Christina Ricci on "Stripper Culture" and Objectifying Women

[Lady Jade]

jhben

[francescadubois]

Yeah, this is coming from the chick that did "Black Snake Moan".

Have you SEEN that fucking movie?!! (I thought it was awesome though.)

[alessandra]

Maybe she really wants to try stripping/pole dancing, for some reason feels it is wrong/immodest/immoral/whatever, and thus criticizes "stripper culture"? Just a thought. Then again, who knows.

[Yekhefah]

I agree with her wholeheartedly. It's the reason our money is drying up - every woman under thirty-five wants to look like a porn star or a stripper, they get extensions and nails and bikini waxes, they take pole dancing classes and give out free lapdances at parties... why would a man pay us for what he gets for free nowadays? And Ricci's right, it does shift focus off our actual achievement. I'm very much a sex-positive, pro-sexwork feminist but the stripper culture is a huge step backwards in my opinion.

[IrishMarc]

Celebrity's aren't famous for their clarity of though or intelligence.

[SundayMorning]

I think she somewhat has a point. I'm aaaaall for women being comfortable in their bodies and doing what makes them feel sexy, but I think a lot of the pop-culturized-stripperification is about "ooh ooh look at me validate me and tell me I'm teh hawt!" and that's as lame as any other social trend. Imo of course!

[francescadubois]

I agree with her wholeheartedly. It's the reason our money is drying up - every woman under thirty-five wants to look like a porn star or a stripper, they get extensions and nails and bikini waxes, they take pole dancing classes and give out free lapdances at parties... why would a man pay us for what he gets for free nowadays? And Ricci's right, it does shift focus off our actual achievement. I'm very much a sex-positive, pro-sexwork feminist but the stripper culture is a huge step backwards in my opinion.

Yeah, you got a point there. I guess I was a bit salty because it sounded like she was talking DOWN on the industry also.

Celebrity's aren't famous for their clarity of though or intelligence.

QTF. I don't know why people expect them to be such sages.

[Yekhefah]

She might've been, but I doubt it. K and I have both worked with her and she's a really awesome, pro-sex, liberated young woman. (I also got to see her naked in her trailer once and she's the ONLY female celebrity I've ever seen that really looks great naked in person!) She seems like the kind of chick that would enjoy a trip to a strip club in its context, but like I said, with every woman aspiring to be a stripper and begging for objectification nowadays, it's gotten ridiculous.

[Jenny]

I think criticizing "stripper culture" is different than criticizing "stripping".

[Yekhefah]

^^^ Exactly. Once again, Jenny makes a point so much more succinctly than I could.

[Jenny]

^^^ Exactly. Once again, Jenny makes a point so much more succinctly than I could.

But you did get to talk about CR naked. That has it's own charm.

Is her head that big in person? I mean, pretty and all that, no criticism. But that is a giant head.

[Yekhefah]

LOL, yeah, she's just so damn little that a normal head looks big on her. She's about 4'9" or so and everything's in miniature except her head. She's got really amazing tits though (sorry if that's objectification).

[xdamage]

I agree with her wholeheartedly. It's the reason our money is drying up - every woman under thirty-five wants to look like a porn star or a stripper, they get extensions and nails and bikini waxes, they take pole dancing classes and give out free lapdances at parties... why would a man pay us for what he gets for free nowadays? And Ricci's right, it does shift focus off our actual achievement. I'm very much a sex-positive, pro-sexwork feminist but the stripper culture is a huge step backwards in my opinion.

I'm glad you wrote it and not me.

Agreed.

[High_Heel_Lover]

I am so one of those women and I am sorry, I can't help but think strippers are just fabulous! but I don't dress up or do much out of my bedroom so I don't contribute to the society aspect but eh.

[i.breathe.in]

it is a really big fad right now to be a stripper or look like a stripper or porn star. but like every fad it will die.

it is amusing to see the girls that try to start dancing ebcuase they think its cool, and then they realize its actually work and they dont make any money and dont come back.

[AudreyLeigh]

Yeah, this is coming from the chick that did "Black Snake Moan".

Have you SEEN that fucking movie?!! (I thought it was awesome though.)

Thats exactly what popped into my head when i read that! That movie was sooo cool.

[needtodance]

She might've been, but I doubt it. K and I have both worked with her and she's a really awesome, pro-sex, liberated young woman. (I also got to see her naked in her trailer once and she's the ONLY female celebrity I've ever seen that really looks great naked in person!) She seems like the kind of chick that would enjoy a trip to a strip club in its context, but like I said, with every woman aspiring to be a stripper and begging for objectification nowadays, it's gotten ridiculous.

