Before you read any further, please note that it is not my intention to pass judgement on anyone. I am merely musing aloud and considering the different sides of a coin. Kthx.
Recently, a blogger received flak from the blogging community for posting a picture of a sexily-dressed woman and calling her a prostitute. The blogger has since removed the post.
For background, you can read the following posts:
A prostitute takes the bus (cached page)
Cowboy Caleb Killed A Sex Blog Yesterday
Sex blogging can ruin your offline reputation
Okay, my thoughts on this.
First side of the coin:
I applaud people for stepping out and defending the integrity of sexily-dressed women. The general consensus is that you can’t assume a woman is a prostitute just because she’s scantily clad. I couldn’t agree more.
Women should be able to dress however they like without having people pass judgement on them. In fact, I have so many readers requesting that I stop wearing cutesy outfits and start wearing more sexy outfits. Will they call me a prostitute if I did that? I don’t think so.
Other side of the coin:
Do you people realise that, by defending the sexy woman taking the bus, we are dissing prostitutes? We are saying that prostitution is such an unsavory profession that you’re insulting a woman by calling her a prostitute. But, by saying that, aren’t we insulting prostitutes?
Admittedly, prostitution has always had a negative aura around it, but that isn’t really the point. I just find it amusing that, by trying not to stereotype sexily-dressed women, we end up stereotyping prostitutes.
Consider this statement: “Just because a woman dresses sexily, it doesn’t mean she’s a prostitute!”
By displaying a tolerance towards sexily-dressed women, you are in fact negating the very same tolerance by offhandedly condeming prostitutes.
Hilarious, right?
If the blogger had posted a picture of a woman in a suit taking a bus and said, “A lawyer takes the bus”, nobody will raise any hell over it because lawyers are respectable and being called a lawyer could even be a compliment.
Why the rubbish is that?
Sure, I have on occasion stereotyped and made jokes about prostitutes, but I bear them no malice and, really, when I think about it, they’re just doing a job. If anyone should be condemned, it should be the people who create the demand for prostitutes in the first place.
So… let’s not stereotype sexily-dressed women. Let’s not stereotype prostitutes. Let’s love your neighbours and promote world peace and live happily forever more.
Riiiight.
clap clap clap
Haiz. Sure society has been harsh on prostitutes. But they don’t exactly have a glamorous job. The reason why people say “if she dresses sexily doesn’t mean she is a prostitute”, is because of this negative aura about them. Being a prostitute is seen as a dirty job, the lowest rung of society kind of thing.
We need to recognize how prostitutes are being seen as, and then we can understand why we should not degrade women and label them as a prostitute. I’m sure you heard of the phrase that a person’s body is a temple.
Whilst I pity those forced into prostitution, I do not say the same for other prostitutes.
The question then becomes, who should we protect more? In such a case, that explains why people defend the woman. A woman’s reputation is extremely important (same goes for a man’s actually but that’s not the point), and thus there is a need to defend it.
Look at it in another way. If someone calls you a prostitute and many people read it, what would you do? Naturally you would feel upset with the association with the prostitute.
Ah well, this can never be fully resolved can it? After all, the guy who just clapped is one who says that its a right to label anyone anything on his/her blog. A prostitute is a prostitute and there is no other meaning. I can’t call someone a prostitute if she isn’t.
The stigma attached to prostitution is really all due to humanity’s attitude towards sex. It’s an object of desire, yet also spoken of in hushed tones, swept under the carpet. It’s essential to our survival, yet also a sin. It can be the sweet joining of 2 souls, yet also a debasing act. And the prostitute is caught in this dichotomy.
Is the prostitute reviled because she is unskilled and uneducated? You don’t see roadsweepers and cleaners getting the same rep.
Because she is harmful to society? Somehow, robbers, gangsters, hitmen and loan sharks also don’t have the same degree of negative stigma.
Because she uses sex to get what she wants? A-hah… now we’re getting there… the person who sleeps around with the bosses to get promotions also has something of a similar rep.
It’s all back to sex, and our attitude towards it.
i second the claps. =D was thinking the same thing.
“If the blogger had posted a picture of a woman in a suit taking a bus and said, “A lawyer takes the bus”, nobody will raise any hell over it because lawyers are respectable and being called a lawyer could even be a compliment.”
Utter nonsense! Lawyers are worse than prostitutes!
