Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture (Hardcover)

by Ariel Levy (Author) "Late on a balmy Friday night in March 2004, a crew from Girls Gone Wild sat on the porch of the Chestfield Hotel on Collins..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York, San Francisco, Paris Hilton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Ariel Levy’s debut book is a bold, piercing examination of how twenty-first century American society perceives sex and women. Writing vividly, she brings her readers to places she visited to make her assessment; the elevator of Playboy Enterprises with women auditioning to be Playmates in the fiftieth anniversary edition, a Florida beach where sunbathers urge a woman to take off her bathing suit for the camera crew of Girls Gone Wild, a San Francisco Italian restaurant where a lesbian worries she’s not dressed up enough for her date, a CAKE party in New York, with women grinding each other’s pelvises in time to pulsating dance rhythms, and outside a juice bar in Oakland where a beautiful high school student shares disappointment at her experiences with sex.

Levy cleverly leads us to explore the role models women aspire to emulate. We are not pursuing the confident, self-determined, powerful, free ideal the women’s liberation movement would have dreamed for its daughters. Instead, our icons are porn stars and strippers and prostitutes. Paris Hilton and Jenna Jameson flaunt their successes in the pornography industry, and in doing so seem to earn our adulation.

Levy relates our embracing of this raunchy culture to unresolved tensions thirty years ago between the sexual revolution and the women’s liberation movement, and amongst feminists; joy at discovering the delights of our clitoris conflicting with disgust at pornography’s objectification of women. She creates a convincing argument by analyzing a diverse spectrum of material; presents a fascinating palette of interviews with revolutionary women’s libbers, nouvelle raunchy feminists, and everyday women and men. Detailed facts and recurring names are sometimes cumbersome, albeit worth ploughing through for the ‘a-ha moments’.

The reality that we model ourselves on images whose "individuality is erased" is harsh, yet Levy’s work is imbued with hope – hope that women can celebrate their uniqueness instead of their ‘hotness’, explore their sexuality as delight rather than consume sex as currency, and succeed professionally because of their brilliant minds and personalities, not because of their brilliant bodies.--Megan Jones Ady

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. What does sexy mean today? Levy, smartly expanding on reporting for an article in New York magazine, argues that the term is defined by a pervasive raunch culture wherein women make sex objects of other women and of ourselves. The voracious search for what's sexy, she writes, has reincarnated a day when Playboy Bunnies (and airbrushed and surgically altered nudity) epitomized female beauty. It has elevated porn above sexual pleasure. Most insidiously, it has usurped the keywords of the women's movement (liberation, empowerment) to serve as buzzwords for a female sexuality that denies passion (in all its forms) and embraces consumerism. To understand how this happened, Levy examines the women's movement, identifying the residue of divisive, unresolved issues about women's relationship to men and sex. The resulting raunch feminism, she writes, is a garbled attempt at continuing the work of the women's movement and asks, how is resurrecting every stereotype of female sexuality that feminism endeavored to banish good for women? Why is laboring to look like Pamela Anderson empowering? Levy's insightful reporting and analysis chill the hype of what's hot. It will create many aha! moments for readers who have been wondering how porn got to be pop and why feminism is such a dirty word. (Sept. 13)

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (August 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743249895
• ISBN-13: 978-0743249898
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (116 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #278,800 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Empress Has No Clothes, November 18, 2007

By	Zinta Aistars "Writer & Editor" (Portage, MI United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture (Paperback)

For years, as I have watched "raunch," as Ariel Levy rightly refers to it, go mainstream in American society, I have felt a sense of increasing discomfort and befuddlement, to say the least. In no small part, the befuddlement was born of watching my own gender betray itself, betray the cause of working towards women's rights in a male-dominated world. Yet I had no words for it. It was a gut feeling: this is wrong. This is nauseating. This is regression. Even - this is to the downfall of a woman's right and wish to explore her sexuality and seek its fulfillment.

When I saw this book's title, I immediately sensed I'd found something of importance. The day the book arrived in my mail, I sat down and read it - all in one sitting. It's been a long time since I have done that, but my sense was correct. At long last, I'd found the expression of that inner voice, put to coherent and rational words, ordered into a call for action. With utmost gratitude, I say to Levy: thank you.

