…I have more power than a Playboy model in the real world, since my opinions are taken seriously. All of us would never have this if we posed for Playboy, because as much as the men who make the rules coo and flatter Playboy models, they actually think you’re dumb bimbos and they don’t give a shit what you have to say. – Amanda Marcotte on Playboy & the sex industry.
I normally wouldn’t want to stop anyone from expressing how great their self-esteem is (God knows, we women critique ourselves way too much already), but, and I hate to break this to you but it really needs to be said, many men and women do in fact take people like Renegade Evolution and Nina Hartley pretty seriously. Hell, when Linda Lovelace spoke about being forced into the industry by her abusive husband and being used by the likes of Andrea Dworkin, her statements on the subject of sex-work carried just a tad more weight than yours.
Of course, realizing that and working toward more recognition for women who have actually done sex-work would mean letting go of some of that privilege and authority that “good girls” enjoy, or think they enjoy, right?
I know that patting yourself on the back for not being a dumb dirty whore is practically a rite of passage in certain upper-to-middle class feminist circles, but a little perspective never hurt anyone. And anyway, it’s not as if there aren’t millions of men all over this world who think you’re a dumb dirty whore simply for being a woman. Or, for that matter, a feminist woman. Particularly a feminist woman who writes blog posts in which she actually cops to liking sex. So how come their opinions don’t matter, but the standard misogynist view of a Playboy Playmate must be legitimized for the sake of arguing against the sex industry? Because you’re a special and unique snowflake who never let her knickers down for money, and hence deserve to keep your dignity intact?
The comment section is, as always, a treasure trove, some good observations notwithstanding. I did like this exchange between McDuff and calm tongue, on the subject of what should be done about the sex industry in general:
Take it away, calm tongue:
I hate the idea of having to make people’s lives harder, but sometimes things have to get harder before they get better.
Oh. Wow. Even for a bastion of relative economic privilege that liberal blogs inevitably present, this is a hall of fame moment.
And here’s McDuff:
Ah, spoken like a true middle class liberal.
You do know, don’t you, that it’s not the middle class hookers or the wealthy porn stars who suffer most? It’s the already vulnerable people in the sex industry, the ones who you’re so concerned about, allegedly, who get hurt by bad laws written by people who are trying to legislate the industry out of existence because of their moralising, authoritarian, patronising need to try and save the poor, victimised fallen women.
But, OK, fine, you’re willing to make the noble sacrifice of making their lives worse before they get better. You blessed, brave soul. I’m glad you’re willing to accept the sacrifice of being called a lousy fucker by women whose lives you make harder while doing nothing whatsoever for them, under the guise of “making the world a better place”. Except, y’know, not for them, obviously. You made their world worse, but their working conditions and safety were a sacrifice you were willing to make. You bravely contributed to the problem in the hopes that some day, the millennia-old strategy of criminalising sex work and treating sex workers are victims or sluts would finally work. Go you, you inventive, noble soul! Keep that up, and some day all sex workers will be miserable, and then they’ll stop doing it, and feminism will win! Or something, I guess.
Thank you, McDuff. I’d kiss you silly, but I wouldn’t want any of my fellow feminists to think I’m a dumb dirty whore.
Natalia A. 
I love you.
That is all.
Ms. Marcotte actually thinks anybody takes her seriously? Damn right I listen to Ren Ev over Marcotte any day.
(oh, and wheat blond looks good on you. that is a lovely photo.)
Awaiting your comments on this (off-topic, sorry). And your hair looks dandy, but then again it also looked fine the other ways I’ve seen it in various photos on this site and elsewhere.
I likes your hair, Nat — and, not for the first time, wish that Marcotte wasn’t so clumsy with her reasoning.
My beautiful cousin recently told me that I am too blond and should take it down a notch, hence all the self-doubt.
Thanks for the link, Lyndon. You saw my interview with Anna Gutsol, right? I think these ladies are pretty badass.
I cant say I’ve spent a lot of time on her blog, but those few experiences left me with the impression that Ms. Marcotte’s writing is poor and her reasoning is shoddy at best. Ren Ev, on the other hand, comes across as very sharp, in part because she actually knows what she’s talking about. Seems to me that if you speak out on something intelligently and passionately people will take you seriously. BTW, the hair looks fine.
Nat: First off, LOVE the hair. It looks perfect on you.
