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cccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccNatalie Collins (section 05)
Women in Perspective Prof. Rio
Term Paper: Female Chauvinist Pigs
 ˜n Ariel Levy¶s ³Female Chauvinist Pigs´, she explores various viewpoints

dealing with the difference between ³female liberation´ vs. ³female exploitation´. As

women questionably declare their freedom, there seems to be no limit to how far they

will go to prove how uninhibited they are. Levy allows actions to speak louder than

words as she exploits the irony in the actions women take to project their liberation, as

they begin to divert back into accepting the inequalities that feminists have worked so

hard to fight. ˜n our society, Female Chauvinist Pigs exist everywhere; including

Towson University. From ³Girls Gone Wild´ at Bourban St. to the frat parties every

weekend, it seems the focus of females is striving for male attention in any way possible.c

One major problem of Female Chauvinist Pigs is the belief that in order to gain

power, they need to identify closely with men. Since the most dominant and powerful

traits are linked to males, women take on a more masculine identity to possess these traits

rather than projecting their own. As Levy states, ³Women who want to be perceived as

powerful have found it more efficient to identify with men then to try to elevate the entire

female sex to their level.´ (Levy 2005, 95) Even television shows such as ³Sex and The

City´, which are seen as liberating for females, often put the power in the hands of the

male. Levy points out, ³Like Female Chauvinist Pigs, Sex and The City divided human

behavior into like a man¶s or like a woman¶s.´ Her examples included Samantha¶s

confidence being compared to a ³man¶s ego´, and Charlotte seeing two guys in one night

as ³turning into a man´. (Levy 2005, 174) ˜nstead of being united in fighting for

woman¶s rights, females are doing everything they can to distinguish themselves from the

average stereotyped woman. Most female chauvinist pigs want to be more like men, and

in turn project a negative attitude towards the women who are most feminine. Bell
Hooks alludes this to our internalized sexism. She points out ³A large body of women

simply abandoned the notion of sisterhood. ˜ndividual women, who had once critiqued

and challenged patriarchy, realigned themselves with sexist men.´ (Hooks 2000, 16) By

women themselves adopting the attitude that males are dominant figures; more powerful

than females, they reinforce the barriers they claim to be fighting. c

˜n many cases women feel that they can obtain control over men by using their

bodies, and engaging in sex. As teens, girls are taught that they can use their sexuality as

a tool. Kerry Cohen the author of ³Loose Girl´ captivated so much feedback with her

memoir because the storyline hits so close to home for many women. ˜n chapter one of

Loose Girl, Cohen expresses her need to be wanted as she admits, ³˜ know girls shouldn¶t

be so demanding. ˜t is one of the many rules ˜ am slowly learning, rules for what boys

like and don¶t like. ˜ store them in my mind, knowing ˜ need to keep them close if ˜ ever

want a boy to like me back.´ (Cohen 2008, 13) Many critiques have labeled Cohen as a

³sex addict´, as her memoir focuses mainly on her many sexual experiences which left

her feeling empty and unfulfilled. ˜n her journey to find love, she used sex to capture

male attention; to make herself feel she that was loveable. When asked about her

reaction to being labeled a sex addict in a 2008 Huffington Post Article, Cohen replied

³We have all these prescribed ideas about female sexual behavior, and if a girl has tons of

sex that made her feel bad, well she must be a sex addict. ˜ used sex in my addiction. No

doubt about that. But my addiction was more to male attention - to that moment when he

gave me attention and ˜ felt chosen - than to the sex itself.´ (Cohen, 2008) Cohen¶s story

is so relatable, not solely based on her actions, but on the underlying feelings that caused

her behavior. Most women can identify with the personal satisfaction Cohen felt as she
received male attention, the desperation of using her body to gain control and the feelings

of self-doubt as they don¶t feel worthwhile. While some woman point out the injustice of

the portrayal that women are only good for sex; others embrace it. ³For some women,

her ability to µplease a man¶ may be a positive aspect of their identity« a woman can be

recruited into anticipating and meeting a mans sexual needs as part of her ongoing

construction of a particular kind of identity as a woman.´ (Gavey, McPhillips & Doherty

2009, 171)c

˜t is evident that women use their sexual appeal to captivate the attention of

men. We live in a culture that applauds male sexuality and holds a rigid double standard

toward female sexuality. ˜n a way to free themselves and be desirable to males women

are increasingly becoming sexually inhibited. ˜t is constantly drilled into our minds- that

power is gained in sex, and male attention can only be captured sexually. ˜n an episode

of Sex and the City, Samantha proclaims, ³The one place you can control a man is in

bed. ˜f we could perpetually do blowjobs to every guy on earth, we would rule the

world.´ Sexual liberation is a great movement in itself, but it becomes confused when

the goal is to please the male, and not expect satisfaction in return. At Towson

University, a school in which female students greatly outnumber male students, it can

seem almost impossible to stand out or be noticed which can cause great insecurity.