What is a female chauvinist pig (FCP)? "If Male Chauvinist Pigs were men who regarded women as pieces of meat, we would outdo them and be Female Chaunvinst Pigs: women who make sex objects of other women and of ourselves."

To Levy's credit, she readily admits, more than once, that she, too, wants to "belong," to "get with the program," to seek acceptance among others, as is human nature to do. She observes the mainstreaming of raunch, and women, including feminists, falling obediently into line in promoting it. "But I could never make the argument add up in my head," she writes. "How is resurrecting every stereotype of female sexuality that feminism endeavored to banish *good* for women? Why is laboring to look like Pamela Anderson empowering? And how is imitating a stripper or a porn star--a woman whose *job* is to imitate arousal in the first place--going to render us sexually liberated? 'Raunchy' and 'liberated' are not synonyms. It is worth asking ourselves if this bawdy world of boobs and gams we have resurrected reflects how far we've come, or how far we have left to go."

As Levy describes our status quo, the trillion dollar industry of porn, the mainstreaming of porn into everyday prime time media, the popular style of dress among our youth, promiscuity not only among youth but also reflected in increasing incidences of infidelity (resulting in growing numbers of broken relationships) among older generations, the quixotic chase for everlasting youth in a narrowly defined mold of feminine beauty, and the general acceptance of objectifying women, it is difficult to see how this trend might be construed as a positive or liberating one. So why then would women become their own worst enemy?

Somewhere along the developmental line of feminism and women's liberation, as we fought for equal rights and opportunities, we achieved much in some areas while falling to our knees, literally and metaphorically, in the area of female sexuality. It is the one area where we are, perhaps, most vulnerable and shown ourselves to be needy of the approval of the opposite gender. And so, it appears, our line has become - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Who wants to be viewed as a prude? Women have not gone on to explore the strength and power of the feminine gender; instead, we have fought to "become one of the boys."

What is the definition of "sexy" that is portrayed today? Levy interviews various nude models and popular porn stars such as Jenna Jameson to dig into the motivation behind the act. And act it is. When these women describe what they do, not once, Levy observes, do they use the word "pleasure." The predominant descriptive word, in fact, is "pain." The reason for doing their work? The common answer is "because I was paid to." And the predominant appearance in these photos and flicks? It is like looking at a wall of Barbie dolls, Levy writes, "distinctly poured from the same mold. Individuality is erased: It is not part of the formula."

If women's liberation was originally supposed to give us greater freedom to explore our individuality, to be free to be ourselves, at any age, size, or type, how did this become an expression of freedom for women? Quite simply, it is not.

Yet the need for a sexual revolution among women is real. Levy states alarming statistics: 70 percent of women do not orgasm during intercourse. The percentages, in fact, are getting higher rather than lower. If feminism was meant to be, among other things, an arena in which to develop a heightened sense of connection for a woman to her own body, the rise of raunch is built around male fantasy rather than female fantasy, the predominant theme being one of subjugation of the woman rather than her pleasure. Sex has become sport rather than a manifestation of affection or even of attraction. Levy quotes the "Hite Report" from 1976, a report of female sexuality that should have opened doors, but has become increasingly a prediction of today's abandonment of exploring what a woman really wants and needs, dominated instead by male wants and needs: "Female sexuality has been essentially a response to male sexuality and intercourse. There has rarely been any acknowledgment that female sexuality might have a complex nature of its own which would be more than just the logical counterpart of male sexuality."

The mystery of the new FCP is that while she shuns "girly-girls" from her social life, she is fixated on them for entertainment. Seeking power in the board room, she still looks to raunch (i.e. girly-girls) when she steps out of the board room. Does this make sense? Why is womanhood still being considered as something from which to escape, something less than manhood? As long as women emulate men in and outside of the boardroom in how they express their strength, their smarts, and their sexuality, they are still making a statement that to be a woman is to be inferior.

Levy explores the culture of raunch among youth, those scantily clad young women dressed as Levy calls it, "the slut uniform," and the paradox of dressing to be gawked at and touched, even while that is the last thing these young women crave. When asked, it is not promiscuity they crave, but acceptance, popularity among peers, and as youth will, they are simply reflecting the raunch their parents have allowed to infiltrate mass media. One female teen expresses it this way: "To dress the skankiest, I know that sounds terrible, but that would be the one way we [girls] compete... I wanted guys to want me, to want to hook up with me, I guess, even though I *didn't* want to hook up with them. I always wanted the guys to think I was the hottest one."

