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Dr. Laura's Nude Pictures

useless and misogynistic political rhetorics

Forum: WMST-L
Date: 05/31/2001

At 5:42 PM -0700 5/31/01, Tietjen, Linda wrote:

As a librarian, I listen to Dr. Schlessinger, aka "Dr. Laura." in self-defense. She refers to librarians and the ALA (American Library Assn.) as a "bunch of porn peddlers" and "part of the evil empire." (!) Guess she's afraid we'll show kids the naked pix of HER on the Internet, which she posed for before she got her "family values."

And the photos were supposed to remain private, but her stupid ex-boyfriend decided to cash in on them. Then some equally stupid male liberals thought publicizing these nude pictures of her was a great way to humiliate and ridicule her - because she was a woman - and you as a feminist are joining them? Com'on, you and I both have major problems with Dr. Laura's positions, and she has made comments that offended both of us, but why would you need to perpetuate this type of misogyny in order to make the point?

Besides, having nude pictures taken by a boyfriend does not even contradict "family values" ideology (it would be different if the photo was taken at an orgy or she was a commercial porn star), so even as a political rhetoric it's failing (okay, the fact that she had dated this creep in the first place *does* contradict her usual advice, but can't someone give advices based on what they have learned from their past mistakes?). What's the point here? I don't see anything other than the idea that showing or referring to a woman's nude pictures is the easiest way to humiliate her, threaten her, and dismiss her views.

Emi Koyama <emi@survivorproject.org>
--
http://eminism.org/ * Putting the Emi back in Feminism since 1975.