Posted by m1s1n (216.228.171.39) on October 26, 2003 at 14:47:03:
In Reply to: Re: Christina Aguilera is a slut. posted by Paul on October 24, 2003 at 16:44:02:
When you refer to something as 'historical' it is important to note that when dealing with gender we can only chart gender roles to around the end of the paleolithic age. From what we've seen in nomadic artifacts in the regions of Mesopotamia, China (along parts of the Yellow River), India, and Africa gender roles were generally equal. It wasn't until societies started settling down and became civilizations that gender roles shifted--and even then some social groups and civilizations continued in a matriarchal fashion for some time.
I feel Christina isn't a victim of culture per se--she's more a victim of media exploitation. It shows that our culture loves certain themes. One of those themes is the young vixen. At one point it was Marilyn Monroe and it continued through Madonna, Jane Fonda, and even Traci Lords. But you are right-- we both shun and worhship this dichotomy of 'innocent' and 'skank'. A woman--especially a media figure--can never sit between those extremes at one point. You are either the whore or the mother.