Erin wrote Sometimes showing women in power situations is still misogynistic
in origin. For example, men who have fantasies about dominatrixes (sp?) or
nymphomaniacs who "force themselves" on men. These are still powerful
women, but the origin of that power comes from men who are letting the
women be powerful because it suits their fantasy life, not because it's
what the women truly want. Feminist concepts of power are often very
different from masculine conceptions of power.
I couldn't agree more. I don't know if anyone else has ever read or tried to
read the classic, indeed, eponymous, masochistic classic Venus in Furs by
Leopold von Sacher Masoch, but what it's roughly about is a young man who
meets a woman in (I think) an Alpine resort: initially all she wants is a
real mutual love affair but he keeps wanting her to dominate him. I suppose
it's possible to read her eventual reaction to the situation--becoming a total
bitch, tying up the hero and having sex with another man in front of him--as
an embittered response to his quirks rather than collusion with them. But it
seemed to me in general to illustrate the axiom that the masochist is actually
controlling the scenario.
Lesley
Lesley_Hall@classic.msn.com
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