genderberg.com

My, it has been a busy day in the news.

I couldn't copy and paste this article - aol seems to be protecting their stuff now.

The gist is - PHilton is saying she is going to try to re-discover herself and not have a b/f for a year! Shocker!

She is saying that women should not give it to a guy on a plate (sex), and is going to use the time to find herself - well, she has a helluva lot of digging to do for that one.

How much you wanna bet that factored into this "reflectional self-discovery time", at the end of this time, she will emerge as Mariah Carey did at the end of her breakdown, with brand new boobies!

Either she has been reading g-berg, and somehow some of the messages have got thru to that vacuous mind of hers, or she is just using a completely opposing strategy to the "accidental" porn video which found it's way all over the place a few years ago, as a new self-promotional attention-seeking ploy.

Oh, but I'm not cynical.

I do think the porn tape was accidental ... I think men like her ex bf act as pimps. Sadly I watched this pathetic 'e-biography' thing last night about Jessica Simpson, and her ex-baptist minister father is the one who was her pimp. No joke. She repeatedly wanted to be a wholesome image for young girls, but when her father/manager saw britney and christina, he persuaded her to be more sexy so that she could sell more albums. How does a baptist youth minister persuade his daughter to strip like that? Imagine all the young children he must have fantasized about. Jessica's response to her dad's decision was "It was the best thing to have happened to my career, it was going no where and no one would take my voice seriously".

These are the things we never hear about, regardless of how famous some women get by 'selling their bodies' - there is always some fucking asshole husband, lover, father, uncle who's gotten them there in the first place.

My quote of the day "Behind every sex symbol woman is a very persuasive pimp".

I think you are probably right, sunny.

I have to say I think it's great that Paris Hilton is swearing off sex. People are always complaining about what an influence she has on young girls so maybe they will follow her in this one.

I don't really agree with swearing off sex... Rivers Cuomo from Weezer did it for two years -- and what did he do when he came out of it? He made their first video from their new album at the playboy mansion - full of playboy bunnies.

I think Army may be right about this one, if you are a media celeb who has skyrocketed to fame based on a sexy image, you'll return to it in some way or form if you don't get that attention.

Alanis started out as a popstar too, however when grunge was in - she came out with this great 'angry image'... but now if you see any photos of her, it's back to being conventionally attractive. She did do that naked music video too.

Unless their is some crappy religious turnover, I doubt there can be any serious changes.

I also don't think that women abstaining from sex is what I really would like to see, it's not having sex that's the issue, it's about seeming like a sex object that's the issue... I mean what the hell do carwashes in the buff have to do with selling burgers anyways?

Seen it done enough times to smell a fake - she's been playing the sex card and now needs a new marketing strategy - she'll be back on the rebound. Watch this space. Yawn.

Still, I suppose the message, whether you believe it or not, of swearing off sex and not giving it up on a plate to guys, is better than nothing.

What I heard about the release of x-rated videos, is that everyone/anyone involved in the video has to sign a legal document that says it's ok to release the material on the internet or wherever - the program I saw stated that PH was in full knowledge of the release, and signed as such. Accidental? Nah, again, marketing strategy - poor little paris didn't know, her evil ex did it, so, got more attention as such. Yawn again.

Don't know what the prob is with criticising PHilton.

I'm not fond of her... I guess I was just under the impression that the video was leaked, and then LATER she signed the contract and even raised money for charity because half the male population had already seen the video (either on the internet or on bootleg). Considering she was 19 and he was 30 something, that's pretty messed up as it is.

The 'official' release of 'one night in paris' was supposedly after it was already out there.

But I agree, it's definitely a publicity stunt. I however, don't think she's handing out on a plate if she's having sex... I have more problems with her parading around on TV and movies half-naked than I do with her having sex....

"Don't know what the prob is with criticising PHilton."

Because she is the victim in this. There is a Paris Hilton or Nicole Ritchie or Jenna Jameson hole already created, these women just fill the gap, it could be anybody. Women don't have the power in this society men do, so it's her fuckwit boyfriend who released the sex video and the fuckwit men who downloaded it who deserve our anger. Fucking hell, she had her most private moments seen by every perv who wanted to wank over her, no wonder she's not feeling much like sex now.

