (7 November 2020)

Sydney apartment’s ‘humiliating’ bikini rule bans ‘G-strings’ from pool (7 October 2020) NewsComAu’s plaintive/outraged ‘why can’t I show my bits’ story for today. Or this morning? Or this hour?

Woman forced to leave gym for wearing sports bra that flashed waist (22 September 2020) That poor woman – her boobies can’t breath!

No ‘Hot Pants’: Sexist rules for women on Artic expedition (8 September 2020)

Outrage as news reporter slammed for showing ‘too much cleavage’ (11 September 2020)

Paris Musee d’Orsay sorry for barring visitor in low-cut dress (10 September 2020)

Melbourne woman has spent $135k on plastic surgery – including five boob jobs (2 September 2020)

Naked protester flashes Portland police during BLM protests (22 July 2020)

Mum, daughter forced out of supermarket for ‘inappropriate’ crop tops (16 June 2020) UK. I am sick to death of oft-repeated media items like this one. Wear what you like on the beach, but if you can’t bring yourself to cover your pallid flesh in other public places then use the home delivery services provided by most supermarkets.

Why Renee Gracie turned to porn career after history making V8 Supercars run (5 June 2020) Today’s contribution from pro-feminist news.com.au, shaping & guiding the dreams of adolescent girls everywhere.

Former golfer Paige Spiranac slams the sport’s ‘hypocrisy’ (9 March 2020) And like, we really need to see her bits #FacePalm

Three Instagram models banned after ‘exposing’ themselves during game (29 October 2019) USA

Of course leggings are sexually arousing. Duh (2 April 2019)

Woman known as ‘The Bikini Hiker’ for scaling mountains in her swimwear freezes to death in Taiwan national park after falling down a ravine during a climb (22 January 2019)

‘Why I’ll show off my breasts if I want’ (19 November 2018)

Louvre refused entry to Aussie insta star Newsha Syeah because of revealing dress (10 November 2018)

Stick-on swimwear is summer’s hottest new trend as models storm Miami catwalk in Duct-tape bikinis (16 July 2018)

Saleswoman is paraded around her office NAKED while her colleagues cheer in sickening ‘morale-boosting stunt’ organised by her boss (2 November 2017)

“The situation she is in is undoubtedly traumatising. This is just like with rape”. Except there is nothing to indicate she was coerced into the performance, and of course there is no way she actually got off on it is there? Because … feminism + prudishness

Bettina Arndt on the Politics of Cleavage (19 September 2017) Video

Australian Academics Attack Campaign for More Female Exercise Because of “The Male Gaze” (13 August 2017) A Mark Latham video. Australian feminist academics take issue with women’s fitness awareness campaign. Don’t exercise because men might look at you.

Women’s own level of physical attractiveness regulates the fashion recommendations they would give to other women (29 July 2017)

No, the internet is not actually stealing kids’ innocence (25 July 2017) Religiously avoids mention of any factors dear to the feminist hive-mind. Mentions causality/correlation issue – lol – never mentioned by feminist researchers looking at, for eg. gender quotas in business, wage gap, etc.

“In terms of identifying causes, we should ask why the finger of blame is always pointed at the media rather than other likely causes (including violence against women, or problems linked to growing inequality or precarity)”

Gina Liano in awkward interview with The Project hosts after slamming study on cleavage (11 July 2017)

Google Researcher: Porn Featuring Violence Against Women Is More Popular Among Women Than Men (5 July 2017)

“The world doesn’t revolve around men’s feelings” (12 June 2017) Reddit discussion thread

Porn ISN’T to blame for a man’s inability to perform in the bedroom – it’s a lack of sexual satisfaction (9 June 2017)

Explainer: The rise of naked tourism (29 May 2017)

Bizarre new ‘fashion’ trend where women are wearing nothing but duct tape (16 May 2017)

This woman wants you to look at her breasts (17 April 2017)

