Reaction to Female Chauvinist Pigs

What shocked me about this text?

I was shocked that so many young women are willing to take their clothes off for free. It shocks me that a lot of young girls dream of one day being in GGW or Playboy. Something that I would be ashamed of, these girls are proud of. It makes me sad to see the standard that society sets for young girls and the lack of morals.

What surprised me about this text?

I was surprised to learn all the aspects of the gay community like all the labels. For example, “boi”, “butch”, or “femme”. I had no idea there were so many variations and to learn that not all gay people get along and agree with each is also surprising. I honestly thought that they would stick together, not bring each other down, because that’s the last thing they need.

How is this text different/similar to the other texts we have read in class?

Female Chauvinist Pigs is very similar to Hip-Hop Revolution because they both go into great detail about how women degrade themselves. For example, Lil’ Kim, she demonstrates a strong intelligent woman who tries to flip negativity about her gender into something positive, but to me it sort of backfires in her face. She is still using the same derogatory language that men use, and no matter who says it, it still has the same meaning. That can be compared to FCMs because they have the same beliefs of Lil’ Kim and feel that if they act as men they will gain more respect. It is different from Branded because Branded focuses more on the external influences that make young girls do what they do, while Female Chauvinist Pigs focuses more on the issues within the person.

Do I have any personal experience with the text? If so, what?

Personally, I don’t know any feminists or FCPs but, I definitely have been exposed to this “raunch culture” and it is sad to say but I have also found myself wearing low-cut shirts, tight jeans, and short shorts. I do not, however have dreams of being in Playboy or GGW so I do not completely associate myself with these women.