In the news this week we've seen the odd contradiction of the worldwide phenomena Slutwalks mixed in with the opening of a new Playboy club in London. The role of gender in our society has never been more blurred and confused and yet so omnipresent.
Where is feminism today?
Arising out of a deep concern that rape victims are often blamed rather than their attackers, Slutwalkers have claimed the right to wear what they like.
Wear a bunny costume, perhaps?
But Playboy has come under attack for the obvious claim that the whole notion of the Playboy brand objectifies women. Not only that, it commodifies women. Women are paid for men to appreciate them for their looks, at least according to the well known feminist Michael Winner. They sell their dignity to drooling men.
The plain matter is: women can wear what they want. A man that rapes a women because she looks 'inviting' has still raped that woman. A woman can decide to dress to impress, but that does not remove her right to say 'yes' or 'no'.
Playboy represents a nostalgic sexism that does not have 'charm' and is not a 'bit of fun' but is indicative of the wider sexism and discrimination that remains in our society, framed in a way that seeks to legitimise its unjustified existence. These examples are not 'bad apples'. These examples exist everywhere. Gendered expectations, stereotypes, roles, images are everywhere and must be countered. Take the Church of England for instance, where women are years away from becoming Bishops.
The media framing these issues as a 'debate' does not help one bit. These are plain and simple issues that need to be dealt with accordingly. Treat women on an equal footing to men: simples.
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