Just 100 years ago ‘sexual empowerment’ for women barely existed. Of course there were brave ladies who knew what they wanted but there was never the lap dancing, boob job, page 3 girl culture that exists today.
The fact is women are becoming more and more sexually empowered and while lap dancing still may be considered ‘seedy’ to some, many women argue that they are the ones in power as it is the men that pay ridiculous amounts simply to see them strip.
Personally, while I would never consider becoming a lap dancer for sexual empowerment I don’t fall in the category that believe that all lap dancers make women lose the respect they’ve worked so hard for. Yes it’s using your body for money but if men are able to ‘buy’ why can’t women ‘sell’?
However lap dancing is not the only form of sexual empowerment that exists today. It may also be fair to say some women use sex to have control over men. Take the typical ‘Samantha Jones’ type. She’s smart and sassy but she has sex and she has lots of it-and with lots of different men. Are these ‘types’ sluts? Or are they simply using men in the same way as men would use them? Or are they simply fooling themselves into thinking they can separate sex and emotions in the same way as men can?
In my opinion the word ‘slut’ is a joke and an offence to all women. If you type it into Wikipedia you are given the definition “a sexually promiscuous woman” Can’t a man be a slut? Obviously not! While I do condemn this word, I also believe women are very different from men when it comes to ‘nature.’ Some women may believe sex gives them power and believe they are in control however it is arguable whether this is true or whether it just gives further power to men. The question women need to ask themselves is ‘are we beating men? Or simply joining them on the gutter of self worth?’
When I see women around me dressing in skimpy clothes (I do it myself) I’ve come to realise that it’s for male approval and to convince ourselves that we are needed by them. However, is it us that ‘need’ them and their approval? Is sexual power over men the be all and end all or should we all just quit the game playing and be honest with what we want?
And that’s what it comes down to. What we want. We should put our needs above what we think men want. Okay, sex may give you power, but not having sex gives you power too. Whether you’re a lap dancer, a topless model, a geek or just an average girl like me, I think we all seek approval from men even if we don’t want to admit it. Maybe we should give ourselves and each other more credit and do what makes us feel happy. And quit with the name calling girls…because if we call each other ‘sluts’ it gives men permission to call us ‘sluts’ too.