“New Yorker Molly Borman said her stick-on pasties accentuate the appearance of nipples while also empowering women”

Hotelier says skimpy ban would hit hard (22 March 2017) Australia

Feminists are confusing nudity with liberation (11 March 2017)

Emma Watson on Vanity Fair cover: ‘Feminism is about giving women choice’ (6 March 2017)

Harvesting the male gaze, by Peter Wright (17 February 2017) Recommended reading

Opinion: Posting your nipples online doesn’t make you more of a feminist (23 January 2017) Australia

Lady Part Costumes Ruled the Women’s March (23 January 2017) USA

Hold pornography to account – not education programs – for children’s harmful sexual behaviour (7 December 2016) Unconvincing effort to equate porn viewing with aggressive sexual behaviour by children/youth.

3 Studies Refute Idea that Exposure to Sexy Centerfolds Harms Men’s Relationships (30 November 2016)

Why women need to stop stripping off to make a point” (27 November 2016)

Stop calling this ’empowerment’. It’s not (2 November 2016) Australia

‘Likes and follows’ the currency of the female-dominated selfie world, study finds (7 October 2016)

Gonzo: we need to talk about young men and porn (23 September 2016) Maddening gender bias in this article in pro-feminist discussion forum The Conversation. They admit the relationship between viewing pornography and violence against women is hotly disputed and call for a nuanced approach, which suggests some degree of objectivity on the issue. But all the while the author happily ignores the issue of girls viewing pornography, and the possible effects of that on both males and females.

Emily Ratajkowski flashes her breasts … again (14 September 2016)

Topless protesters bare breasts in push for women’s rights (29 August 2016)

Buzzfeed Reporter Goes To Nude Beach, Gets Offended That Men Look At Her (1 August 2016)

Times Square Tourists Left Bloodied Over $1 Tip to Topless Performer (20 July 2016) USA

All the Times Emily Ratajkowski Fought the Patriarchy (12 July 2016) with related Reddit discussion thread here.

Why I organized a ‘no bra day’ at my high school (17 June 2016) USA, with related Reddit discussion thread here

When it comes to what to wear on a plane, anything goes, but undies masquerading as pants? Nup. (1 June 2016)

Female Danish Athletes Diminish Their Own Championship Victory By Taking Nude Photos (26 May 2016)

Feminists Against Heterosexuality (@CarolineHeldman Edition) (14 May 2016)

10 revealing facts about the porn habits of women (13 May 2016)

Calvin Klein blasted online over ‘trashy and repulsive’ upskirt Instagram advert (11 May 2016) The TV panelist on ‘Sunrise’ described this pic as “schoolboy-ish”, although the people who devised and agreed upon the campaign were more likely 30-something women

Pornographic Progress, Sexbots and the Salvation of Man (7 April 2016)

Vietnam’s bikini airlines set to create country’s first female billionaire (2 April 2016)

What economic lessons about medical costs can we learn from the market for cosmetic procedures? (12 March 2016) USA

“There is a huge gender imbalance for cosmetic procedures – women accounted for 90.5% of the 11.5 million cosmetic procedures last year”

Turns out, watching porn is good for gender equality (4 March 2016)

Near-nude model gatecrashes BRITs telecast (25 February 2016) UK

Men Classify Women. Women Objectify Themselves (3 February 2016)

These two women hate (& dox) men who send them explicit photos, whilst they themselves flood social media with salacious selfies (31 January 2016)

Controversial crowd-funding site My Free Implants trials other types of surgery online (18 January 2016)

Brisbane ‘free the nipple’ picnic sparks wider debate about equality (16 January 2016) Australia

Going bareback! Imogen Anthony rides a horse completely naked with another nude female model in an effort to spread the message of equality (7 January 2016)

Ayesha Curry Has Hoes All Over the World Crying Their Eyes Out (6 December 2015) USA

SocJus College claims male gratification is wickedness & sin (18 September 2015)

