Thursday, April 5, 2012

Film Review of Live Nude Girl


What is the main thesis of this film? That sex workers should treated as human. Dancers should be given fair wages with no discrimination at work.  One claim is that they made no provisions for sick days, gave Caucasian dancers priority in scheduling over African-Americans.

What were the main arguments in support of the thesis?

The dancers at the Lusty Lady have tuition to pay and children to rise, and the claims they make are the followings: job security, paid sick days, a safe working environment. Before the organizing drive began, the film asserts, dancers were routinely fired and non-white dancers were usually discriminated against.  As I was watching on the film, the working condition is shown to be worse for the dancers without the protections of union and there is no good treatment to workers. In the film, some women insist that exotic dancing and other sex work is inherently degrading. Others find it a liberating expression of free choice and sexual independence. The argument supported by this is that sex workers should not be treated as trash or bad people because of their occupations; they are daughters and mothers too.

 How does the thesis of this film relate to the course? It is how social construction began in the society. I think it is related to sociology of deviant because it deals with how our society gives label to people who are doing some jobs that they like but society still ignore them. This deviant job and deviant label that come with sex work is clearly relate to this course. Our society examines and gives label to those individuals who prefer to do sex work as deviant simply because of their job.  However, women stand up for themselves in peep show and strip clubs as well as other areas of sex work to show their rights. But I saw in the film that some individuals responded with attack or threats to sex workers with harassment and patronizing results as these women fought for rights in the film. This film is related to sexual deviance: “Sex Work” that we have been discussing this week in sociology class. It also refers to the online reading “Humanizing Sex Work” by De Mello. She wants us to view sex workers as individuals rather than a trash.  I think the film is related an article “Where am I Going to Stop?” by Wesley on our text, Reading in Deviant Behavior.

Which arguments/points did you find the most convincing?  I think I find the argument of the sex workers convincing. An argument that stands out the most for me is that women are paying to go to work.  Sex work has long been criticized and stigmatized in our society. While many members of society view sex work as immoral and degrading to women, I may argue that sex work is basically just work and that it is not necessarily harmful to women. I find that prostitution is part of income and that sex workers can do if they want. Many workers earn a living by exerting a strong aspect of their personality. For instance, Managers are paid for their leadership abilities, teachers for their patience, and waiters for their extroversion. Why, then, is it wrong for a prostitute to profit from her sexuality?

Which arguments/points did you find the least convincing?

The least convincing argument is when they say that woman should not be prostituting. If they don’t, who would give them something to survive with?  I think sex work is a work and not necessarily harmful to women, and presented conditions that would reduce risks to sex workers. I think woman have right to make informed decisions about her own body, and laws that govern sex work. Who get to decide what people or woman can do to survive in the society.

Choose one argument, point or question that most stands out for you. How would you study this point? Briefly design a research study around that point. I would do my research on two or four strip club to see the conditions of worker. First, I would want to collect pieces of information from both main and small strip clubs and dancers, and see which treats its employees better.  Next, I would like to see which one treats the employee better.  Finally, I would report the situation of each one and with the suggestion of what could be done to change their situation. 

Citation:

Addrain, Conyers, Thio, Alex, Thomas C and Calhoun, 2010.  Readings in Deviant Behavior.  6th ed. Boston, MA: Allyn & Ba. 1975

K. Wesley, “Where am I Going to Stop?” Exotic Dancing, Fluid Body Boundaries, and effect on identity,” Deviant Behavior (2003)

De Mello  (2011) “Humanizing Sex Work”  the societypages.org/socimages/2011/10/12/humanizing-sex-workers/






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