As a feminist, I read that statement and once again wonder, along with Levy, is this progress? The greatest achievement for a young woman today is to be considered "hot"? To seduce, even while dreading the result of that seduction? Because as Levy examines this line of thinking to its ugly end, these girls do, far too often, give in to the boys who want to "hook up" to them, but rarely is sexual gratification returned. More times than not, the pleasure is one-sided. Indeed, the girls don't even seem to want a return 'favor.' They simply want to be accepted.

This shockingly similar attitude appears among sex workers, those women today's pop culture wishes to emulate. "The cultural dominance of the porn-star fantasy is that it defies control. Porn stars are quite firmly under various controls. Most obviously, they are under corporate control. Sex workers are *workers.* They are having sex... because they are paid to, not because they are in the mood to... sex is supposed to be something we do for pleasure or as an expression of love. The best erotic models, then, would seem to be the women who get the most pleasure out of sex, not the women who get the most money for it."

Levy explores the theory that most sex workers are victims of sexual abuse, and finds basis for the estimates that as many as 90 percent have suffered sexual trauma, two-thirds suffer from post-traumatic stress, a number twice as high as Vietnam vets. "There is something twisted about using a predominantly sexually traumatized group of people as our erotic role models." Even Jenna Jameson writes, "To this day, I still can't watch my own sex scenes." In describing what she does, Jameson writes about sex: "It was a weapon I could exploit mercilessly."

Levy concludes that the raunch culture is not a pursuit of female sexuality, but an abandonment of it. "No matter how much porn you watch, you will end up with a limited knowledge of your own sexuality because you still won't know how these things *feel.* That will depend on who you do them with, what kind of mood you're in when you do, whether you feel safe or scared." Looking at porn, Levy writes, is like looking at a chart of the food pyramid and claiming that you have enjoyed a feast.

"The proposition that having the most simplistic, plastic stereotypes of female sexuality constantly reiterated throughout our culture somehow proves that we are sexually liberated and personally empowered has been offered to us, and we have accepted it. But if we think about it, we know this just doesn't make any sense. It's time to stop nodding and smiling uncomfortably as we ignore the crazy feeling in our heads and admit that the emperor has no clothes."

I couldn't agree more with Levy, that "sex is one of the most interesting things we as humans have to play with, and we've reduced it to polyester underpants and implants. We are selling ourselves unbelievably short... Our national love of porn and pole dancing is not the byproduct of a free and easy society with an earthy acceptance of sex. It is a desperate stab at freewheeling eroticism in a time and place characterized by intense anxiety. What are we afraid of? Everything... which includes sexual freedom and *real* female power... there are other choices... options as wide as the variety of human desire."

In her Afterword, Levy mentions "many letters from men confirming my gut feeling that reducing sexuality to a commercial formula is no better for them than for us." One can only hope so. But, either way, it is time for women to stop behaving like bottom-of-the-barrel men, and get back on track exploring what it means to be a strong and competent, confidant and fully sensual woman. Now, that's revolutionary. And sexy.

52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intelligent and relevant look at gender politics, November 18, 2006

By	Gregory Baird (Morristown, NJ) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture (Paperback)