Also the male supremacists and misogynists want us to hate her - that's what she's there for - for men to sexually degrade and for women to despise. I refuse to join in.

i have a sneaking suspicion that paris hilton is not dumb at all, and one day she'll be on our side

I too am waiting for the day when some of these poster women/girls for the mainstreamization of sexeeness will grow out of it and let loose about how much they despise all of this. I think this whole glam thing should pop soon enough. Afterall don't they say that when things get too vacuous there is always a cycle that follows when things become more 'down to earth'... thank goddess I went to highschool when grunge was the in-thing and not what the hell is in now.

I don't know though, I always thought Pam Andersen would take a turn oneday (especially as she ages and her career isn't what it used to be), but she hasn't yet... Despite her charges against domestic violence and contracting Hep C from A-hole Tommy Lee.

Maybe... one day...

no all the paris hilton's of the world are not dumb, but I don't love them either, and I'm not going to say I love them, as that's playing into the hands of the misogynists too.

No win.

Perhaps I should have worded the sentence "I don't know what the prob is with criticising what PHilton represents - the misogynistic system she has to force herself to join into" - just thought it would have been understood as I originally stated.

According to a journalism class I took, there are five interconnected theories of the effects of media on media consumers. This convo reminded me one called "agenda setting," where the media mentions a topic a lot simply to put its presence in people's minds, so that, regardless of individuals' opinions, they will be at least be thinking about it one way or the other - and thus the issue becomes "important." Obviously, for celebrities, this functions as a marketing agenda. My own personal way of overcoming this is simply not to consume media involving celebrities and not to pay attention or care when they are mentioned.

People always laugh at me for not having heard of various TV shows/famous people, etc., but...I just don't see why the media should be given the discretion to choose what my social 'common knowledge' should be. To be honest, I don't really care what Paris Hilton does. She is only important to my life insofar as she influences those with whom I come in contact. And hopefully that will be minimal.


(Disclaimer: this post was not intended to sound obnoxious - I'm sorry in advance if it does)

It doesn't sound at all obnoxious to me ArrantFeminist. In fact

People always laugh at me for not having heard of various TV shows/famous people, etc., but...I just don't see why the media should be given the discretion to choose what my social 'common knowledge' should be. To be honest, I don't really care what Paris Hilton does. She is only important to my life insofar as she influences those with whom I come in contact. And hopefully that will be minimal.

I could've said this!

While I despise everything the latest air-head bimbo is supposed to stand for, I don't despise the woman herself. I see it as a bit like hating prostitution but not hating prostitutes - if that makes sense?

Delphyne, Paris Hilton is one of those women who I have a hard time seeing in the role of victim. She has more money than God. Money IS power. Old money is the most powerful money there is. It's the kind of money that puts ex-boyfriends in jail or six feet under. It's also the kind of money that can spin a home made porn film into a marketing vehicle for a directionless young woman, making her an overnight celebrity and hawt chick idol. If desired, it's the kind of money that allows a person to disappear from the media radar screen.

She's not powerless nor opressed. A victim? Of a lousy ex-bf, yes, but who has never been a victim, male or female. She just happens to wear her victimhood so well.

Delphyne, Paris Hilton is one of those women who I have a hard time seeing in the role of victim. She has more money than God. Money IS power. Old money is the most powerful money there is. It's the kind of money that puts ex-boyfriends in jail or six feet under. It's also the kind of money that can spin a home made porn film into a marketing vehicle for a directionless young woman, making her an overnight celebrity and hawt chick idol. If desired, it's the kind of money that allows a person to disappear from the media radar screen.

She's neither powerless nor oppressed. A victim? Of a lousy ex-bf, yes, but who has never been a victim, male or female. She just happens to wear her victimhood so well.

(edited for spelling)

She's still on her back with people watching her having sex and having a good laugh at her humilation.

