pantryslut | (no subject)

Post-Femme Con thought for the day:

"However, the success of early female punk performers' attempts to desexualize the clothes they wore in such a parodic fashion is debatable. Whereas punk women intended to present these garments in such a way as to discredit their effect as fetishistic, sexually titillating items, the overriding cultural view of women as sex objects may have worked at cross-purposes with their intent. Thus, Laing argues that "an attempt to parody 'sexiness' may simply miss its mark and be read by the omnivorous male gaze as the 'real thing'." Their attempt at resistance, when contained within the subculture's private code, could be, and was, often read by the mainstream press and by observers more in terms of its accomodation, rather than resistance, to feminine sexual stereotypes. While striving to counter stereotypes of women in rock, punk women were repeatedly described as sluts, perverts, whores, and junkies by those outside the subculture."

-- Lauraine Leblanc, Pretty in Punk

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The omnivorous male gaze has a way of sexualizing and objectifying a lump of shit on one's shoe, if it has no better distraction at the moment. Reclamation is so tricky. Even if words are taken back and redefined, they can still sting and cut coming from the wrong mouths. And even if the image of what woman supposedly should look like turns into empowered costuming with parody, intention, and fuck you interspersed, it can still be consumed by unwanted eyes in an unintended perspective, or defused as nothing more than unimaginative, opposite reaction to perceived structure/rules. Nothing can be done about eye of the beholder, but I still believe (ever the idealist) in the power of the wearer/presenter and their intent... the eye of the beholder cannot necessarily strip that away, though years of socialization may make one shaky/uncertain in the face of it.

I would like to think about (and discuss) ways of challenging the eye of the beholder; I don't believe nothing can be done, but I do think that this is a case where personal choices will never add up to a political solution.

I am also ambivalent about intent. (As a writer, I would be :) ) I tend to believe that meaning is created in dialogue between presenter and audience, and I think I chose this quote b/c I want to think about what it means when the audience has a weight of power and expectation that is so heavy it unbalances the equation. I kind of see this as the root of a lot of struggle with femme (and butch) identities and presentations.

Which is not to say that I think we shouldn't try to reclaim, redefine, subvert all of this. Just that it's tricky, and that when we feel tripped up, this may be part of why.

Hmmm... I suppose yes, that's what art (costuming, traditional, otherwise) intends to do (not always, but often)... challenge the eye of the beholder. I guess the most effective way I've seen it is when the eye of the beholder is caught off guard. When something is not as expected. When it appears one way, but upon closer examination, is something unexpected... a deviation from the prescribed norm... more complex than first assumed. Or when something is a magic eye picture within a picture, or optical illusion. Clothing that's painted on a naked body, as a simplistic example. Something that is not as it first appears. I think you're definitely on to something here. I'll look forward to hearing/reading more of your thoughts on it.

I tend to believe that meaning is created in dialogue between presenter and audience, and I think I chose this quote b/c I want to think about what it means when the audience has a weight of power and expectation that is so heavy it unbalances the equation.

I'm still stuck on the "obvious truth" of the message being whatever the receiver perceives, no matter what *my* intent is. And I have yet to find a way of dressing/presenting that doesn't land me in categories that I find unsavory to downright untenable...

But if I'm "talking to myself", too, as it were, then my intent counts for *something*.

Of course. (But you're a better communicator than I am; my conversations with myself run in little solipsistic circles rather than illustrating challenges to the *rest* of my audience.)

How do you weight your intent against the "power and expectation" of an audience? Actually, that's the wrong question - how do you move the fulcrum?

That's the core question. I've been trying out different answers for most of my life. Both in art and personal presentation.

Right on.

The omnivorous male gaze has a way of sexualizing and objectifying a lump of shit on one's shoe

Oh man, that is the truth. I don't know that it's just "the male gaze" however. I think it is the privileged gaze, the white gaze, the gaze of anyone who is not "other" on the "other". But yeah, reclamation is madly tricky and unfortunately I don't see a lot of reclamation going on that is truly subversive or reclamatory... I mostly see imitation, or the idea that by women objectifying eachother (for example) we are reclaiming our bodies and the gaze. This is one of many reasons why I no longer work in the sex industry.

Good point. It is over simplifying to say it's just the male gaze. It's the privileged gaze. (I'm also aware of the privilege inherent in even being able to have this sort of discussion online.) But imitation is so very human. All our lives we mimic, alter to make our own, relate to one another through perceived similarities and differences, but how far outside the spectrum do our imaginations, fears, hopes and desires allow us/inspire us to go? When I was younger, I put on the punk and goth trappings as a way to differentiate myself as not buying into the fashion/look this way machine... but I was still just part of another agreed upon subset with its own rules. I was just imitating a smaller sector of humanity. I wasn't truly departing and being individual. When you can buy your rebellion at Hot Topic in the local mall, you're not really departing all that far from anything, are you? So do we run around naked or make our own clothes? And do we ostracize ourselves in order to make a point in our appearance or are there other ways to challenge the power/oppression/objectification dynamic?

When you can buy your rebellion at Hot Topic in the local mall, you're not really departing all that far from anything, are you?

Ha.. I know, the commodification of punk rock culture is so sad but was so inevitable. What is the new punk rock, I wonder? I mean, what is the new rebellion? If I was 14 years old in 2006, what would I be doing to stand out from the crowd? Certainly not dying my hair funky colors, wearing ball-chain necklaces and studded belts. Oh wait, I am butch which means I "get" to be a rebel even in a golf outfit. Nice.

"Nothing can be done about eye of the beholder, but I still believe (ever the idealist) in the power of the wearer/presenter and their intent."

Thank you for writing this Justin.

well said.