So I'm going to complain anyway

[ismnotwasm]

No, not about those horrendous prostitution threads in GD, although I see well meaning folks defending prostitution, promoting males as sexual beings unable to control themselves. My favorite so far has been the "An erection has no conscience thread" Hilarious.

I want to say, so how'd that prostitution thing work out for your Mom? But I don't.

Naw, I'm going to complain about that fucked up bullshit Midol commercial "reverse the curse" Curse? Fucking CURSE? I understand the commercial isn't particularly new, but last I checked it was 2008. Young girls on the edge of menarche get to see that. Nice.

Since I'm rereading "Woman; An Intimate Geography by Natalie Angier, I thought I'd share a paragraph or two

(Her entire book is a biological/evolutionary exploration, and I love her approach. It's a calming reread for me)

"Menstruation, then, may be a pleoaptation. It is energy efficient, and it is protective. We can make of these qualities what we will, so let us celebrate them. One is for the greater good, the other for ourselves. Consider the bleeding,and the theory that it is a byproduct of our hypervascularized uterus. Why all the vessels, those arterial Slinkies? The spiral arteries support a large, Draculean placenta. The placenta must be large and rich to support the growth of the fetal brain. Brain tissue is insatiable. Pound for pound, it is ten times more expensive to maintain than any other tissue of the body. During the last three months of pregnancy, the growth of the fetal brain is so explosive that stoking it demands nearly three quarters of all the energy entering the baby through the umbilical cord. No wonder the cord is so fat, so much like a long sausage, and no wonder the expulsion of the meaty placenta after the birth of the baby is considered an event in itself, worthy of being classified as the third stage of labor (the first being the dilation of the cervix, the second the delivery of the infant). The baby's brain must eat, and it eats blood

One answer to the question of why we bleed, then, may be simply be because we humans are so bloody smart

Ah, but this articulation alone smacks too much of the martyr's plaint: we bleed so that our sons may think. And our daughters too, but they at least will be paying the species price with their own deciduas soon enough. Camille Paglia claims that by menstruating, "women the symbolic burden of man's imperfections, his grounding in nature." We are saying something different: that women shoulder the burden of the human brain, the organ The allows at least the illusion of free will, transcendence, the escape from the nature's grindstone. Nonetheless, what a bore to have the burden of cultivating human consciousness be so one-sided

Enter the antipathogen aspect of menses, the ability of blood-shed to purify and rout, the womb as warrior. This is a selfish, active and erotic explanation for menses, an acknowledgment that we are carnal beings whose sexual activity far exceeds any reproductive needs. In our defensive bleeding, we are not helping our offspring or our mates or the whole damned race; we are helping ourselves.

Let us help others too. When your daughter or niece or younger sister runs to you and crows, "It's here!" take her out for a bowl of ice cream or a piece of chocolate care, and raise a glass of milk to the new life that beings with blood"

[bliss_eternal]

1. Is this an ad running on tv....

...or a print ad? Forgive me for being dense. I've been doing my best to mute most tv ads, so I wasn't sure if it's one I've had the good fortune of missing lately.

[ismnotwasm]

2. On TV

It seems to me I've heard about it, or seen it before, I'm not sure.
I was working out in the Gym when I saw it. Very irritating to say the least.

Curse. Oh my Good God. I'm still not over it

[lizerdbits]

3. Yikes

I've never seen that but with Tivo I fly through commercials and don't watch much of the main 3 networks anyway (though I'm sure it's on cable channels too). Now I'm curious about it.

That's a great book, I read it years ago. :)

[Tumbulu]

4. "Mommy when I get my moon time can we go to the river Gambia?"

We are talking about saving money to take a trip to Africa when her moon time begins- perhaps a school vacation time around then. It is probably not realistic, that we will save enough. In fact we haven't been able to save anything so far, but that is what we dream about and talk about. She came up with the idea at the age of six.

[ismnotwasm]

5. That is so cool

What a beautiful dream.

[ThomCat]

6. "How's that prostitution thing working out for your Mom?"

Or your sister. That would be a wonderful response.

It would get slammed immediately as an attack. It would be alerted upon, and then it would be deleted. Because there's nothing wrong with being a prostitute. :P

I know at least one person that I know for sure worked her way through college at a prostitute. I have nothing bad to say about her, or her choices. But I wish it had not been necessary. I would bet that she doesn't put it on her resume or tell people about it. I would bet that she would get some blow-back if her current employer or co-workers found out. :(

[lightningandsnow]

7. This is a bit of an aside, but,

I'm not sure if you're referring to me or not, but I didn't say decriminalize porstitution because "The poor men can't help themselves!". I said decriminalize it - from a feminist perspective - to protect the women (and men) in it. Like it or not, many people are in prostitution by choice (not being trafficked or forced), and the current laws do nothing to protect either them or the people who are forced into it. I'm just going by the lwas in my own country, but consider this:

The "Living off the avails" law (AKA the pimp law) essentially prohibits sex workers from having a spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, or roommate.

