On Tuesday in class, the topic of MacKinnon's sexual history came up. Several comments were made about the fact that she seemed like a prude and someone that had never had sex because she didn't believe women had control when it came to sex. Two things came to my mind when thinking about this claim. First, I believe that MacKinnon was saying that the reason it seems as if women do not have as much control as men do when it comes to sex is because of the definitions when it comes to rape and sexual intercourse. By law, the definition of sexual intercourse is "penetration" of the vagina by a penis. Rape is when this occurs forcefully and without consent of both parties. Because the definitions of these terms are more focused on the action of the man and not focused at all on the action involved in the woman, MacKinnon is stating that the law is more focused on men instead of women. Secondly, part of the reason that MacKinnon might have put her words the way that she did is because of the way that society views women and femininity. Women are meant to be passive and are rarely seen as the aggressors when it comes to sex and sexuality.
Penn State students live in a unique situation. Many college women are able to be aggressive and most men have learned to express that they enjoy women to be both passive and aggressive. Just because MacKinnon believes that the law is defined in terms of the male and his actions, does not mean that she did not ever have sex or that she isn't a sexual being. Some women are stuck in a time in which it was unacceptable for women to be the aggressors they are sometimes accepted to be in today's society.
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I agree that the definitions for rape and sexual intercourse are based more on the male action. But what is the alternative? "Sexual intercourse is the acceptance, by the vagina, of the penis." Not only does that sound silly, it does not change the fact that it is the male action that completes the definition. Also, I thought the age of women being seen as passive was over. Shows like Sex and the City show women (old women) actively pursuing men. Most people have figured out that women have control of themselves, Ms. MacKinnon needs to hop onboard.
ReplyDeleteYeah I said it. I called her out on never having been married and never having had sex. Being in a healthy sexual relationship means that both parties enjoy an equal amount of sexual responsibility and sexual empowerment. She made no reference to either, save that she believed the law was meant to reduce both on the part of women. I'm not saying she's wrong, I'm saying that what I inferred was that she had no empirical basis on which to mount those claims. I was confirmed as half-right when we found out she'd never been married (engaged but broken off, she refuses to talk about it). Who knows if I'm right about the other half...
ReplyDeleteI think the reason why McKinnon believes women are powerless with regards to sex has a lot to do with the time period she grew up in. Sex and gender have come a long way since that time. Women now view themeselves as sexual beings. Powerlessness may have been more applicable in McKinnon's time; however, we as a society have grown past that point.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dan. Times have changed so we have to take that into consideration. I believe McKinnon grew up in a time where women were seen as powerless and that men controlled most things, especially when it came to a relationship. I wonder if McKinnon were to grow up now, in 2009, if she were to see things differently.
ReplyDeleteThe comments about McKinnon's sexuality reinforce traditional gender roles. Because feminists are an opposing force to the status quo, they are often alienated and criticized as such. This only furthers McKinnon's assertions, that in a male dominated world, resistance to changes in ideology will be resisted. Also, as a male, it is hard to make assumptions about Mckinnon's sexuality because of our gendered perspective. When a female and male read Mckinnon's work, surely there is a disparity in the overall message that is taken. I will concede that the time period in which Mckinnon grew up and fostered her experiences into her article may be a little outdated. However, for her time period, Mckinnon makes a sound argument. Even from the male perspective, I concede that Mckinnon's argument does have validity.
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