A Trip to my Neighbors

A seemingly nice neighbor let J and I borrow tables for a garage sale we had a few weeks ago. Upon returning them to his garage, I noticed the back walls plastered with women of perfection. Luckily, they were scantily clad women and not of the buck naked variety. Lucky?

This moment caused me to go into an hour-long reflection and rant with my husband. Notice, I did say with and not at, for J is in agreement about the objectification of women. Our moment together at the neighbor's made him recall one of his earliest moments exposed to pornographic images. He was 10 and was left in an mechanic's office while his mom's car was being worked on. Not a private office mind you, but rather one where customers met to discuss initial problems regarding their vehicles. J disclosed how the first monthly image (it was a calendar proudly hanging from a wall in plain view) was a woman standing with her rear hanging out of a "mini" skirt; however, each month deterioriated until the women were splayed out, with every inch of their body visible.

J was 10, but that was not even his earliest exposure, however. He had witnessed not-so-scrambled Playboy channel at 8, unscrambled at 10. The worst exposure of the lot, however, happened upon a trip he took to his neighbor's at age 12, where every magazine known to the top three pornography companies sat collecting dust in boxes, ready for eager pre-pubescent hands. And, the 14 year old neighbor was only to glad to share hard core films to boot. Then the internet hit, where any boy of any age can find any thing he wants at any minute he wishes it, and sometimes even when he does not wish it.

What kind of people are we? We act as if we are better than other countries. We sit, self righteous, and bemoan how other country's treat their women. Be it shrouded in a veil or removed from all clothes, we should not kid ourselves. Our society does not respect women, we degrade them. Sure, women do not have to follow 10 feet behind while walking down the street, but they better be sure they look hot and desirable on their trek.

Interestingly, as Ariel Levy points out in her Female Chauvinist Pigs, there is a growing number of women who eagerly wear this degradation, for it is the only access to power women have here in America. The more sexualized and wanton we are, the only attention--negative or not--we "earn." Women are sexual commodities, but before we are "bought," our sexuality has buying power.

Anyway, Ariel Levy's astute commentary on the new trend of women who actively objectify themselves is a post for another time. Here, I want to finish on how absurd it is to display women for their sexual parts.

Imagine walking in to get your car worked on and seeing a calendar of demure naked men, begging to be oogled. Wouldn't this be absurd?

And before you say, "hey I have seen those beefcake calendars," let me argue that that hardly counts. It is inane to objectify men, but look closely at those images. Those "firefighter" or beefcake calendars reiterate positive male characteristics, making men look manly, muscular, tough. Not about making them look like sex kittens who can't wait to be ravaged.

Imagine driving down the road looking for a place to eat and you see a new restaurant opening: COCKS. COCKS and their half naked men selling hot dogs outsells the leading Hooters and their wings by leaps and bounds. Absurd?

Imagine coming over to my house to bring me back the sugar you borrowed and you walk through a garage with penises plastered to the walls. Absurd?

Yes, it is absurd. But don't worry. Upon a trip to my house, you will not see gargantuan cocks displayed on my garage walls. I have too much respect for humanity for that. Sometimes I wish I did not. Perhaps if we all woke up and saw men displayed as we now display women, people would wake up to how absurd it all really is.