OMG you saw her naked?I have a bit of a crush on her so i'm going to get all giggly for a minute... She's always come across as very intelligent to me, one of my favorite actresses.

[Scarlett.Oz]

I find the 'stripper culture' of whom out of the hundreds of dancers I've known only a few are part of quite odd. Women that often look down on dancers with the fake tan, boob job's, nose jobs, long acrylics, bleached hair extensions, full face of makeup etc just to go grocery shopping??? It's so much damn effort, and expensive, why?

p.s. If someone here does this attitude goes a long way. I'm trying not to generalise here, as in if you do this but look down on sex industry workers with disdain, I find it total hypocrisy and can't help but wonder if it's only done to please the fella's.

p.p.s. Sorry if this is garbled, I just woke up.

XXXS

[ahmeerah]

She might've been, but I doubt it. K and I have both worked with her and she's a really awesome, pro-sex, liberated young woman. (I also got to see her naked in her trailer once and she's the ONLY female celebrity I've ever seen that really looks great naked in person!) She seems like the kind of chick that would enjoy a trip to a strip club in its context, but like I said, with every woman aspiring to be a stripper and begging for objectification nowadays, it's gotten ridiculous.

I'm glad you responded to this thread in her defense. To me, it didn't sound like she was actually knocking strippers. It sounds more like she's knocking the ridiculous copycats.

About her looking great naked: I'll never forget reading an interview of hers where she said she eats naked -- to make sure she doesn't overeat.

[Sunshine73]

“... I mean, you see actresses, and their passion project is to play a stripper. It’s just stupid.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24301849/

Discuss.

It's not stupid. I for one have played a topless dancer in a film, and I will do it again.

I can see what she is saying (actresses want to play a stripper because it's hot), but...it depends on the role and the film. You can have a stripper role be challenging, riveting, and much more than just...well...hot.

There is so much more to a stripper than just her hotness!!!

[Casual Observer]

I think criticizing "stripper culture" is different than criticizing "stripping".

But her critique includes language that essentially suggests that women in the sex industry should be ashamed of themselves.

That's not particularly sex-positive...

[francescadubois]

But her critique includes language that essentially suggests that women in the sex industry should be ashamed of themselves.

That's not particularly sex-positive...

That's how I felt when I was reading it....

[Jenny]

But her critique includes language that essentially suggests that women in the sex industry should be ashamed of themselves.

That's not particularly sex-positive...

I see what you are saying; but I think in the context of the rest of what she was saying it was just colloquial expression, not literal. I think her point was that glamourizing the sex trade and making it some kind of emulative model isn't necessarily empowering. Like I didn't read that and think she was saying that I should be ashamed of myself. If she was writing a paper I might judge her a little more exactly.

And I deride the expression "sex positive". I think it is a stupid expression and I refuse to have anything to do with it. It is a breath away from calling someone "frigid" for disagreeing with you.

[aviendha]

I can see her point. Rarely do you see an actress who admits to having once been a stripper before hitting it big. But those same actresses will consider it a huge leap for womankind to PLAY a stripper, or do stripper-related things (Carmen Electra) like that's supposed to be the liberating viewpoint.

I guess I see the fad of trying to promote oneself as a stripper or porn star as another incarnation of the adolescent need to sexualize oneself. Hell, I remember being a teenager and wanting to get all hoochied out for, I dunno, the State Fair or even going to the gas station (and I didn't have much material to hooch with, either). Even as an adult, I see a bunch of hoochied-out girls in mundane places like the grocery store, and simultaneously think, "Ha, you look ridiculous, moron" and "I remember wanting to do that."

Then look at all the 3460984598457 girls who want(ed) to be cheerleaders, who in generations past were the ultimate sex object in high school and college. It wasn't about the achievement of being able to do a basket toss, it was about wearing the short skirt and belly-baring tank top and the whole cheerleader mystique. (I was a cheerleader in HS, though, again, far from the cheerleader stereotype because I didn't have the goods.) Same with surfing and beach culture, the Beach Boys, MTV Spring Break and the idolization of the hottest bikini babes on the beach.

Basically, pick an activity where there's a hot, scantily clad girl and I guarantee you that pop culture will follow it slavishly for a while.

[Havana]

Said the woman who walks around in public like this, not for a job, not for money... just for kicks.




I like Christina as an actress, I really do.
But oooooooooookay.