You probably already know that this story bothers me. It bothers me for a couple of reasons. But first, let’s get some things out of the way.
I don’t believe that people who take their clothes off are being marginalised or objectified. In some cases, perhaps, but for the most part, I love nekkidity. If someone, male or female, chooses to remove their shirt or trousers and be happy to be in the altogether, I think that’s really keen. If you want to dance around in a g-string and platform shoes, more power to you. As long as it’s something you want to and like to do, and you are not being taken advantage of, I think it’s wonderful!
I know this attitude runs in opposition to the attitudes of some of the women I know, of many of the feminists out there. But hang it all, I think nakidity is beautiful, and people who are comfortable enough in their own bodies to show them off willingly make me happy. If they choose to do so for money, that’s cool. What’s wrong with being the object of someone’s desire? Maybe it makes you uncomfortable to think of yourself in that role, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But anyway. The point I’m trying to make is that I have very little problem most of the time with nakedness.
I *do* have a problem with people not giving informed consent.
It is impossible to give informed consent when you are in an altered state of consciousness. Whether that means selling your waterfront beach house, signing a power of attorney form, allowing someone to film your stupid drunken antics, or sexual congress with someone you’ve just met…if you’re drunk or stoned or suffering a brain injury, you’re not really in a right mind to give informed consent.
So part of what bothers me with the Girls Gone Wild videos is that the ‘filmographers’ seem pretty predatory; they know what they’re looking for, they know how to get it, and they know it’s far easier to convince someone to do something when their inhibitions are chemically lowered. So that bothers me; they’re preying on drunks to make a few bucks. I mean, that bothers me not so much because they’re making money and not paying their models (which is pretty bad, actually), but moreso because they’re using the models’ poor judgement for gain.
So. I love nekkit folks, and I dislike the entire Girls Gone Wild procedures and products.
But what really makes me glare and grumble is the idea in this particular story that someone implicitly gave consent to sexual assault simply because she decided to go to a party. Talk about blaming the victim. It’s like a rape case where the defense blames the victim for dressing like a slut. So this story just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
I’m not sure how any judge or jury could fail to see that this is a case of sexual assault. The videotaping of the event should be *evidence*. The fact that they decided that she was implicitly giving consent for anyone to do pretty much anything to her that they wanted to is harmful and insulting. I’m ashamed of her lawyer, and of the judge and jury in this case. And I feel bad for this woman, who said “no”.
i make squee noises when you tell me stuff.