Here is the actual stand-up Jacob had referenced in class today. Funny, funny stuff.
I wanted to add that the way a women dresses, just like the way a man dresses, is based on how they perceive themselves and how they wish to be perceived. I disagree with the idea that skimpy outfits are giving permission for anyone to touch a person. I believe its just a reflection of how they feel (attractive) and how they want to be seen (attractive). It is not, in my opinion, done to identify one's self as a "bitch" or a "whore." Its true that men find certain attire sexually appealing, but that is never an excuse to invade someones personal space and it shouldn't be used to make such a sharp value judgement. We're all rational creatures. There is a level of self-control that is expected between men and women alike in a society. The video of the B.E.T. event that was shown yesterday was a good example of a problem I have with a lot of guys. The way another person dresses or presents themselves is not an excuse to throw away your self control. But thats just my opinion. What do you guys think?
Hey. So I wanted to point out that in this conversation the descriptions of these women who "dress a certain way" are being compared to and defined against prostitutes (sex workers) and promiscuous women. Like Chapelle says, just because you dress a certain way does not mean you are a certain way. But what's missing is the critique of this implicit assumption that sex workers and "promiscuous" women don't have a right to protest when someone sexually harasses them. Personally, I think that all people should be treated as autonomous individuals who have a right to construct their identity/s as they see fit and control their own bodies as well as however they choose to present their bodies.
ReplyDeleteOh, and what I mean by "people should be treated as autonomous individuals" is that a person should be treated as though they have the right to decide who they want to be touched by, regardless of what they look like, their past/present histories, or their line of work.
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