Come on/confess your confusion
There have been many around the internet in the last week allegedly trying to draw “lefty feminists” out of their evil lairs regarding the “revelation” that Kevin Rudd went to a strip club in New York, four years ago.
This is, in my opinion, a win-win for conservative commentators. If “women of the left” are unavailable for comment or equivocal in their commentary, then they are supporting the sex industry. If women of the left are damning of Rudd’s participation in a trip to a “gentleman’s club”, then they shouldn’t support his leadership (or so the argument might go).
The problem with this contention is that it assumes that the so-called “women of the left” (of which I would consider myself to be one) have a unified position on the issue of:
a) sex work
b) constructions of sexuality and gender
c) differing social standards for politicians vs. “regular people”
d) whether or not men’s attendance at clubs such as ‘Scores’ is a de facto policy position on the right or wrong of sex work
e) Kevin Rudd, FULL STOP.
My hesitance is that my own view about these issues is far from clear.
On one hand, I believe that women should not be reduced to objects of sexual desire for the financial gain of men.
On the other hand, I don’t think I’m in a position to make judgments about what women might do to earn a living.
On one hand, I think that the patriarchal nature of our society has perpetuated and, in some cases, exacerbated the exploitation of women involved in sex work.
On the other hand, there are women who enjoy what they do, earn a much higher wage than they would do in any other role they are skilled to do, and work in a safe environment over which they have control.
And if you start from the basis that all sex work is inherently exploitative, then it's hard to see how any of the men in our lives might be excused from attending a strip joint (or indeed, any women).
The reticence of women engaging on this issue might, therefore, be less about their unwillingness to judge Kevin Rudd, and more about their unwillingness to judge other women - which I would have thought is a quality worthy of praise, rather than condemnation.
This is, in my opinion, a win-win for conservative commentators. If “women of the left” are unavailable for comment or equivocal in their commentary, then they are supporting the sex industry. If women of the left are damning of Rudd’s participation in a trip to a “gentleman’s club”, then they shouldn’t support his leadership (or so the argument might go).
The problem with this contention is that it assumes that the so-called “women of the left” (of which I would consider myself to be one) have a unified position on the issue of:
a) sex work
b) constructions of sexuality and gender
c) differing social standards for politicians vs. “regular people”
d) whether or not men’s attendance at clubs such as ‘Scores’ is a de facto policy position on the right or wrong of sex work
e) Kevin Rudd, FULL STOP.
My hesitance is that my own view about these issues is far from clear.
On one hand, I believe that women should not be reduced to objects of sexual desire for the financial gain of men.
On the other hand, I don’t think I’m in a position to make judgments about what women might do to earn a living.
On one hand, I think that the patriarchal nature of our society has perpetuated and, in some cases, exacerbated the exploitation of women involved in sex work.
On the other hand, there are women who enjoy what they do, earn a much higher wage than they would do in any other role they are skilled to do, and work in a safe environment over which they have control.
And if you start from the basis that all sex work is inherently exploitative, then it's hard to see how any of the men in our lives might be excused from attending a strip joint (or indeed, any women).
The reticence of women engaging on this issue might, therefore, be less about their unwillingness to judge Kevin Rudd, and more about their unwillingness to judge other women - which I would have thought is a quality worthy of praise, rather than condemnation.
posted by gigglewick at
5:10 pm
16 Comments:
My take is that its all a big con to make Rudd 'one of the boys' like Bob Hawke.
Is the more worrying thing that the up coming election is not going to be fought on policy but on personality, by two men with no discernible personality between them?
Forgive my cynicism, I lived with Mr Tony (Blair) for 10 years (and before that I had to suffer Major and the Wicked Witch of Grantham)...
Well put!
and I do like le comment de fromage grand above.
My leftyFem view is that everybody should be able to do what they damn well like to do
(so long as it doesn't ...
frighten the horses,
hurt anybody else,
etc etc)
Everything I have ever read about female sexworkers has implied that they are either unskilled junkies or brilliant PhD students
Nobody has mentioned re Ruddys Big Night Out, that:
the jaunt was instigated by a New York Post reporter.
That would be Murdochs sleaze tabloid .... hoping to reap a harvest from the expense docket?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Personally I have left the whole thing alone for two reasons. Fucked as it is, Rudd seems to have thrown off the last vestiges of his schoolboy-smartypants image that was seriously damaging his vote with the 'blokes'. Until we have gotten rid of the Libs I'm not going to do anything to foul up our chances, unless it is a REALLY important issue. Second, despite what I think of the sex industry (which is far too contradictory to go into here), the majority of people never think about strip clubs beyond them being 'naughty' adult entertainment. Whether you agree with that or not, it makes it difficult to maintain a sustained moral attack without going into some rather long-winded justifications for your position. Simply saying 'strip clubs are exploitative' doesn't explain anything to someone who has never thought about it in that way before and leads to the inevitable 'bloody ivory-tower dwellers' retort. Basically I'm picking my battles and this one just doesn't seem like a big enough deal. He got smashed and went to a strip club, if that is the worst sex related moral mistake they can find then I'm just too bored to care.
Lovely analysis GW - as always. Often I don't even start to think of deeper issues until you mention them...
