feminism

This is the best part about having a creative major: you get to/are forced to use your personal experiences to make stuff!

The assignment was to make a fake PSA, so naturally, I did one about something I care deeply about: street harassment and safety.

As you guys might remember, I had a close encounter of the pervy kind last year. And my dad (meaning well) suggested that I start packing men’s clothing with me on dates so that I could pretend to be a dude on the way home and thus be left alone.

That struck me as deeply fucked up, because how is it we live in a society where gender=safety privileges, and that’s acceptable? Like, fuck that.

So I made a movie about it.

Anyway, this is my second film ever (!!!) so please excuse any glaring errors. #learning.

I’m in final projects hell at school right now but I plan to fully binge on pole for the entire month of January when I get a break.

Hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving!

Let me start off this post with a resounding DAMN IT.

DAMN IT ALL TO HELL.

Whew. I feel better. Onward!

So, like, what’s up with this trend of female rappers and singers bragging about throwing money at strippers?

It’s almost like it’s a requirement to be allowed in the hip hop world as a female (and not as a video girl) that you shit on other girls (the video kind). To be one of the boys you have to objectify other women–just like the boys do.

But it’s okay, because those video girls are totally not smart, tomboy types that are allowed to be considered smart and cool–they’re sexy. They’re strippers. Let them crawl around on the floor and pick up our money with their teeth. It’s not like they’re people who can be multiple things. They are sexy, and so they can only be one thing: sexy things that are sexy sex that people want to have sex with.

Tell me you don’t see what I’m talking about:

Or HEAR what I’m talking about:

This is part of why I love telling people I pole. Because they’re all, BUT YOU’RE NOT A DUMB WHORE. And I’m like EXACTLY. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.

We have no problem with men being smart and successful and sexy as hell. Why not women?

Why can’t we own it and love it, and not have to trade off other parts of ourselves, like intellect, or humor, or for god’s sake, humanity?

Which is why I say damn it. Damn it all. But I’m not giving up on people. I’m not going to go into hiding, or quit pole because it makes people’s brains explode that I’m not a bimbo.

I told a guy I know that I teach pole the other day, and he said he thought it was cool. Then I made a joke about how my mom doesn’t get it, and he said, “Why would you tell ever her that?!”

…Why would I tell her?

Why wouldn‘t I tell her?

The real question is, why would I do something and make it such a huge part of my life if I also think it’s so unacceptable that I have to hide it? From my own mom?

I’m not going to cave to this idea that you have to choose between being smart and being sexy.

Frankly, that’s a steaming pile of bull shit and sorry to go all Hot Topic on you, but I refuse to conform.

Ladies and Gentleman, I POLE DANCE.

I FEEL SEXY DOING IT.

I HAVE A COLLEGE DEGREE AND A FULL TIME JOB, BUT THIS MAKES MY LIFE FEEL MORE FULL AND COMPLETE.

I’m not giving it up and I’m not hiding, because I don’t see anything wrong with it.

If you can’t handle it, you have the problem and need to work on it. Not me.

POLE PROUD ladies. Get it, and don’t apologize for it.

Damn.

Okay, that’s off my chest. New schedule!!!! I’m teaching a pole dynamics 4-week course on Tuesdays starting in March, plus the usual spins and intro classes on Thursdays and Saturdays. Sign up on the website to secure your spot (especially for dynamics, which is strictly one-to-a-pole and fills up fast!)

Happy twirls!

Cathy