Friday, November 5, 2010
Dehumanizing Behavior?
In Eli Clares "Across the Grain" is talk a lot about sexual objectification. She seem to have some wavering about whether or not Ellen Stohl in playboy was right or wrong. I mean if this type of behavior shows women as objects what good could come from it. It seem to just normalize here the social mountain. On the other hand she mentions that it puts disabled people out there as be sexual beings. This could be a way to rationalize it as something good but what does its affects have in the long run. There already treat as almost not be people. Some of there humanity has already been taken away. By doing something that make one viewed as an object, doesn't that make them even more less human in their eyes. Wouldn't this in the long run possible create an reinforce urge to rape and molest more disabled. Rape for what we call able people occur against women or men view as sexual objects to fulfill their sexual desire. If this is the case why even think of encouraging such a behavior by saying anything good about. So is this type of behavior truly beneficial for able bodies and disables alike?
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You do a good job in discussing the pros and cons, as Clare sees them, of Ellen Sthol's depiction in Playboy. I think you are correct in suggesting that in the long term the sexual objectification of individuals with disabilites in the media and popular culture would not be desirable and would not ultimately lead to progressive views on disability.
ReplyDeleteI love how you refer the Clare's metaphoric mountain as "the social mountain." This is an excellent way of looking at this metaphor. I think I will use this term the next time I teach Exile & Pride in order to give students a better understand of the mountain.