To feel disgusted that Elle magazine are touting porn star Sasha Grey as a "feminist"?

[Scarletohello]

So I have seen a lot of porn and Sasha Grey is a very popular porn star. Mainly because she does very extreme stuff, for example the kind of scenes where she is gagged with a man's cock to the extent that she us virtually vomiting. And she acts like she is loving it. One of the quotes in the magazine article from one of her films is, " Rip my fucking holes open". It's the most brutal, mistogynistic, woman hating porn you can possibly experience. And she is talking about it as being liberating and empowering for women. I'm no prude but her stuff sickens me. And now she's written an erotic novel and has an interview in Elle magazine where the cover line is, " writer, actress, feminist,porn star".
Makes me absolutely despair of where we as women have come to if she is being described as a "feminist". She is absolutely everything anti feminist to me. Any thoughts? Also if you have never seen her stuff, prepare to be appauled...

[Sparhawk]

YADNBU

[BinksToEnlightenment]

Well maybe some women actually like giving blow jobs like that and think other women can just butt the hell out of it.

[FasterStronger]

binks - what's to like about gagging? anyway, she is being paid to do it, so you have no reason to think she would do that for her own pleasure.

[CloudsAndTrees]

I've never heard of the woman, but if she feels empowered and is successful doing what she does, and she identifies herself as a feminist, then who are you to tell her she isn't one?

Whether she is or she isn't feminist is about her state of mind, not what you thnk a feminist should be.

[BinksToEnlightenment]

What's to like about how you perform oral sex? I don't know, I'm not you. But your style of blow job shouldn't exclude you from the feminist club.

How far are dicks allowed in my mouth before I automatically hate all other women?

I just think it's nuts to use that as a yardstick.

[FasterStronger]

not being a feminist does not equal she is a misogynist

you cannot be a feminist and a misogynist but you can be neither.

[FasterStronger]

its just the pornification of feminism.

[Scarletohello]

Clouds and trees- I suggest you watch some of her stuff and tell me if you feel the same. I've watched a lot of porn and some of it can be erotic, exciting, taboo but her stuff literally makes me feel ill. I strongly feel women, especially mothers should watch some porn just to see what their partners, sons and men in general are watching.. And expecting, and normalising...

[BinksToEnlightenment]

My point remains the same. What you do or don't like to do in bed has no bearing on being a feminist. It doesn't mean anything about you.

[Thisisaeuphemism]

I'm usually pleased when young women call themselves feminist but yeah, it's weird that someone who's career is about servicing men in the most brutal fashion would see herself in that way.
Getting choked is like, so empowering...

[Mintyy]

Yanbu.

[Rufus20]

"I just think it's nuts to use that as a yardstick."

Snigger

[Katiekitty]

Shame on you Elle magazine.

[ElectricSoftParade]

YANBU.

[BinksToEnlightenment]

Can a woman not just enjoy what ever it is she enjoys without worrying about whether it's empowering? How feminist is that? Why should the onus be on her to make sure she's not doing the world a disservice while getting her rocks off?

[Katiekitty]

Someone, somewhere has got very rich off this magazine feature.

I'm guessing top of the pile ain't Sasha.

[badguider]

Hmm... I'd want to know what she says in her interview. Wikipedia calls her a 'former porn actress'...

I agree that her films sound anti-feminist... but wouldn't want to judge without reading her actual thoughts and opinions now.

[Darkesteyes]

In this months Marie Claire (June issue) Katie Glass had a go at directing a feminist porn film.
There was a young woman in this film called Ashley.
Do you know the saddest thing that jumped out at me from the whole article about this ... when Ashley mentioned her job to her hairdresser, her hairdresser didnt want to touch her hair any more.
That made me feel incredibly sad. Because its just one example of the prejudice that female porn stars face. Its slut shaming and it sickens me. Porn stars are people just like anyone else and Ashley comes across as a lovely person.
Katie Glass came to the conclusion that so called feminist porn is just as exploitative as other porn and when the completed film was given to her she decided not to watch it.

[Scarletohello]

She's actually a multi millionaire from the career she's had, very unusual these days but it's because of the extreme stuff she's willing to do. I'll say again, I'm not anti porn or anti extreme sex or experimentation or role playing, yes that can be empowering if done consciously and with respect and communication, in fact that is what bdsm is all about, but her stuff ( to me) isn't about that, and I worry about what message that's giving to young men when they see that kind of stuff...

[Pontouf]

She's not just getting her rocks off though is she? This isn't what she's doing in the privacy of her own bedroom, she's performing for the titillation of men, she's portraying an image of women, normalising that behaviour.

[FasterStronger]

I would find it more accurate if she was described as a business women rather than feminist.

porn is more about money than sex.

[Katiekitty]

Binks, I'm glad you're here, can you clear this one up for me?

What's the difference between:

a) a porn actress/actor

and

b) a porn star?

I'm not sure myself and wonder about the correct terminology.
Genuine question.

[EhricLovesTeamQhuay]

YANBU
binks, the issue isn't really what she enjoys doing, it's the fact that she gets paid to enact really aggressive, woman hating sex acts for money, the consumption of which actively harms men and women, by perverting sexual norms and raising expectations that harmful and violent sexual behaviour is normal or expected. Hard to see that as compatible with feminism really.

[lopsided]

Darkesteyes

I'm not saying I agree but I do think some professions are very damaging to society. I have little respect for porn stars and these sort of irritating articles are just trying to make it main stream. I feel sorry for those that are being exploited but for those with the power and choices I'm afraid I don't respect them and I'd be ashamed if this was my child ( boy or girl).

[cocolepew]

YANBU.
I read that article after buying Elle for the freebie. The whole magazine is shite.