teachtrinity started this discussion ·
An awesome, well thought out and researched reply to the Psychology today post, enjoy :) http://embodypolefitness.com/pole-dancing-is-absolutely-empowering-women-rebuttal-to-goal-auzeen-saedi/
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Very thought out response. Much more well-written than anything I've seen this far. I like how the bottom even addresses how should try pole dancing, albeit at particular studio, as it could change her mind. As a scholar, she should know better than to publish a piece without first doing research. After reading the Psychology Today post it immediately reminded me of another post I saw earlier in the year about the opposite mindset - reclaiming the pole. A good response to anyone who says that women pole dance to spice up their bedroom or that they just see a pole and want to grind on it: "Having a pole in your bedroom to spice up your sex life is as close to pole dancing as me riding my bike to grab a newspaper is to Olympic cyclists." - http://soulearthling.wordpress.com/2013/03/30/reclaiming-the-pole-and-the-mat/ For me, pole dancing is much more personal. It practically saved my life to some degree. Reading the Psychology Today article came with a bit of unhappiness but mainly sadness that someone could so harshly judge something without first giving it a try. I challenge every skeptic out there to take pole dancing for a spin or at least read something positive about it to see how pole dancing does empower women.
Her response is very good. I guess the only important thing it missess to bring up is that pole dancing has a female audience to largest extent. So it isn't even much of a "creep-attractor". Which I think makes the whole objectification-talk fall to most degree.
I thought the response was alright, and she brought up a lot of great points, especially about objectification. I, personally, may have added a few other things (about the way people become or feel empowered, for example) but I thought she did a really good job. She also took on some of the direct points from the Psychology today article, which I thought was quite brave! Although... my one thing? I live in Canada, and we have that whole freedom thing, too. So do most people in Europe, Iceland, Japan... y'know. It can be a touchy subject for people, and often "freedom" is a very subjective idea. So I think that part is in need of some editing.