Feminists ‘are more likely to watch porn’ (15 September 2015)

Who is objectifying Laci Green? (4 February 2014) Video about the concept of objectification

Lads’ mags, sexual violence and the need for feminist intervention (4 June 2015) Australia

This is why women are taking selfies of bottles of Coke held between their breasts (2 June 2015)

Netflix documentary ‘Hot Girls Wanted’ exposes behind the scenes look at amateur porn industry (2 June 2015)

Lesbian go-go dancing: subverting the gaze one sexy step at a time (22 April 2015) Dancing before men=objectifying but dancing before (gay) women=empowering

#FreeTheNipple: liberation or titillation? (7 April 2015)

Why are feminists ignoring the violent gang rape of porn star Cytherea (23 February 2015)

Former student charged for pornographic video filmed in library at Oregon State University (30 January 2015)

It’s time to stop blaming women for having breasts (16 January 2015)

Opinion: Why Caitlin Stasey’s new website misses the mark (14 January 2015)

FEMEN activist disrupts Vatican Christmas celebration (25 December 2014)

Shock study: Marriage rate declines with porn use, threatening economy, society (16 December 2014)

Porn and domestic violence: NSW Police says respect for women from young men crucial (7 December 2014)

How did 50 years of feminism end in THIS? Asks Sarah Vine (4 December 2014)

Skimpies tell of working behind bars in outback Australia in new documentary (17 November 2014)

Topless feminists target ‘political’ Pope (14 November 2014)

Porn: Why women want what men have (6 November 2014)

Women prefer gay porn to ‘female friendly’ straight porn says survey (1 October 2014)

Letter to ‘Object’ regarding rape allegations (1 October 2014)

Mythbusters TV show looked at belief that people give waitresses with bigger breasts bigger tips (4 September 2014). Well they do, but the differential is greatest for women customers (Video)

The great naked celebrity naked photo leak (1 September 2014) And of course men are 100% to blame

Sofia the sexist and Beyonce the feminist? (26 August 2014) and Feminism breaks the bounds with Beyonce (30 August 2014)

‘Dating Naked’ contestant sues series for showing her dating whilst naked (22 August 2014)

Free the nipple (December 2013) Video

Gender hypocrisy in porn debate (25 September 2013) This article has interesting things to say about the real source of concern regarding men’s access to pornography, which differs from their publicly stated concerns. The same article was reproduced in the AVfM web site with readers comments (some quite funny)

Women just as easily hooked on online porn (6 August 2014)

Is male nudity in the mainstream media becoming more acceptable than female nudity due to feminist backlash? (Example of womens rowing team making/selling nude calendar)

http://www.independent.ie/style/beauty/body/spotlight-on-free-the-nipple-30434543.html

UK Government to get serious about online ‘revenge porn’ (but no mention of protection for men)

http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/annalynne-mccord-wants-to-end-stigmas-linked-to-women-who-drink-dress-sexy-and-are-raped/story-fn907478-1226961829514

Teen girl Lindsey Stocker takes on Beaconsfield High School over ‘short shorts’ (1 June 2014)

Why female nudity isn’t obscene, but is threatening to a sexist status quo‘ (22 April 2014)

From the mouths of (hot) babes by B.R Merrick (20 April 2014)

http://www.avoiceformen.com/feminism/government-tyranny/european-union-to-ban-pornography-then-men/

http://www.avoiceformen.com/sexual-politics/dworkin-got-it-wrong-naomi-wolf-got-it-wronger/

http://www.avoiceformen.com/sexual-politics/what-if-the-u-s-government-spent-nearly-1000000-bucks-to-promote-and-study-porn/

Honey Badger Radio show on porn (Youtube)

http://human-stupidity.com/stupid-dogma/teenage-sexuality/porn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E74-8A4f0k&index=4&list=PLA70081D259987DCD (Advance to the 8:30m mark)

http://judgybitch.com/2013/09/27/breakup-with-your-girlfriend-and-post-nude-selfies-to-a-revenge-porn-site-you-should-be-in-jail-go-on-two-dates-with-a-guy-get-dumped-then-send-sceencaps-of-sexts-to-his-boss-and-youre/

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/environmental-activist-ana-paula-maciel-strips-naked-for-playboy/story-fnixwvgh-1226881429988

Naked protest: Memories of bodies and resistance at the World Social Forum, Journal of International Women’s Studies, The Female as Weapon, and let’s not forget the Nude Protest for International Womens Day. And what about poor old Mr Putin?

