(no subject)

[alexmegami]

So I was reading articles on HerCurve.com, under the "herself" section, and one of the opening lines to one of the essays hit me:

The female submissive isn't well thought of by certain segments of the feminist movement. Society has difficulty separating her potential for personal strength and independence from her sexuality. They assume a woman who would place herself at the hands of a dominant partner (male or female, but especially male) sexually, is urging the whole of womankind back into a subservient space through her example.

--The Perfect Girl

It's an interesting thought, one that I certainly agree with. There's a certain amount of hypocrisy inherent to the thought that a woman should be able to choose... but shouldn't be able to choose a life of submission. (This is, of course, only referring to the choice of submission, not coerced or otherwise forcibly obtained.)

I'm thinking that if it weren't 3 AM, I could expand on the thought some more.



Instead, I'll go to the tangentially related thought that makeup and clothes [probably] do not the punk/goth/sub/Dom/bondage queen/etc. make. Unless you want it to. Why must leather/pleather/PVC/etc. have to be so expensive? And, for that matter, sex toys?

For part of the age/social group that is supposed to be the most interested in sex (i.e. the late-teens/early-twenties university group), I certainly don't have the money to support any sort of interesting lifestyle.

Which is probably best for my grades, but still.



I'm starting to think my dream job is not being an author, or a psychologist, or a filmmaker (well, a certain type of filmmaking, maybe), but rather a sex columnist for a magazine. Or a magazine owner. A sex magazine owner.

If only I had the balls (?) for a real-world job. Idealism is for those who cannot stand reality! Like me.

Comments

Re: The Tangent

[mysticjuicer.livejournal.com]

Leather/Pleather's probably expensive because everyone wants it, because you need (p)leather if you're going to be "doing kinky stuff right". And it's more impressive than wearing, say, an undersized white T-shirt? I guess?

Part Deux: Early teens to late twenties (I think?) is the age group with the most disposable income though. ...and I've forgotten what else I was going to say. Nuts.

*sproing*

Re: The Tangent

[alexmegami]

Okay, but I thought things being in demand meant prices went down, not up, especially if they were offered in a lot of different places.

Which is probably my problem. Time to e-mail all the chain stores and ask them to carry pleather.

Do we, really? I'm so... disillusioned. My disposable income is $50 a week, and that includes for groceries/bills/etc.

Then again, if I got a job...

Econ 10-1

[changeinwatrloo.livejournal.com]

Backwards. High demand means high prices. Low demand, low prices. High supply, low prices. Low supply, hi prices.

Leather: You have to kill a cow; low supply. People love it; high demand.

As for pleather, the final word on prices is, "things are worth what people are willing to pay for them." This is why appraisers will tell you what you could get at auction for an item. It's worth what people will pay for it.

Presumably, people are willing to pay these prices for (p)leather/sex toys.

Re: Econ 10-1

[alexmegami]

Ahhh. I bow to your superior knowledge of how pricing works.

It still sucks, though.

[mlik.livejournal.com]

There are cheaper, yet still useful, alternatives to sex toys :)

[alexmegami]

People?

[mlik.livejournal.com]

Hey, that's a good idea!

[alexmegami]

A valid point. I was thinking of the pre-made store bought punk when I was writing, but you can get anything at Value Village.

And again, on the Chelsea cut, no. I like my hair... well, shorter than it is now, but that's because I need to go get a haircut. But I like this general style.

[safti]

Mn! Yes, that quote reminds of something I was having a chat about with a friend of mine - less sexual, more lifestyle; we were discussing that at this point ["in this day and age"], if a woman on her own terms stays at home and is, in essence, a housewife, looking after the kid[s], is jobless, etc, the assumption is that she is repressed [or possibly stupid for not seizing her opportunities, depending on who says what] - that it is her own decision to do so is not taken into account.

I agree wholly with your assessment of the thought that according to feminist/societal thought that women are welcome to choose - as long as the choice doesn't place them into a submissive role. *wants a rubber band gun for knocking the sense into the idiots who fail to understand the word "choice"*

or a filmmaker (well, a certain type of filmmaking, maybe),

Heh heh. As for the other - give yourself time, you're yet young. *grins* It is not yet time to bind yourself for life, or some crap. Oh, and you can be an idealistic realist - half the time that's where I'm at. [The other half, I'm a cynical dreamer. Yay!]

I'm not fully awake, I'm afraid, so apologies if this is twisted.

Oh, and as for the punk subculture thing, all I have to say is that if a person needs a button or t-shirt or whatever that identifies the wearer as "punk", they prolly ain't. *rolls eyes*

[alexmegami]

*grins* Still young, yes, but two years (er... ideally) from graduation. (Of course, then there's more university, a Masters degree, a PhD, college... so many ways I can stay in school for the rest of my life!)

Mostly I just worry that I have big ideas/plans for my life and no real motivation to back them up. I work as a secretary all summer - and I don't want to be doing that the rest of my life, y'know?

Maybe actually being in a situation where I have to do something or wind up in a 9-to-5 desk job will motivate me.

As for the punk thing, yes. And the same could be said for a lot of other things, too.

[user-lain.livejournal.com]

As a feminist, I believe that if a woman chooses a life of being a housewife (or sexual submission, whatever), that's her choice and it doesn't stop her from being a feminist. Feminism, to me, has always meant that only societal expectations of women's roles should be changed. I also believe that if a man wants to stay at home and be a house husband, he shouldn't be judged poorly for that (for taking a traditionally "woman's" role).

See, sex toys are only expensive if you look for expensive sex toys. Want a cheap vibrator (and I'm talking 2 dollar cheap)? Get one of those vibrating kid's toys and rip out the little do-hickey that makes it vibrate. Want a cheap dildo? Butternut squash is pretty phallic (and insanely thick for those who like thickness) - although I recommend using a condom. Of course, people who aren't into vegetables can opt for different sorts of bottles. And I think there's a kind of cheap thrill from being abused with found objects.

Me, I'm not into the PVC/Leather/Pleather scene of sub/Dom. I like the whole roleplaying thing - and that's fairly cheap (mmmm.... priest shirt). And there's always the option of making them yourself.

[alexmegami]

*nodnod* I know, which is why I specified certain subsets/certain people falling under the general moniker of 'feminist'. In anything you'll get the extremists, right?

I bow to your wisdom of makeshift sex toys!

Roleplaying is a lot of fun (hooray for schoolgirl outfits), but the part of me that (occasionally) likes to dress up all fancy-like wishes I could afford a pair of pleather pants. I don't think I could afford the material to make my own (or afford to lose the money on the material when I fucked up on making my own).

Maybe I could get Pat to go fifty-fifty with me on a pair. He does still owe me my Christmas pants, and nary a pair of carpenter pants is there to be found...