Riiiiggghhhhhhttttttttt!~
World peace and harmony ( ^_^)/\(^_^ )
Ahmitabha. Shi Zhu kan po hong cheng. Clap clap
Prostitutes, no matter willing one or forced one, to me, at least they earn their living thru their hardworks, unlike those who cheats, begs (no disabled). lowest form of human is the kind who cheat prostitutes.
I don’t think saying “Just because a woman dresses sexily, it doesn’t mean she’s a prostitute!” is dissing a prostitute.
It’s just saying she is not looking for “work” just because she is dressed that way.
The third side of the coin…if there is such a thing.
I disagree on these points:
1. “In fact, I have so many readers requesting that I stop wearing cutesy outfits and start wearing more sexy outfits. Will they call me a prostitute if I did that? I don’t think so.”
2. “Whilst I pity those forced into prostitution, I do not say the same for other prostitutes.”
3. “You don’t see roadsweepers and cleaners getting the same rep.”
4. “If anyone should be condemned, it should be the people who create the demand for prostitutes in the first place.”
– It’s all about supply and demand.
Besides, let people think what they wish. I say wear what you want. Women know their limits and it’s not up to the public to set them. If you feel comfortable in them is all that matters.
“Women should be able to dress however they like without having people pass judgement on them.”
I agree entirely, women should be able to dress however they like. Unfortunately, the judgement part of your statement doesn’t exactly relate to the way things work in the real world. You see, people pass judgement on others every moment of their lives and for many many many diverse and complex reasons. As an example – if this wasn’t the case people would marry the first person they ever met, every time.
To drill down to the specifics of this particular instance of miss-judgement. I feel certain there’s a mathematical equation somewhere that can show the reduction in the amount of clothes a person wears is directly relative to the amount of respect they receive. This lack of respect is what has obviously driven this blogger chap to state that the girl on the bus was a prostitute.
“As a man I should feel free to pluck my eye-brows, but I don’t because it bloomin hurts.”
Hmm..I was the one who said: “Whilst I pity those forced into prostitution, I do not say the same for other prostitutes.”
Yes, things are about supply and demand. There is demand, so there is supply. But should I pity them then? Considering that if I say “How do you know that if she dress this way, then she is a prostitute”, I am dissing the prostitute, then if I pity them, arn’t I doing the same thing? Lol.
I do admit, we should not lower prostitutes to that kind of level, but the issue is this: Should you degrade someone? Should you label a derogatory term on someone, knowing that society is at a level where they view prostitutes as a inferior good, rather than a normal good?
We shouldn’t. As with supply and demand, it all about society’s viewpoints. We are not dissing the prostitute, just giving the lady her fair chance. Should we then forsake the lady’s dignity because we want to preserve the prostitute? Discuss!
sometimes.. when i see an ugly woman with bad and thick make-up.. i would think that that woman must be a prostitute..
i dont know why..
its just that sexy isnt my thing.. (i think..)
u can dress sexily for me anytime baby.
lets love and respect one another! i hope this comment gets posted, im on the phone trying if it works!
Hey, good post here, but I’m also here to inform you that my blog URL has changed to http://blog.gtahq.net
Hope you make the ammendments, thanks.
Hey, -=}{oT~dEv1L 666=- , so that’s why I cannot find it anymore. :D
Yea, I’m restoring the site now, and the new URL works better with Ping.SG tha before, and lods 2-3X faster!
I actually know of a few people personally who are in this profession.
I do have sympathies for those who were forced by circumstances and less for those who chose it as an easy way out of a hard day of honest work.
Either way, I learned not to judge any of them.
You won’t ever see me complaining that a gal is skimpily dressed. I mean seriously, why are we complaining about eye candy?
Anyhoo, if ya wanna see women in really skimpy clothes, try MTV, or cafe del mar. And you don’t see anybody complaining about either.
What’s wrong with wearing what we like to wear? Dressing in revealing clothing does not make us prostitutes. That involves money. Some of us like to dress scantily because we are unihabited and are free.
I liked wearing my sheer fly-away half top shirt with no bra and it revealed alot of skin. With that top I had a semi-sheer mini skirt I wore with no undies. The light hit it just right and it was also see-through. I am very proud of my body then,in my teens, and now as an adult married woman.
Yes I would ge picked up by guys and willingly go with them for a day,afternoon,evening or for the entire day. I never did regret it then and now. Yet if I feel I want to dress scantily and take off for the day,I do. I still enjoy being picked up by guys and willingly go with them for all of our satisfaction.