I mentioned lately coming across this
article in La Presse which could hardly be more in line with my research.
In her writings for the International Women’s Day, Rima Elkouri speaks about her vision of feminism today and deplores the fact that pole dancing, and the “tendance pitoune” are being revendicated as a form of liberation for certain women.
In short (and I tried my best to translate this accurately), she asks “how we came to - 40 years after our elders burnt their bras - celebrate breasts implants and porno stars with rabbit ears as symbols of emancipation”, she indicates that “we shouldn’t fool ourselves by thinking that the injustices towards women (being treated as objects) are unrelated to the dominant porno aesthetic which compels some to revendicate their “object status” and she finally mentions that “under the cover of bravery, we often find conformism. Under “girl power” and second degree humor, we often find servitude, vulgarity and poor self-esteem.”
I do agree with the idea that positioning yourself as a sexualized object (as approved by the third wave feminist or girl power movement) does not lead to emancipation and does not help women condition… However, investigating the post-structuralist feminist concept of “écriture féminine” has made me explore the idea that women oppression is linked to the unacknowledged women subjective perspective (as a subject rather than an object). The current women representation in pornography (in terms of look and attitude) – as well as in the market – is that of a commodity, and is mostly defined by the realm of male fantasies and ideologies. That’s why these authors prompt women to write from their embodied perspective (body being considered as an oppressed feminine construct) and use the vehicles such as pornography (strip-tease ???) “that privilege and propagate male desire” (Dallery, 1989 ; Joy & Venkatesh, 1994) in order to subvert that logic. Rather than their “object status”, women should see this as an opportunity to revendicate their “subject status”.
This being said, it might seem like I am getting opposed to mankind, but NOT AT ALL!!! – I am trying to investigate how women came to be portrayed like that (according to post-structuralist feminist writers).
Now, I believe the intent and perspective adopted by the strip-teaser makes a world of difference: Do they keep on perpetuating the masculine ideologies, or are they really manifesting their own (uncorrupted) sexual subjectivity?
With regards to that comment from Mrs. Elkouri : “Under (…) second degree humor, we often find servitude, vulgarity and poor self-esteem.”, I am wondering the following: Is the tradition of slapstick humor, mockery and absurdity in burlesque not a good mean to go beyond the inhibitions of poor self-esteem resulting precisely from the objectified status? I don’t think the vulgarity is meant to be camouflaged by humor in burlesque… I think it is meant to be self-evident and that, taken together, humor and vulgarity can be tools of subversion.
With that regard, here are some interesting thoughts from Lindalee Tracey, film-maker of
Anatomy of Burlesque(a film I have seen at the beginning of my research last year):
“My adventure began by refusing the arched presumption that burlesque is simply striptease and bare bazooms, hubba, hubba! - turning instead to its deeper subversions and un-pretensions. I aimed myself at the grammar of burlesque, the meaning behind its vulgarity - the mocking send up; the naughty, winking knowingness; double entendre, comic eroticism; even the origins of the French cancan. I discovered everything I love about life - the twitching divide between body and mind, high and low, sacred and profane.”
I should mention that her stressing of the notion of embodiement in burlesque enabled me to make a link with the post-structuralist feminist thoughts that I am currently exploring as an analysis of my fieldwork. I should take this opportunity to acknowledge this regretted lady - who recently passed away and missed by the entire burlesque community - for her very inspiring work.