I discovered "Female Chauvinist Pigs" when its author, Ariel Levy, appeared on an episode of The Colbert Report to talk about her book. I was deeply impressed with her -- an intelligent, funny, confidant, and down-to-earth woman -- and the subject matter of her book, compelling me to go out and buy it. Levy examines the current state of feminism in a society that has been infiltrated by "raunch culture." This term refers to the rise of porn and sexuality into the mainstream, whether through porn star Jenna Jameson becoming a prominent media figure and a bestselling novelist, the success of female-exploitation products like the "Girls Gone Wild" DVD series, women enrolling in cardio striptease classes at gyms across America, or the popularity of instructional lap dance videos and classes. Women have embraced their sexuality as the ultimate expression of empowerment, proclaiming that this is the new face of feminism. But Levy isn't so sure that raunch culture is as feminist as these women seem to think it is, and sets about debunking that belief through a series of interviews and research assignments going back five years. She aims to prove that the women at the forefront of this new movement are not the ultimate feminists but the result of a misguided mutation of the feminist movement that has produced female chauvinists instead of feminists: women who espouse the same stereotypical views about women and womanhood that a male chauvinist would have, sort of like a gay republican. Suddenly women seem to want to be one of the boys and are desperate not to get labelled a 'girly girl' -- the ultimate slander in raunch culture. The way to achieve this, Levy argues, is to dress and act like a stripper. But where is the liberation in this? Men don't have to undress to become powerful beings -- and we certainly aren't under as much aesthetic pressure as women. Instead of liberating themselves, these women are trapping themselves in the very same system that has degraded them for centuries. Wanting to act like a man implies that there is something unpleasant about womanhood that must be escaped from.

The proliferation of sex is particularly troubling to Levy, and in her interviews it becomes astonishingly clear that the women who are pursuing empowerment through a sort of sexual revolution are feeling very empty about their sexuality. Almost all of the women she speaks to admit that they don't get much pleasure out of their intimacies, but keep seeking out meaningless sex for various reasons (they don't want to be seen as a prude, they want to keep adding notches to their belt, they want bragging rights, etc.). What, then, is the point in increasing your sexual productivity if the results aren't gratifying to you? And why go to the extremes of mini-skirts, waxing, cleavage-and-midriff-baring tops, implants, lifts, tucks, and such to attract men if your goal is to develop a sense of self worth? A male interview subject points out that "what girls don't understand is guys always want girls. If every girl dressed casually, you'd still like girls. It's like, you don't have to exhaust yourself." And why emulate strippers and porn stars? Research shows that the vast majority of women in the sex industry are the products of sexual abuse, and in interviews they never mention deriving pleasure from their work so much as a feeling of revenge. Furthermore, strippers and porn stars are paid to simulate sexual gratification -- so how can anyone presume to find sexual liberation in imitating an imitation?

If I have a complaint with Levy's work, it's that she sometimes makes errors in her pop culture references and interpretations. She refers to rapper Snoop Dogg as Snoop Doggy Dogg -- a name he hasn't gone by for years. She also incorrectly identifies the first single from Paris Hilton's album (although I cannot fault her for not wanting to get more specifics on that abomination). These are relatively minor mistakes, but for a young woman like Levy they feel surprising to me. The big one was that I felt that she really misinterpreted "Sex and the City" big time. Yes, the show did start out with Carrie wanting to "have sex like a man" and dealt with sex as a commercial commodity -- but the genius of the show was that its multi-faceted, complex characters really grew and developed over the years, and in the end they all found themselves in serious relationships -- leaving the offensive aspects of raunch culture behind them.

Having said that, I am impressed with the depth of insight Levy offers to her research and her involvement in the subject matter. She makes a very clear, convincing argument (even if I was biased to believe it in the first place), and at the very least she is to be commended for bringing the subject up for discussion (indeed, her thesis is relevant not only to gender politics but to differences of race and sexual orientation as well). It's about time someone did, and thank goodness it was an author with the clarity, wisdom and open-mindedness of Ariel Levy.

61 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What kind of culture are we marinating in?, May 25, 2006

By	Amy Tiemann "creator of www.MojoMom.com" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If you haven't spent time in teen/college culture lately, "Female Chauvinist Pigs" will wake you up to the direction we're headed. Young women now think it's normal to want to emulate porn stars. Those twisted values are starting to saturate our culture and reach younger girls each day through products like thong underwear made in girls' size 10. While boys and men are a key part of this equation, Levy's book focuses on females who have been co-opted into "chauvinistic" behavior toward other women.

I am proud to be a progressive feminist, and the saddest thing of all is that some young women think the "Girls Gone Wild" raunch is about empowermenet rather than exploitation. (Who knew I'd feel so old school before age 40?)

The writing in "Female Chauvinist Pigs" could use some polishing, and some ideas called out for more exploration. That said, Levy's work provides an important cultural critique. Still skeptical? A quick browse through the teen universe of My Space will validate Levy's ideas.