Sex and Violence

It's what we're buying.

Recently, while preparing for a gaming session I entered into a discussion centered on the weight of Jessica Simpson and it's portrayal in the media. C, my friend's wife, was very upset that US Weekly was critical of Simpson and highlighted how gross she looked at 130lbs. C felt this was a terrible message to be sending to the woman of america. I, being the asshole I am, stated Simpson did in fact look terrible in these recent pictures, but not because of her huge veiny boobs, but mainly because of her outfit which was unflattering. However, there is no way Simpson is 130 in those pics, she's probably 150.

Anyway, I do agree, women are held to an impossible standard of beauty by the images we are bombarded with every day. However, it's a stain on our culture which also infects men. For a very wide ranging and myriad amount of issues in society construe to bombard us with sexuality and violence. With the re-ascendancy of brutal gladiatorial fighting in the form of MMA, Men are expected to be one-half Tony Jaa, one-half Allen Standford.

Men are subject to the pressures of measuring up in society through the acquisition of possessions which herald them as "successful". Once you reach "successful" status you then earn access to the sex. Look at the Skyy Vodka image, don't focus on the huge raging erection, the man is obviously a chic successful businessman with his fashionable suit. And having thus made money, perhaps during a run on the New York Stock Exchange, he now may exert his power and dominance over women and gain access to her sex, which is, obviously, all women have to offer due to her supplicant pose highlighting her enormous breasts.

Of course, the idea that men need to be rich and successful in order to be worth receiving the precious gift from a woman is peddled to us through the opposite end of the looking glass as well.

For instance, an article from November, when it became clear to everyone we are in a depression and have been for a while was titled Desperately Seeking Sugar Daddies. The article is peppered with these lovely vignettes:

With Wall Street crashing, it's hard to be a gold digger these days.
"Everyone is looking for handsome, rich men, but there are less and less of them to go around," says one gold digger.
Those Sex and the City salad days are over. She complains, "It sucks to be a single girl right now."
"We don't have time or money to spend hundreds of dollars on a girl. If it's a drink and it doesn't go anywhere, well, at least I'm cutting back."
And being unemployed is not hot."I would never go out with someone who came up to me and said, 'I don't have a job.' " Emilaya shakes her head. "No, no, no." Even the non-English speaker shakes her head no. It's universal: No banking job, no service.

To make the last line more clear, no money no fuckee...

Meanwhile, we are also treated to stories of beautiful women who turn their bodies into financial success. Salma Mega-Tits Hayek got married. The key is whom she got married to, Billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault.

Queen of the Harpies, Ran and I continued this discussion in which Queenie told me that Psychology majors go into advertising if they don't turn to academia. I'd recommend everyone take a Psych 101 course so they could at least recognize when their R-Complex is being stimulated, because the key to being free is to realize one is in a cage.*

*- Of course, Republicans don't want you to take such courses, it renders their jedi mind tricks useless.