Analyzing The Undiscussed: Sex Edition

Corinne Fisher and Krystyna Hutchinson are two comedians who are not afraid to talk about the subject that has been on everyone's minds but never actually spoken about. These women have weekly Anti-Slut Shaming podcasts to bear it all called “Guys We Fu*ked.”  They did an interview with Huffington Post where they discussed topics on the show. 

I believe that this podcast relates well back to the Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of Sensibility by Rosalind Gill.  

In the interview with Huffington Post, both women were asked if they considered themselves feminists they both agreed that they were.

Corinne said, "Yeah, I like to call myself a modern feminist. I loved the Spice Girls because they dressed however they wanted and they rocked their hot bodies, but they were still promoting a really positive message. And I think to say that to be a feminist you can’t show off your body or be overtly sexual is bullsh*t. Jesus, if I can’t wear a miniskirt in my 20s, when can I?"

Krystyna said, "I don’t shy away from the word “feminist.” I think it’s unfortunate that people have a negative connotation of that term and I’m guilty of being that way too, sometimes. I find myself saying, “Well, I’m not like a feminist or anything, but...” But what feminism means to me is owning your sh*t. And under that definition I am absolutely a feminist."

 These women are catalysts for the postfeminist movement.  They want to make it acceptable for women AND men to openly talk about sex which I think is a major factor in the feminist movement.  Many people say they don’t need feminism because they want equality.  The funny thing is feminism is in fact equality.  Men and women having equal rights and standards.  These girls incorporate this into their show really well because they look at both sides of their tell-all stories.  A huge component of their show is interviewing men and getting the real truth.  In one episode they interviewed a fellow comedian named Vinnie about his experiences with degrading women during sex, and when some acts become degrading and when they're acceptable.  This relates to Dr. Rosalind Gill's Sensibility "from sex object to desiring sexual subject."  In that text she states how women are choosing to subject themselves in a seemingly objectified manner just because they want to. These relate because instead of women being objectified in porn, women are choosing to do these things on their own.  And in the podcast Corinne discussed how she loved doing the raunchy porn-like sexual things so she didn't think they were degrading; Whereas, Krystyna wasn't into it so she would have felt like it was degrading.  Normally, these things would never be acceptable to discuss but since it’s postmodern feminism it’s ok. 

Another sensibility displayed is Irony and Knowingness.  Gill talks about how a large role for the media is translating communication between men and women in a funny way.  This is exactly what is being done in their podcasts.  They literally interview men that they have slept with, and then they make fun of what happened.  Another aspect of irony is in their interview with Huffington Post they said that sometimes they get comments saying “Oh, I’d love to f**k those sluts.” But they said that they can’t get angry about comments like that because they’re calling themselves out on being an ignorant a**hole. 

They also stated how they speak graphically about sex, and how they are disappointed when they get comments from women saying how disgraceful they are. How can we as women continue our fight for equality when we have other women still trying to tear us down? It goes to show how far we still have to go.  This relates to the sensibility of Feminism and Anti-Feminism.  Another showcase of that was when a listener sent in her story of gender-based violence as a hockey player on a male team.  This goes with both aspects in the sense that the woman was acting on feminism and playing hockey on a male team even though she wasn’t supposed to for the fact that she is a woman.  The girls said that after they posted this podcast they got many comments and support going towards this topic.  The anti-feminist side is that these men were purposefully acting extra violent toward her because she was a woman.  They didn’t treat her as an equal and they surely didn’t go easy on her.

This podcast not only talks about sex, but also sexual health, racial discrimination, domestic violence, and rape.  They encourage listeners to send in advice seeking emails.  This engages listeners because they talk about the things that society seems to be scared of. I think that this is one of the biggest factors of the podcast that contributes to the postmodern feminist in the media culture.  People of the millennial generation are so accustomed to sharing their every thought on social media.  Everyone has questions and opinions on all of those topics that they want to discuss, but may feel afraid or alone on the subject.  This podcast gives viewers an anonymous voice to get advice and feedback on a hot topic of modern society. 

The final sensibility is Individualism, choice and empowerment.  Gill describes this is as women being depicted as following their own desires to “feel good.”  She uses the example of if wearing a thong makes you feel good then by all means you should wear it.  Corinne and Krystyna exemplify this in all of their episodes.  Their entire mantra is that if you want to do it then do it. 

Although their raunchy style may not be for everyone they express support and a voice for both men and women. They convey postmodern feminist ideals through media while making connections with Rosalind Gill’s sensibilities.

Below I connected a link to the podcast that I talked about where they interviewed Vinnie.  It’s a little long but it will give you a better sense of what Corinne and Krystyna stand for.

https://soundcloud.com/guyswefucked/vinnie

Emma Gray, Huffington Post, Meet The Women Changing How We Think About Female Sexuality, One Sex Story At A Time

Rosalind Gill, Postfeminist Media Culture: Elements of a Sensibility