I'm just not sure about this whole debacle. And while I am happy to toe the leftyfemo line about the sex industry being exploitive, I don't think that is the issue here. It's supposed to be about Rudd. And he has proved that he is a lot more supportive of strong independent women than Others, and as far as I'm concerned it'll take a lot more than a fleeting visit to a strip club to change my mind about him.
Mr From,
Perhaps. I think Howard has a personality, I just don't like it. There is a difference, I am learning....
Anne,
Yes, that is a common issue. I don't like to pretend I know what I'm talking about here, I rather aim at expressing my confusion in an eloquent way (and fail most of the time). (also welcome and thank you for your comment)
Nai,
I can see that. It reminds me of a quote from Primary Colours -
"I can tell the difference between some one who believes that I believe and lies about it to get elected, and some one who just doesn't give a shit.
And I'll take the liar"
* nods sagely *
* wonders where Adrian Lester has gone *
Actonb,
Yes, I'm annoying like that, aren't I? I have had several conversations about this "issue" with people now, and what we always get to is trying to unpack our thoughts about the concept of sex work - because you can't form an opinion on one without being clear what you think about the other.
As I said everyone, I'm willing to confess that I'm not sure what my view is...I'd like to think that being honest about your lack of certainty is again, something to be valued rather than damned*.
* If not, I'm in big trouble.
FYI Adrian Lester is now starring in 'Hustle' on the BBC - this is not a dance show
Observe how the usual motor mouths like Tuckey and Heffernan chose not to say anything about the issue.
Mr From,
Ah yes. You have no idea how much trouble I have convincing people that he is British and not American.
Chai,
Indeed. Well, one in a glass house can hardly cast stones, can one?
Great posting, as ever.
It's also a vexed issue for men of the left, who have equally diverse views on these topics, and particularly for the much smaller subgroup of "Christian men of the left".
There are days when I wonder if it is just me and, well, Kevin Rudd in that sub-group, and only one of us has ever been to a strip club, so no consensus there, either.
I think it is possible to have serious concerns about the way the sex/light entertainment/whatever industry exploits women and generally seems to bring out the worst in everyone involved, without having to generalise this to the point where every woman who works in a strip club is there out of powerlessness or every man who walks in once in his life is unfit to hold public office.
Fortunately, it seems most people have utterly failed to get worked up about this issue, but have simply said "oh my goodness Kevin Rudd is human" and moved on.
I will continue to wear my Kevin07 T-shirt proudly, and I faithfully promise to never remove it slowly in a provocative manner.
In the end, I think it's very much a personal choice. I remember when one of my teachers had a bucks night, and told the (horror) story of finding out that one of the lap dancers was an ex-student.
PS: There is a house called 'Gigglewick' in the street next to mine!
There is so much more to it than 'the sex industry is explotative of women'. Sex is a currency like anything else - some women have the power in the exchange of sex for cash, for other women it's desperation and circumstance that renders them a victim in the exchange.
Straight men, even nice ones like Mr. Rudd, like looking at attractive women getting their gear off. I'd be more concerned if he sheilded his eyes during the event.
All this episode shows is how desperate John & Co. are to dish up ANYTHING that might slow the Rudd mobile down in the homestraight towards the election. And if that's all they've got, well, KR is looking like an even rosier prospect for the our next PM.
I love your posts, GW!
I have highly personal, contradictory and uninformed views on this issue, as is usual with me. I reckon that the sex industry is exploitative of both sexes (after all not all sex workers are women, or even adults come to that).
However, I think that there are worse ways to be exploited if you are an adult making an informed choice about what you're doing. At least it is possible for a sex worker to find a work environment that is safe. Boxers, on the other hand, are almost universally from a desperately poor background, often from an ethnic minority, and work in an environment where brain damage is more usual than not. Fighting for the amusement of others is surely more degrading than having consensual safe sex, even if that sex is for money.
This argument falls in a deep, dark hole, however, when the underaged, underprivileged and abused who resort to street prostitution are put in the equation. Strippers, I imagine, do not fall into this group.
Rudd going to a strip club is much less of a problem for me than if he went to a boxing match. Much less.
Meva - interesting point re boxing. I tend to think that the legality and prestige offered to higher level boxers renders it a less exploitative trade than prostitution etc, but I wander if this would change if sex-work was as free of condemnation etc by the moral majority types? That said, I agree that paying to watch a poor person smack the crap out of another poor person should be more objectionable than paying to have sex with someone (presumably poorer than you). But the values of our sociey etc makes it otherwise.
INCraig,
I'm worried about those t-shirts. How can they be $7??
Rosanna,
Believe it or not, that is not where I got my name (although take a picture for me if you get a chance, and I will post it here)
Ms Kat,
Yes - unfortunately what you observe doesn't fit in a sound-bite and is therefore useless to the likes of the commentators I'm talking about.
Meva,
Totally agree re the process of boxing, but also agree with Nai's point re legality....
You still have kids who want to be boxers when they grow up, you don't see many kids writing "Prostitute" on their career goals forms.
PS Thanks everyone - how interesting has this discussion been? (answer: very!)
The T-shirts are $7, postage and handling is $8.
Not quiet the message about government efficiency that they intended to send.
Also, kids may not write 'prostitute' on career forms but I have it on exceptionally good authority that a teenage girl was once seen turning up for her sentencing hearing at a local Children's Court wearing a T-Shirt saying "Prostitute in Training"
That T-Shirt probably cost more than $7.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home