Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site stolaf.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!stolaf!twiss From: twiss@stolaf.UUCP (Thomas S. Twiss) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Penthouse/Pageant Message-ID: <1850@stolaf.UUCP> Date: Sat, 18-Aug-84 19:15:18 EDT Article-I.D.: stolaf.1850 Posted: Sat Aug 18 19:15:18 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 19-Aug-84 04:09:45 EDT Organization: St. Olaf College, Northfield MN Lines: 47 >What on earth does it mean to say that both the M.A.P. and >P.H.M. are both "pornographic in principle". Maybe my >sexual appetite is jaded, but I find the presentation of >the women in the M.A.P. to be totally asexual. What?!?!?!!?!?!? The pageant is asexual?!?!!? What do you mean? They pick out one sex of humanity, parade them in front of a huge tv audience, show them in bathing siuts to show off their bodies, and choose them in the first place for their feminine qualities. You tell me that's asexual????? >Indeed, >I think that this is the intention of the organizers. >P.H.M. is, on the other hand, definitely pornographic. > >Now, I'm no fan of the M.A.P. I believe that it attempts to >present an vapid picture of the "ideal woman". However, not >likeing somthing (even hating it) is no excuse for calling it >something other than it is. I'm curious as to how you can accuse me of this. In my article, I gave my reasons for asserting that the MAP is degrading, you are just doing exactly what you accuse me of: assuming something about my nature just because you didn't like what I say. > >Let's call a spade a spade, and pornography, pornography. But >let's not call everything, which is degrading and/or distasteful to >women, pornographic. > > Stanley J. Krolikoski > U of Illinois at UC > ..!pur-ee!uiucdcs!stank Why not? Maybe it's not pornographic in the traditional sense (exposing naked bodies in compromising positions), but the effect of the pageant and of Penthouse is fundamentally the same: use women for certain appeals and qualities that are wholly estranged from human nature to create images that will supposedly be the ideal person (woman). The effect of this is to make women feel they have an image (an unrealistic one) to live up to, and to make men feel like they can only acept certain women that fill that image. If you don't believe me, how would you feel if you walked into a woman's room and saw a poster of Lou Ferrigno on her wall? I sure as hell don't look like Lou, and if this woman expects me to, then I'm out of luck. Now transpose this to pornography and you get the gist. Also, watch the movie "Not a love story" and I'll bet you would agree with me. Although it is a very oppinionated and extremely unobjective film, it is excellent at getting one to examine ALL forms of societally imposed role images.