Being Amber Rhea

I have an idea: let’s make a BINGO card for media representation of sex workers!

A BINGO card has 25 squares (including on “free square” in the center that can be adapted creatively as necessary), so help me out with your suggestions. Here’s what I’ve got so far off the top of my head.

Terminology:

• The world’s oldest profession
• High-end / high-class
• Working girls
• Virtual street corner
• Ply their trade
• Sell their bodies

Other characteristics:

• Dismissive/snarky quotation marks (e.g., “work”)
• Photo of scantily-clad woman leaning into car window

Hell, we might have to make more than one card!

Note: this post was inspired by Monica at $pread Blog.

Ren has yet another anonymous commenter (a.k.a. troll) on her blog. He exhibits many of the characteristics on the Anti-Feminist BINGO card, as well as the follow-up version 2 of said card.

I don’t bother to engage w/ such people, and I recommend against anyone else doing so. But if you want a synopsis, here’s shorter (longer?) Anony:

“Yeah, I mean it sucks that a woman’s sexual history will be put on trial in a rape case and could determine whether or not the rapist is convicted, and if she has ever dared to admit to liking sex that must mean she likes it all the time, with anyone, anywhere, under any circumstances, so how could she be raped; and never mind if she’s a sex worker, and yeah it sucks that sex workers are often abused by law enforcement. I mean sure it sucks that men are congratulated for sexual ‘conquests’ while women are called sluts and their emotional wellbeing, physical health, mental health, competence as parents, competence in their jobs, etc. are called into question all because they dare to have sex on their terms; yeah it’s pretty crappy that women have had their children taken away from them and deemed to be unfit parents, or lost their jobs over sexual activity between consenting adults; yeah I guess it’s a pain in the butt that a woman’s entire self-worth is judged based on the state of her hymen; and it must be kinda annoying dealing with sexual harassment and having it written off as ‘just a joke’ or her being ‘too sensitive,’ and anyway didn’t she ask for it if she’s dressed that way, why doesn’t she want a little attention? Yeah it could suck not being able to walk around by yourself without people yelling comments, not to mention groped and having your physical space disrespected and having no recourse, that must be a minor inconvenience sometimes. ….

But men get made fun of if they can’t find sexual partners! So stop being sexist and talk about THAT! Why can’t you be rational and logical, just like ME!”

Talk about your Bingo card of arguments! Seriously, if I see “selling their bodies” one more time - and from a feminist, at that! - I am going to lose my damn mind.

Other Bingo-worthy words and phrases in this comment:

• empowering
• collection of holes and body parts Ed. note: ick! Bonus point for use of unnecessarily porny language.
• cash in on it
• post-feminist
• sex-as-a-commodity
• Sorry, but…
• early sexualization

As I said on the Feministe thread from whence this comment came:

And I guess I’m one of those old-fashioned feminists that doesn’t think a woman’s entire self-worth is wrapped up in what she does sexually. The phrase “selling her body” is *extremely* patriarchal and reduces sex workers to one aspect of their being: their sexual behavior. Sex workers are *not* selling their bodies - they are offering a service. Sorry but I thought that feminism didn’t subscribe to the belief that a woman engaging in sex with a man constitutes a transfer of ownership.

I do, however, need a “Stamp of Approval” or “OK!” stamp, because the last three sentences of that comment do not fail. I have no Photoshop skills to speak of, though (aside from putting one layer on top of another to make the above image, and the like) so that’ll have to wait until Rusty feels motivated to create more graphics for my amusement.

Courtesy of Ren, here it is, the sex work debate bingo card! Click to enlarge.

Based on my latest, um, encounters at Blog For Democracy* and Creative Loafing (a.k.a., further attempts at not taking a claw hammer to my eyes), I’ve already got ideas for a Version 2.

Oh and for everyone who likes to run off at the mouth about “privileged” sex workers, allow Ren to remind you of a small point…

you know what so many of them forget…with the privilege and all?

ALL THIS CAN BE USED IN A US COURT OF LAW AGAINST ME.

All of it.

Not like I HAVEN”T been BLACKMAILED.

I get raped? You think I stand a fucking chance in HELL? Even if I am beat to shit?

No.

I don’t. Cause I;m a whore who likes rough sex.

It takes SToNES to do this.

Most sex workers DON’T want to take that chance.

Which, hello, this blatant injustice is exactly what so many of you are reinforcing with your words, actions, and stubbornly closed ears. Yeah, I’m pointing fingers. DEAL. Start listening.

* I’m referring to certain heads-up-their-asses commenters, not the post itself.