If she was selling porn tapes of other celebrities then I'd have no sympathy for her but it's herself who is being used (whether she is aware of it or not and it sounds like she may be becoming aware).

delphyne wrote:She's still on her back with people watching her having sex and having a good laugh at her humilation.

If she was selling porn tapes of other celebrities then I'd have no sympathy for her but it's herself who is being used (whether she is aware of it or not and it sounds like she may be becoming aware).

Good point, Delphyne, and one that I hadn't thought of before. Thinking of it this way, perhaps she was marketed as a new celebrity, actress, hawt chick idol type, to ease her humiliation and keep her in the spotlight until the sex film became history and seemed like a small speck next to the rest of her media exposure (pun intended). If so, it was a smart move on their part as it surely helped restore Paris' integrity, or at least help ease the pain of the humiliation. However, the message sent to the young girls who idolize and emulate her is that being in a sex film that's distributed on the 'Net isn't such a bad thing and won't hurt one's image to the public. That marketing was possibly good for Paris, bad for girls and women in general, and another win for the patriarchy.

Now I believe that, ideally, coming from old money should have meant receiving lessons about how others will try to exploit her and how, as an heiress, that exploitation could catapult her into the media spotlight. One of those lessons should have been to not let boyfriends photograph or film her having sex with them because men have been known to share those films and hers would definitely be shared. Most likely, however, they were too busy grooming her to marry into old money, which is important in moneyed patriarchal tradition.

Oh, crap, I'm starting to think this shit through. There goes my blissful ignorance.

all of the don't blame PH movement is based on her affirmation that she did not know that the tape was made and distributed.
HOWEVER

I am not buying this. Sorry, but the sex tape this is not an incident, and I am not in that much of a hurry to forgive the poor little extremely right girl who made a name for herself by way of sexual promiscuity. The tape thing was not an isolated incident in the context of her general behaviour ( how different is the sex tape from flashing one's bits at the camera??) and as such... me does not buy it.

Remember that Paris also has a sister, the profesionally accomplished non promiscuous Nicky. If we are so fast on blaming the patriarchy for Paris' actions, then how come Nicky did not fall in the same trap and what does that tell us?? Definitely these girls do have an array of choices that the non rich girls do not, and as such, personal responsibility does come into ecuation. Paris Hilton would have not lost anything from her status and wealth if she did not flaunt herself as a walking sex toy. As such, wher exactly IS the pressure on her again?

"As such, wher exactly IS the pressure on her again?"

Sexism and male oppression. All women in this world suffer from it whatever their other privileges.

delphyne wrote:"As such, wher exactly IS the pressure on her again?"

Sexism and male oppression. All women in this world suffer from it whatever their other privileges.

yet not all of us end up like that, and the pressure on her is a lot less than the pressure on tthe non righ non white non blonde non barbie lookalikes.

You know I was mulling over this - as the other thread is about 'working class women' and the pressure to be on page 3. You are right, richer women, don't face overt economic pressure - BUT when you are competing to become famous and you are fairly talentless, the only way you can do it now is by taking your clothes off.

In a pop culture that is saturated with scantily clad young women who start their careers at 16, all the while men of Maxim, celebrity mags, FHM etc... sit around rating their hotness and waiting for these girls to drop their clothes when they are 'legal' - how is a 20 something going to make it?

Let's see there's beyonce, scarlett johanson (who took off her shirt in the island by "choice"), there is Britney (who started off as a pedophile's dream in her first video), there's the lovely pussy cat dolls, J-lo, Madonna, Christina, Jessica (who started off "wholesome" and then went to Duke's of Hazard).... need I go on?

And if you are 40 - you have to look like Kim Catrell, Sheryl Crow, Sarah Jessica, Terry Hatcher, Halle Berry & Eva Longoria (almost 40)....

So tell me again? How does a girl with money who wants to act & sing get famous again? If there isn't pressure - then what do you call that?

One thing that Paris is fortunate for is that, unlike working class women, she might not have to worry as much about her money ever running out - but fame and career??? How exactly would you get into that industry without looking like a stripper?

The more everybody hates her, the more I feel sorry for her...