Blog Against Sexual Violence

April 1, 2008 · Filed Under Activism ·

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Sexual assault awareness is very close to my heart, as a survivor myself and April is a very important month to me, especially this year since abyss2hope is creating even more outlets for awareness by hosting the second annual Blog Against Sexual Violence.

On April 3rd, bloggers from across the blogosphere will have the opportunity to speak out about sexual violence and how important it is to end the pandemic that exists across the world and within every culture.

I cannot urge bloggers enough to get involved with this and I hope to see a lot of positive posts on ending sexual violence this month.

Tags: blogging, child abuse, child sexual abuse, education, exploitation, incest, men, RAINN, rape, sexual assault, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, victim's rights

The Psychology Behind Men and Prostitutes

March 28, 2008 · Filed Under Society ·

With cases such as Eliot Spitzer’s latest scandal, as well as other male politicians whose prostitution habits had been found out by the general public, many may be asking themselves–What drives these men to fornicate with prostitutes? Is it all men and we just happen to shed light on politicians and point fingers as if men all over the place aren’t doing the same thing? What is it about prostitutes, in particular, that drive these men crazy to the point of risking their careers and putting their families on the line?

What must first be understood is the psychological appeal of prostitutes, which is what Michael Bader of AlterNet, a person who has studied the dynamics of sexual arousal for almost 15 years, has spoken out about in order to create a sense of understanding.

When it comes to a regular relationship, it is said that men feel as if they must give a great deal to their partner in order to get a little something back. Our culture represents women as high maintenance individuals who must be cared for by a man and are otherwise helpless in life, always needing the attention and demanding the security of a man. While those exaggerations are often false, it is our society that has conditioned men to believe that this is true, making their intimate relationships suffer when it comes to a man who wishes to have his needs met and they begin to freak out and are said to be overwhelmed by what is expected of them.

It does not matter what type of prostitute a man is hiring, it can be a woman who charges over $5,000 for an hour or it can be a woman prostituting herself on the street for $50 a night, what it comes down to is that when payment is made, the man is getting his wishes tended to. It is said that while politicians, in particular, are used to wielding power and keeping people under him in check, no one is working for this man without getting something in return–and that is where the appeal of prostitutes comes in.

A prostitute serves as a slave to a man’s needs. She is an actress, although to the man, he does not care that what he is receiving for his money is a one-woman play and an act that he gets to be nothing but a prop in. This is the man’s time to shine and get whatever sexual kink he has attended to–No questions asked and no need to reciprocate. A prostitute is sought out when a man wishes to let go and selfishly indulge in his desires without having to give anything back to the woman who performs for him.

So basically, prostitution is sought out when men realize that they cannot handle what is expected of them as men and want to be entirely selfish in their actions even when what society depicts most women to be is false. Prostitutes are wanted by the men who don’t want to sexually please their wives or even care about her desires, but women can most definitely be counted on to be standing by their selfish, hypocritical and cheating men. Breaking wedding vows never needed many psychological explanations before, so here’s the Reader’s Digest version:

He does not want to be in a relationship; instead, he wants someone who will make him look like a “family man” who cares about and loves his family so he can get a few votes and make his way into office where even more stress will be put upon him. He wants this while he can also go behind his wife’s back and get his needs met while constantly complaining that his wife wants too much from him. My advice is to go out and find a man who can indulge in his kinky desires with you, while you are comfortable enough to know that he will do the same for you. Open and honest communication never hurt a relationship, either…Who knew?

Tags: Eliot Spitzer, infidelity, marriage, men, prostitutes, prostitution, psychology, sex industry, sex scandal

The World is Now Dominated by Women, Where Have I Been?

March 26, 2008 · Filed Under Society ·

After hundreds of thousands of years of men ruling the world and everything in it, especially women and government, men are now saying that they feel emasculated. Boohoo.

Via Broadsheet, I read about a study done by the Telegraph surveying the feelings of modern men living in the 21st century. About 2,000 men and women were polled for this study online and the outcome is quite shocking, in a “You got to be kidding me” kind of way.

“Many men believe the world is now dominated by women and that they have lost their role in society, fuelling feelings of depression and being undervalued.”

Wow, you know, this sounds eerily familiar. Say, aren’t men guilty of dominating the world and making women feel as if not only they don’t have a role in society, but they shouldn’t have a role in society? In fact, aren’t men continuing to make women feel this way today? Why yes, I believe they are! I would love to be informed as to where all of these women are dominating the world because I am sure as hell failing to see this.

This “study” also has the nerve to include:

“Asked what it meant to be a man in the 21st century, more than half thought society was turning them into “waxed and coiffed metrosexuals”

So what men are trying to say is that they feel it is unfair for them to be judged based on their physical appearance? Wow, that also sounds like more of the same. It is common sense that no one likes to be told or believe that they must live up to a stereotypical norm when it comes to appearance, but come on now, get serious. Men feel as if they are being forced into looking like something they’re not? Take a look at every Maxim, Stuff, Playboy, Penthouse and Hustler magazine; in fact, take a look at any magazine or turn your television on to any channel or watch any movie–And then look at the statistics for eating disorders and tell me that they don’t have the least bit to do with each other. Women have been conditioned to hate their bodies, which is the product of the media telling women what men want.

And lastly…

“Men said they “felt handcuffed” by political correctness - only 33 percent felt they could speak freely and say what they thought, whereas two thirds found it safer and to conceal their opinions.”

I know many women who find it safer to conceal their opinions, since women have also been conditioned to be seen and not heard and to be the pretty face next to the strong and powerful husband, which can clearly be seen in any story where a male politician or sports star is discovered in a sex scandal; of course, the woman is always standing by her man with her mouth shut, smiling politely like she is told to. A woman who chooses to speak her mind freely and openly is mostly ridiculed for her blunt honesty by the majority of people who care not to listen based purely on her possession of a vagina.

It seems as if once women set their footprints in the wet concrete of history and start making own choices without having to consult a man before doing so, the men start to get all uppity. You would think that with men feeling the way they apparently do, they would begin to see what women have gone through to get where they stand today and that they would understand and appreciate the activism and determination in which we have fought for our rights and have a better understanding of equal rights. However, men believe that they are deserving of all power in all aspects of life and in society based purely on their possession of a penis.

While you feel completely emasculated, confused and rejected from society, welcome to the lives of women.

Tags: gender equality, men, Sexism, stereotypes, women's progress, world domination