Angry Father Tells Off Lady On A Train To Sit Down! (24 February 2012) Canada. YouTube video

I use my sex appeal to get ahead at work… and so does ANY woman with any sense (25 August 2011)

Why Are So Many Women Searching for Ultra-Violent Porn? (vice.com) (undated)

Children and youths – Selfies and sexting

‘Art of Safe Sexting’ video slammed by Victorian Education Minister (30 June 2018)

Generation sext: Queensland Girls forced to share nude selfies (10 October 2016) So boys choose to make poor decisions, but girls are “forced” to do so. Oh please! This is gender equality?

Children as young as 10 years old are sending sexually-explicit images to friends (26 September 2016)

Case of N.S. teens accused of sharing intimate images important: prosecutor (17 August 2016)

Children accessing porn: Schools battle to deal with consequences (22 July 2016) Australia. Typical of media coverage of this issue, this article alternates between use the terms “children” and “boys” to suit the narrative. It ignores the involvement of girls except as victims of boys, and the affect that their exposure/involvement has on their attitudes/relationships with others.

Eight high schools boys suspended for receiving pictures of female classmates nude, girls “verbally reprimanded but not suspended” (27 April 2015) Reddit mensrights discussion thread an linked article

Defence in hockey sex video case says 15-year-old girl should be prosecuted (12 February 2015)

More girls than boys are involved in both creating/distributing and receiving ‘sexts’

http://judgybitch.com/2013/09/12/the-slutty-selfies-mom-is-right-sexually-aggressive-teenage-girls-posting-provocative-pictures-on-boys-social-media-feeds-need-to-be-shut-down-before-those-girls-make-a-mistake-and-blame-it/

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelzarrell/police-have-a-warrant-to-see-teenagers-erection-in-sexting-c

Topless swimming and sunbathing & naturism

One relatively recent phenomenon that I find curious is the declining popularity of going topless at the beach. This article about young women in France suggests that the trend is the result of a return to conservative and family values. The situation in Canada (BC) is discussed hereThis article and this article suggest that women are now shunning topless bathing as a result of the availability of digital cameras, but this article says its because women are uncomfortable with men ogling them.  I disagree with these explanations.

Alternatively, this article and this article blame the lessening popularity of topless bathing on womens insecurity regarding their bodies. Some cynics have even suggested that women are avoiding going topless as by doing so they ‘devalue the currency‘ (reduce their ability to use sexual leverage against men).

Feminists, in theory at least,  should support toplessness with regards to their stated aim of gender equality. With the exception of Sweden they have, however, been generally subdued on the issue.

See also:

http://youngnaturistsamerica.com/almost-naked-women-nudism-and-antisocial-nudists/

http://travasuns.org/Travasuns/Observations/Entries/2010/9/27_Naturism_is_especially_consistent_with_feminism_and_the_struggle_for_womens_freedom..html

Conclusion

Sorry, but after reading the often contradictory messages in the above papers … well to the average guy like me the issue seems like a moveable feast of hypocrisy and nonsense. And when it comes to pro-feminist groups using nudity to get publicity advance their philosophical position, I’d go so far as to say it’s even a little infantile. As and when my BS meter stops buzzing so loudly I’ll revisit this post and endeavour to add more thoughtful comment and analysis.

Postscript: Hey, check out this paradigm-shifting new women’s beauty product. Wow!

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