The "Communicating" law prohibits sex workers from talking about a transaction with their clients in public. This puts them in danger, as they can't really talk to their clients until they're in a non-public place, not allowing them to escape if things go bad.

Tell me, how are these protecting anyone?

Also, as a firm believer in personal liberties, I cannot support legislation that limits the right of consenting adults to do what they want sexually. And actually, if I had a friend or relative who was a sex worker, I would love them just the same, and support their right to do what they want.

Just thought I'd clarify.

By the way, check out this interview. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/03/21/sexworkers-challenge.html

[LostinVA]

8. Excellent post

[ismnotwasm]

9. Not you at all!

It was some of the less thought out knee-jerk responses. I didn't see any of your posts. And I am in full agreement with decriminalization. I would prosecute the hell out of pimps though.

I have personal experience in the sex industry which admittedly colors my thinking. Quite frankly, I like whores, I always have. Male or female. I still have friends who work in the industry. Many have an earthy realistic sense of the world and sexuality.

Also quite frankly, I hate being bullshitted about the sex industry from any direction. My objection to sex for sale is not, and has never been morality, but from what I've seen, personally experienced, and later studied. I also have a global perspective. An American whore may be making a "choice", (If find that choice debatable because I believe women to be the sex class in the first place, but that is another topic) but the global sex slave/trade industry is one of the most disgusting things I know about. If the sex industry itself would fight sex slavery and exploitation, I'd have a lot more respect for it. (Some in the industry do, I believe)


These days, I'm on the outside, still doing a little volunteer work when I can. I'm a nurse on a transplant unit so I continue to see the fruits of ugly choices. I'm getting into forensic nursing, and that is where it gets really, really ugly. (Hope I don't burn out, one of the things about having a past is you do have more empathy)

Anyway Kudos for you for not being a moral hypocrite. If it's OK someones else's mother or daughter or brother to work in the industry, those who so passionately defend it should be equally as proud of or supportive of, their mothers, daughter or sons etc.

[Ellen Forradalom]

13. Your opinion emphasizes the "worker" over the "sex"

Turning sex into work remains highly problematic. But we do need to protect the workers, in my view.

[femrap]

10. "I want to say, so how'd that prostitution thing work out for your Mom?"

Too funny....! I hope I can resist from using it.

I keep waiting to get banned or suspended or whatever....but since I haven't, I feel I should bring it up a notch until I do. Yes, I have issues with authority. lol.

I have no patience anymore...this primary and now Spitzer...it has opened up my mean streak to all new levels. I had no idea that DUers could be so everloving STUPID!!! America has truly been dumbed down.

I feel so sorry for young girls growing up today...the other day I was walking thru a supercenter (not walfart's) and a mom had a little 'outfit' she had picked out for her daughter and as I sailed by, I said: "What are you going to raise in that outfit? A hooker?" Just kept walking. Didn't hear a peep from mom.

[bliss_eternal]

12. My personal fave....

...were the sweatpants with descriptive statements sewn in script, across the seat--in hot pink glitter. :eyes:
Yup. Had to have the glitter. Just wouldn't get the point across without the sparkles.

If I may refresh memories:

PORNSTAR
HOTTIE
HOTPANTS
DADDYS GIRL

:puke:

[Ellen Forradalom]

14. It's a perfect line, isn't it?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

11. i think prostitution should be legalized to protect prostitutes.

it is not my place to determine what adult women should and should not do with their bodies.

i also think we should have enough social services that people dont have to enter prostitution unless they want to.

it has nothing to do with the johns and what they can and cannot control.

prostitution should be legalized, sex workers should be allowed to unionize.

[lizerdbits]

15. That's pretty much my opinion

If a person does it because they WANT to, not because they have no education or resources to do anything else. It's not really a "choice" if it's your only option to avoid being homeless or starving. I think that's what you were saying.

[bliss_eternal]

16. There was a report on this...

...quite a while ago, can't recall which network did it (Dateline, 20/20, etc.). But it was a feature about legalized prostitution in a specific country (was it the red light district of Amsterdam--not sure). Anyway, it focused on how it being legal helps to protect the women from disease, attacks and assaults, crimes, etc. Really thought provoking report.

Definitely made me feel that prostitution should be legal if it can protect women, and save some lives. How different would it be if a woman could report that some guy beat her up while she was working (as a prostitute)? As opposed to just letting it slide, because she's in an illegal profession and no one cares?

I wish our country was that progressive.

[bliss_eternal]

17. Ugh--I just saw the commercial.

:puke:

Shame on Midol.