Posted on 10/10/2014 8:13:15 PM PDT by Morgana
Today, Jennifer Lawrence’s exclusive cover story with Vanity Fair hits the stands. The popular Hunger Games’ star speaks openly about the internet scandal involving the stolen nude photos of her. She calls it a “sex crime,” and says that anyone who purposely looked at the photos of her is guilty.
Lawrence is right that, just because someone is a public figure, it doesn’t give the general public – or anyone in particular – a right to view stolen photos of them.
But Lawrence also got it deeply wrong. In explaining why the nude photos were taken of her in the first place, she said:
I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.
Whoa, whoa, J.Law. Wait a minute, there. “Either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you”? And this is a “healthy” relationship?
This is an absolutely terrible standard to set for today’s women, and for today’s men as well. And it’s about as anti-woman as you can get.
Men do not need to look at porn, and contrary to popular opinion, not all men do. To read about the devastating consequences of porn, check this out, and this, too.
But really, how demeaning. Women hate to be classified and boxed in. Yet here Lawrence boxes in all men, proclaiming that they are definitely going to be looking at some naked woman.
Of course, if we were talking about a marriage relationship here, a husband and a wife have every right to look at each other naked. And they should. But we’re not talking about a marriage here; we’re talking about the supposed need for men to always have some naked woman to look at and the supposed duty for women to provide that to them.
By insinuating that women ought to “pay up” and provide naked photos of themselves to whatever man they’re in a relationship with at the moment, Lawrence objectifies women. She degrades them as little more than sex objects, designed to satisfy the appetites of men.
I can’t even express how wrong this is. No, young woman, it is not your duty to take and share naked photos of yourself with your boyfriend. If you believe he’s either going to look at you or find other naked women, find a different man.
You deserve better.
There are men out there who actually respect women and their bodies. They would never expect their woman to text naked photos of herself. Objectifying – and all too often humiliating – yourself in this way is not what a good, respectful man expects.
If you’re with a man like this, dump him. Wait for someone better. Wait for a real man.
Real men can wait for marriage. Real men want you to respect your body. Real men don’t demand everything you have before they’ve even committed to you.
Unfortunately, it’s these kind of objectifying attitudes that wage a real War on Women in our nation. When women feel like objects and things that men can own, it sadly follows that they view their own children as objects and things that they can freely discard.
It’s a tragic cycle. Women are viewed as property. They are soon cast to the side. Children are viewed as property. They are thrown in the trash.
Honestly, I like Jennifer Lawrence. I like that she eats food. I like that she’s clumsy. I like that she stumbles over her words. (And of course, I love Katniss Everdeen.) But it’s my hope that young women who look up to her can reject this terrible statement that she made.
Eat hamburgers like Jennifer Lawrence.
Laugh at yourself like Jennifer Lawrence.
But do not believe that you owe naked photos of yourself to a man like Jennifer Lawrence.
Be a respectable and respectful woman, and demand that any man you are with conducts himself in an equally respectful way. And whatever you do, don’t contribute to this horrible cycle of objectifying human beings.
It's a generational thing, like tattoos, branding, piercing, or lobe gauging (don't ask).
The left, so classy
Really? Do you have to go there? Not everything is left versus right.
What you both said is true: Most men today dump women who refuse to sleep with them. But, they’ll dump those women, anyway, eventually.
I just want to add: I noticed that many women today have the same mindset as the men. Based on this young actress’s comments, my guess is that she’s one of those women. To them, “dating” means literally sleeping around, not just going to a movie theater or a restaurant. Those of us who think differently are considered old-fashioned and kind of strange. (That’s what I’m hearing from people in the dating world today, anyway.)
BTW, it’s a great feeling being dumped for refusing. It’s really a validation that you made the right decision.
“What you both said is true: Most men today dump women who refuse to sleep with them. But, they’ll dump those women, anyway, eventually.”
This is why I have a prejudice towards career living; a lot of young women who are career oriented are not sexually loose harlots, but often end up being chaste since they after all, can’t afford to get sidetracked into babies and relationship drama. As for young men, if they beg for something, they don’t have any intention of sticking around, hence the pressure. They want the ‘experience’, not the substance.
“I noticed that many women today have the same mindset as the men. Based on this young actress’s comments, my guess is that she’s one of those women.”
Yes; thing is, she knows this is bad stuff, but wants to drag others into it mainly since it validates her, normalizes her behavior, and makes others liable.
“BTW, it’s a great feeling being dumped for refusing. It’s really a validation that you made the right decision.”
Yeah; to be honest, being chaste has brought so many rewards. No kids, no ex-husband or ex-baby daddy, no anchors that I have to take into consideration, no one but me me me. I’m 32, but I’ve left a rough patch and feeling largely like a kid entering the world for the first time. I’m enjoying the fact that my small business is coming together and how much of the world I’ve realized is out there. It’s completely liberating.
I would never imagine the subject of “Butt Plugs” would have been something Johnny Carson would discuss on the old Tonight Show.
What a lovely world we live in nowadays.
Thirty-two is still young. :-) It sounds like you’re very sensible. I have to point out, though, that not all career-oriented women share your opinion on dating. (This young actress in the article would be one example.) According to what I’ve noticed, having a career or not doesn’t seem to make a difference in a woman’s opinion on dating. That’s based only on what I’ve heard and noticed; your observations may be different.
Your comments about the actress are spot on.
No one ever steals my nude photos!!??
‘Course, I guess I’d have to take some first...
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