To feel disgusted that Elle magazine are touting porn star Sasha Grey as a "feminist"?

[Scarletohello]

So I have seen a lot of porn and Sasha Grey is a very popular porn star. Mainly because she does very extreme stuff, for example the kind of scenes where she is gagged with a man's cock to the extent that she us virtually vomiting. And she acts like she is loving it. One of the quotes in the magazine article from one of her films is, " Rip my fucking holes open". It's the most brutal, mistogynistic, woman hating porn you can possibly experience. And she is talking about it as being liberating and empowering for women. I'm no prude but her stuff sickens me. And now she's written an erotic novel and has an interview in Elle magazine where the cover line is, " writer, actress, feminist,porn star".
Makes me absolutely despair of where we as women have come to if she is being described as a "feminist". She is absolutely everything anti feminist to me. Any thoughts? Also if you have never seen her stuff, prepare to be appauled...

That's nice, scarlet

Err, you might not do when I say the next thing...

You know by being a regular consumer of porn yourself that you prop up this vile industry don't you ? I accept your "tastes" might be a bit more "mainstream" but there is a wedge and a thin end of it.

Ok:

All those in favour of their daughters being violently fucked as a career move.. admit it here. You've admitted it's ok for you/your friends. The same for her too? Would you be ok watching it?

And.. all those with sons, please feel free, to admit here, that you would feel proud to see him in action. Giving or revieving. Violently?

You've been vocal in your support of women being violently fucked, so come on, would you want it for your child?

I bet none of you violent porn fans answer.

Tig, I wouldn't "dictate" anything, but I would still feel I failed as a parent if she indulged in sexual practices that damaged her body and potentially her fertility

Wouldn't you ?

Even more so if she "sold" the experience as "empowering" and laid it bare for punters to score her on.

Splitheadgirl, People aren't saying "that porn films and how women are treated does not affect other (all) women?? That what happens to this actress is only about her and her autonomy and nothing to do with anyone else??", but they, or at least I, am saying

1. Why is it her responsibility, why don't we attack the men in these films as aggressively for damaging male sexual expectations, why is it her?

1. Why does she have to have a responsibility to behave in a way that does not negatively impact other men? We don't do this to men, we don't say "oh those awful footballers, they're being very irresponsible in regards to the perception of men".

Annabel Chomg apparently found the gang bang she took part in empowering and it challenged societies view of female sexuality

she had sex or performed sexual acts (over 200) on 70 men in 10 hours. The documentary shows her in terrible pain, the men are acting like animals it is vile the documentary makers were horrified but all those in the porn industry celebrated this wonderful piece of work

Those that think women are not exploited should watch the documentary she very much felt she was in control. And where are all the female porn stars of the 80's some of the men are still around and very much celebrated like Ron Jeremy

But the argument seems to be:

Sasha Grey is portraying violent sex

Other people might be encouraged to do this in their own spare time (rather than having the lovely normal respectful sex they owe it to us to be having)

If people don't have lovely kind gentle sex, something awful is going to happen

But I'm at a loss to work out what horror you think will befall someone who has this type of sex?

Anyfucker- yes I know, I am a bit fucked up when it comes to watching porn, I get turned on by watching things that I know are degrading and abusive to women. Which is why I think thus particular women is OTT and her appearing in Elle is normalising sexual violence. I only bought the bloody magazine because it had a free mascara! That'll teach me...

I also believe very strongly as the mother of two teenagers that stuff like BDSM, anal etc are practices that come somewhere along the timescale of sexual experience

Not something you are expected to do soon after becoming sexually active at 16

The pressure is massive for teenagers to indulge in this stuff earlier and earlier and articles like this just reinforce it. And call me dull and boring, but i don't think teenagers have the maturity and life experience to manage it effectively and not get hurt...physically and emotionally

Any mother thinks that, surely ?

Tig, this thread is about SG specifically

If you would like me (or someone like me) to talk about the punter's contribution to the degradation of women, then I expect us to be here for several more hours yet

But on the plus side, it is a very good mascara! :)

I don't know AF maybe thats the difference then. I wouldn't feel I had failed if my child engaged in sexual practices or any practices for pleasure not as a career choice, that I personally didn't appreciate, as long as they were in a consenting context.

I do things which my mother finds "appalling", I don't think she feels she has failed and I certainly don't feel she has, I just think we have different sources of pleasure.

Obviously as a mother when your child does anything that can be detrimental to their health or dangerous, there is an element of concern but putting that aside I wouldn't have an issue with it. I suppose I might have a slightly freudian curiosity about it all, for example if my son enjoyed spanking I would wonder if it linked to being smacked as a child, or if there was the desire to inflict or receive pain from another consenting individual I would certainly ponder where that came from, but not feel I had failed.

Show me a quote, then, if you reckon this is what the Suffragettes were fighting for

You mentioned the suffragettes,I didn't. I was under the impression there main aim was voting.

Plenty of porn actresses activly describe themselves as feminists as do other sex industry workers along side docters shop assistants and many other people.

Who are you to decide they are not.

Tig, again, we are talking about SG who is an advocate for practices that damage women's bodies being filmed for other's sexual pleasure

See, I don't see why you feel you have to run yourself down like that, OP. Why is the way you feel 'fucked up'? It's perfectly ordinary. You should not feel ashamed. You really shouldn't.

Sock, who are you to tell me I am not Elle Mcpherson ?

I said I was, therefore I am

yes ?

(Excellent choice, TigOldBitties)

OP, YANBU.

If Sasha Grey is a feminist, then I'm the Pope.

Her brand of porn seems to be becoming more and more ubiquitous, sadly. I have read that producers of porn films can barely keep up with the demand for this violent, misogynistic stuff.

If you are fair enough.

I wonder if she is also a feminist its my understanding you can be one and have a given name they are not the same thing. Perhaps you should have stated your belief in fairies or not or political beliefs.

I used the phrase fucked up because I sometimes feel very conflicted about watching porn, the sort of stuff that I get turned on by and that I know it's damaging to women. I have been involved in the fetish/ swinging scene for many years and they actually are very empowering and respecful places for women to explore their sexuality and to experiment with being submssive if they choose to and it has been both liberating and therapeutic for me. It's the exact opposite of abuse or doing things you don't want to. Which is why I feel very uncomfortable with someone like Sasha Grey promoting the mos base expression of female sexual experience as empowering and somehow feminist.

'You mentioned the suffragettes,I didn't. I was under the impression there main aim was voting.
Plenty of porn actresses activly describe themselves as feminists as do other sex industry workers along side docters shop assistants and many other people.
Who are you to decide they are not.'

Forgive me, I assumed from your post, 'I'm pretty sure thousands of women have fought for years and years so other women could do what they damn well pleased with there own body' that you were talking about the women who fought for decades for women's liberation.

My mistake. Thank you for clarifying. I now understand you were only talking about those porn actresses who fought for the right for other women to be porn actresses.

Sock, I shall explain my point a little further for you

Just because someone says they are this, that or the other doesn't make it so

It's your actions not empty words that define you

I would like to know if someone could be an animal rights supporter if their job was making films that encouraged people to torture animals, as long as no actual animals were harmed in the making of the film.
I think it would ring rather hollow.

I do see your point with that one. As in, her actions shouldn't be a contributing reason to her being a feminist?

Do you read erotic literature? I know it's the same principle, but there isn't that concern of wondering if the cast are having a shitty time.

Many people get over that "concern" very easily, Binks, it seems to me

their orgasm being much more important than whether someone's anus is being torn beyond repair, and whether or not they truly consented (with no coercion either financially or emotionally)