AND THAT’S RIGHT, FUCKERS! I R SERIOUS (as serious as a chick who runs around in blast goggles and jump boots can be anyway!)
I nominate McDuff for Awesome of the month.
Oh, and Amanda? Pfft. She is always just so special!
Say, that reminds me of that one time when Playboy complimented Amanda or something and she got all like flattered and all these radfems came down on her for being a faux feminist lightweight sellout? I’d almost forgotten.
“I only read it for the flattery”–A Marcotte
I like the blond, p.s.
The hair? Love it. I don’t know that hair could look bad on you.
Ren Ev is a god. I don’t know that I get the chance to tell her that, but yeah. Made of awesome.
I have gotten a little more than fed up w/ Big Bloggers and their take on sex work and sex workers w/o actually bothering to talk to any sex workers (and other things, like their treatment of disabled feminists, and ya know, stealing their work and telling them to sit down and shut up, wev, I digress). Great on them, always having the privilege to say “I was better than that” or some garbage. I guess that totes gives them the right to judge what they don’t fucking know.
Thanks, Natalia. You rock.
I’m rather curious to know if Amanda thinks the world takes her seriously?
I haven’t heard anybody invoke Nina’s name in way too many years. She was the first daydream I used to try to get my head around the girl-girl thing when I was still in highschool. I decided that girl-girl was not my thing, but Nina Hartley is still fucking iconic. Does this Amanda twat even know that Nina was a nurse and midwfe before she went into porn, and that she went on to produce and direct movies in the 90’s?
Probably not. Little miss fine-to-bleach-like-a-porn-star-bad-to-look-at-a-pussy probably couldn’t pass a biology exam if she cheated. She should shut her cakehole. I’d put Nina on my list of heroes before that fool any day.
Nat, the hair is really cute, natural looking, not too overdone. It suits you.
I said it on ren’s site, and the comment you cite is the perfect example… this attitude of you have hurt a few women to make it better for everyone IS THE SAME THING THAT GOT STUPAK PASSED. This is the very same thing that the smartly feminists are flipping out about. The librul dudes are saying “hush now ladies, give up your abortion rights for the greater good” just the same way the anti-sex feminists are telling whores “hush now ladies, give up your rights for the greater good”
Fucking none so blind as they who will NOT SEE.
And it’s the same goddamned neocons behind it all – same ones. Don’t they research what other policy the stupak crowd sponsors? Is it my whoring -enabled free time that makes me able to research it? Jesus it only takes a few fucking clicks on the webbytubes. It’s an attack on women’s freedom and it’s been going on forever, everytime we get a little free…. and thanks to Dworkins twisted rape and incest obsession, the loudest feminists are falling for it and endorsing their own oppression.
Gah!
sorry I don’t usually yell.
Yes.
ah, that is so much more eloquent and clear and smart a way of saying what I just tried to sort of get and mostly just wound up flailing about. yes, thank you for this post.
also, last I checked, we were still living under capitalism here in the US, yeah? and therefore money is also a certain amount of power, which Amanda bizarrely just… ignores? like what is this real world she is talking about? is she talking about the blog world where we just talk about ideas? or the real world where money is used to buy things that you need and want, and where more money = more (of a certain kind of) power? like if it’s Amanda and one of the rare women who made oodles of money in the sex industry… you know, one of those people can buy a yacht, and one of those people (I assume) can’t.
or, to quote Liz Phair, “it’s nice to be liked, but it’s better by far to get paid.”
but, also last I checked, nothing ever kept Amanda from being smug, so there’s also that.
and I love the hair, very pretty! 🙂
Yeah, Amanda’s a good one.
Never mind that the same thing about declining assets could be said about professional athletes or Hollywood entertainers…it’s only the porn starlets and adult centerfolds who so upset her delicate fee-fees enough to unleash her superiority complex.
Oh..and I would love to introduce Amanda to someone like, oh, I don’t know, Nina, or Lisa Ann (who not only is still active as a performer in her 40’s but owns her own freakin’ talent agincy…and, BTW, isn’t hurting for mainstream pub due to her spoofing St. Sarah of Wasilla), or Vicky Vette (who now has a successful adult website after getting into porn at the young age of 42, and was a successful corporate manager and house builder prior to getting into the porn biz). But, I guess that real live nude women who actually like sex and men would spoil her biases too much.
Oh…and I’m with the consensus…love the hair. And bare arms RULE!!!
Anthony