Females are critically judged by their physicality¶s, and the stress to measure up or stand

out in the crowd can seem impossible. Since many young women feel unworthy, or

insecure without male attention, they use sex as a way to get this attention. Female

students may feel pressure to put it all on the line sexually because many males exhibit

the attitude that they can easily find someone else. This way of defining self worth by the
male opinion only reflects the major problem; males are given all the power.c

One of the most influential and powerful enforcers of the values women develop

on their sexuality and appearance, is the marketing of sexuality. Sexuality has been

condensed into a commodity although ³sexuality is one of the few recognized ways in

this society for people to make intimate connections.´ (Kirk and Okazawa-Ray 2009, 73)

Porn and the sex industry make billions of dollars off selling sex. Seeing porn as an

expression of sexuality only reduces sex to fixed components. Levy explains ³˜f we were

to acknowledge that sexuality is personal and unique, it would become unwieldy.´ (Levy

2005, 184) However as sex has been turned into a consumer good mostly directed

towards males, women have lost touch within their own sexuality. As Levy interviews

three separate women who exercise the freedom of ³shopping for sex´, she discovers how

out of touch they are with what real pleasure is. They were more interested in gaining

some sort of control over the male or expanding their list of conquests, then getting any

pleasure themselves. (Levy 2005)c

At the ³Female Orgasm´ seminar given on Towson¶s campus, attendance was

overwhelming. A large number of disappointed students were forced to leave due to

overcrowding. At this very sought after seminar, a married couple talked openly and

explicitly about sex and sexuality. However before they began to talk about more

individualistic pleasure the males and females were separated. While the purpose of this

was so the males and females could discuss things apart from the opposite sex, basically

how to sexually satisfy themselves. Most girls seemed embarrassed or giggled during the

discussion, and several girls could be heard mumbling about how they didn¶t need

masturbation because they just used boys. However when asking questions, most of
them focused on pleasing a partner rather than feeling the pleasure themselves. This is

just an example of how at large, many young women are not in touch or completely

comfortable with their own sexuality, they measure it more in how they can control the

way the male feels.c

The acceptance of raunch culture has been a huge part in the attitudes of female

chauvinist pigs. This over sexualized domination of porn culture going mainstream- has

diminished the line of taking it too far. Women accept this as normal, because it is

everywhere. ³Girls Gone Wild´ has become so popular because its focus is on everyday

females; not just models or porn stars. This over sexuality has become acceptable and

even encouraged among all females. Women cannot be sexy, unless they are sexual. As

Levy points out ³For women, and only for women, hotness requires projecting a certain

eagerness, offering a promise that any attention you receive for your physicality is

welcome.´ (Levy 2005, 32) To be considered sexy, one has to want that approval, to

strive for the attention, and have no shame. c

Raunch culture has been extremely prominent in social aspects for students at

Towson University as the events they attend encourage certain behaviors. ³Girls Gone

Wild´ at Bourban Street, a popular club setting had an overwhelming number of male

students attending to see exactly what is expected. Teen girls and older women swarmed

the cameras for attention by exposing their underwear, showing their breasts, kissing

other women- all for no other reason than to prove themselves to be ³wild´. Other nights

at Bourban Street have made ³college nights´ at the club into themed events such as

³Naughty School Girl Night´. These names are strictly directed at females and suggest

that they come ready to bare it all. Even students have taken this idea into their own
hands as they hold off campus parties with themes such as ³CEO¶s and Corporate

Hoe¶s´. Not only do large numbers of female students go to these parties willingly, but

they become competitive with each other as they look for ways to make themselve¶s

stand out. c

˜n ³Female Chauvinist Pigs´, Ariel Levy shows how far females have come, and

in turn how much they are letting go. Women are exploited and objectified everyday,

however women are not always the victims. A large part of this growing epidemic is not

only the acceptance of these limitations on a females worth; but the enforcement of these

practices by females themselves. There are countless overlapping, and connecting factors

that contribute to female chauvinist pigs, but major steps have to be taken to change these

values that have been ground so deeply into our lives. While sexual freedom can be

liberating, it is often not exercised in a positive way. ˜nstead of trying to find ways to

measure up to males- women need to stand alone and fight for their rights that are their

own.
Appendix:

This picture was taken at ³Girls Gone Wild´ at Bourban Street. The way the girls swarm
the camera man show their desperation to be for male attention. Various other pictures
from this night show ³wild behavior´ as girls bend backwards against eachother, kiss
other women, and flash their bodies. Pictures of girls acting more tame received taglines
of ³this partier does not look wild enough´.
http://baltimore.metromix.com/events/photogallery/girls-gone-wild

This is one of the many examples of how women are exploited sexually through the
media and advertising. This ad, which is selling a sandwich, is clearly alluding to female
oral sex. Sexual undertones and the comodification of sex are present in many
advertisements, only enforcing ³porn going mainstream´ more prominent in our everyday
lives.
Blog.beliefnet.com
This picture was taken at ³Kamp´, a club in Canton where sushi was served off women¶s
bodies. Not only is this a very public display of objectifying women, but it¶s a major sign
that raunch culture is completely acceptable. As the women lay still, wearing nothing but
underwear and heals, they are nothing but something to eat off of. Once again sexuality
is commoditized.
http://www.citypaper.com/printStory.asp?id=13386

ã
 

Gwyn Kirk and Okazawa-Rey. 2009. Women¶s Lives Multicultural Perspectives
Nicola Gavey, Kathryn McPhillips and Marian Doherty. 2001. ³˜f ˜t¶s Not On, ˜ts Not
On´-Or ˜s ˜t? ˜n Women¶s Lives, Multicultural Perspective, 2009, ed Gywn Kirk and
Okazawa Rey 167-177)
Kerry Cohen. 2008. Loose Girl
Bell Hooks. 2000. Feminism is for Everybody
Ariel Levy. 2005. Female Chauvinist Pigs
Rachel Kramer Bussell. 2008. Kerry Cohen on Her Publishing and Promiscuous Past