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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Yet ANOTHER pro-sex work article in the Guardian

37 replies

Cunstancemarkiewicz · 07/05/2018 22:11

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/may/07/sex-work-stripping-home-life-compatible

WTF are they at these days? This woman is clearly damaged by her abusive mother and worn down by her years of lapdancing. She's clearly doing her best to support her family but at what cost to herself? And isn't it a grim picture of the American precariat without the social safety nets your average Guardian reader takes for granted? Yet the headline, and the casual defensive tone about the "work"....where do you even start...Hmm

OP posts:
Peanutbuttercups21 · 07/05/2018 22:13

The DM also often promotes happy hooker/stripper stories, what is it all about?

Opheliah · 07/05/2018 22:32

Wow it's one every 6 days from the Guardian lately.

What's their end game?

Italiangreyhound · 07/05/2018 22:58

Is there any 'processional body' that complaints could be made to?

I find all this pro-prostitution stuff such a load of shit.

QuarksandLeptons · 07/05/2018 23:05

What a strange, incoherent article. The author clearly sees the sad situation the woman is in but dresses up the story as empowering and skates over all of the really key aspects of it. The abusive relationship with her mother, the grimness of her work are all noted but not linked up. The men who expect prostitution on top of stripping is really awful. The desperation of the woman who doesn’t seem to have any other way of keeping all of her life in motion without the money from stripping doesn’t in any way seem positive or empowering

thebewilderness · 07/05/2018 23:06

Are we to understand that the Guardian is promoting trafficking as well as the rape torture and abuse of women and children?
Isn't that illegal?

VaggieMight · 07/05/2018 23:13

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LassWiADelicateAir · 07/05/2018 23:14

It isn't even original or well written. I feel bad about saying that if the author thinks she is going to break through into writing but , sorry, I've read that article/story line too often.

And as for her husband- being supported by her wages from a strip club whilst he gets a degree and now no job?

In their situation and so desperate for money I think I'd be suggesting he gets a job-it might be menial, it might be hard work, it might be shift work to fit in with child-care but anything would be better than living off his wife in these circumstances. No particular thanks to Trump but isn't male unemployment going down?

GardenGeek · 07/05/2018 23:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AngryAttackKittens · 07/05/2018 23:26

The Guardian have really committed to that whole "women are things for men to use and should be happy about it" position, haven't they?

LassWiADelicateAir · 07/05/2018 23:33

I only see DM articles when they are linked here and occasionally when I google a specific subject to see what their take on it is (occasionally can be surprising) I wasn't aware of them doing happy hooker articles.

If nothing else I doubt the DM would have been so sympathetic to the husband as that article was- all that piffle about His hair – his pride and joy – is a thoughtless mess, falling out of its ponytail and straggling down his back. Dark circles rim his eyes, and he’s been biting his fingernails again.

Original poster
Cunstancemarkiewicz · 07/05/2018 23:40

Also I've noticed the increased use of the umbrella term "sex work" to mean everything from stripping, dancing, to having sex for money. It's a sort of deliberate neutralising of the parts the "sex positive" brigade don't like to dwell on. So...you think arty "burlesque" and a bit of ironic poledancing to pay your tuition fees, as opposed to fucking a lot of unattractive men for money.

The husband of the woman in the original article seems like such an appalling dickhead too, and she doesn't even realise.

OP posts:
endchauvinism · 07/05/2018 23:52

I think it's all just part of the larger plan to keep women on a lower level than men, demeaned and objectified.

thebewilderness · 07/05/2018 23:56

It becomes clear that the media's response to women screaming that WE ARE NOT THINGS! is YES YOU ARE!

midnightm · 08/05/2018 00:43

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TrumpTrump · 08/05/2018 00:53

The Guardian hates women, especially working class women.

DJLippy · 08/05/2018 01:04

Because they really want to write articles attacking women but they don't want to loose 'woke' points so they get black women to do it for them.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/may/08/how-white-women-use-strategic-tears-to-avoid-accountability

Why are white women such a target these days? Is that because it's the only group of women you're allowed to attack without looking like a total douche?

ErrolTheDragon · 08/05/2018 01:08

Why are white women such a target these days? Is that because it's the only group of women you're allowed to attack without looking like a total douche?

Partly, but I think it's more that some white women now do have some power and so of course need to be disempowered.

TrumpTrump · 08/05/2018 01:11

Look at the way they reported Cologne and Rotherham. They ignored it for a while, and then victim-blamed the females. SadAngry

Original poster
Cunstancemarkiewicz · 08/05/2018 07:08

Yes, anything that critiques gender identity ideology or the sex industry can be dismissed as "white feminism" even if it's expressed by women who aren't white. This is how lefty dudes get to score points against black feminists on Twitter, it's quite nauseating to watch.

OP posts:
c75kp0r · 08/05/2018 07:20

Author is a sex workers rights activist which may explain the poor writing (ie not an experienced writer) narrative.ly/author/sarah-berling/

Why not write about sex workers rights in that case? Unless it is the right to not have an annoying dm

QuentinSummers · 08/05/2018 07:24

In their situation and so desperate for money I think I'd be suggesting he gets a job-it might be menial, it might be hard work, it might be shift work to fit in with child-care but anything would be better than living off his wife in these circumstances.
Quite.
Husband sounds like a cocklodger to me and she is so pathetically grateful for him.
Poor woman.

c75kp0r · 08/05/2018 07:26

Bearing in mind that it may be a fictional account as it started on narritively, I would have convinced myself it was anti sex trade and highlighting the protaganist’s self delusion. But the author’s label leaves me in two minds - though google doesnt find her either as an author or an activist.

merrymouse · 08/05/2018 07:48

Completely agree OP. The story itself is just sad. What is your back story if you need to get a job as a stripper to learn about boundaries? Why don’t they seem to be able to earn money in other ways, despite her husband’s degree? The writer does not sound ‘empowered’ in any way. It’s a story about the absence of opportunity and the trap of poverty.

However, apparently the Guardian think it is a feel good story about work/life balance.

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