not quite a rant...

[ratcreature]

...but am I the only one who's somewhat put off by the whole terminology that Sweet Charity thing uses? The way they use "ho" in their slogans and frequently refer to participants as "hos", I mean. I've seen the charity auction linked on my f-list quite often, so even though I don't intend to participate I checked out the site, and their "I want to be a Charity Ho!" and so on really rubs me the wrong way.

I get that it's supposed to be a play on selling our talents to a bidder, or funny, or maybe clever for merging the old madonna-whore polarity into one "charity ho", or whatever, and that fandom appropriated related terms before, like in "pimping a fandom", which somehow doesn't bother me as much though, but still.

Comments

[liviapenn.livejournal.com]

No, I think it's kind of tacky myself. *shrugs* I'm participating, but I prefer not to think of myself as somebody's ho. ^_^

[ratcreature]

It's reassuring to hear that not everyone likes that site scheme. There's just so many people using icons with stuff from their picture gallery, like pinup girls holding "Buy Me!" or "Charity Ho" signs, that has me kind of flailing, because I don't find it particularly funny or clever.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

I thought it was only me, because so many bloggers keep calling their friends hos.

[ratcreature]

Seriously? It's a widespread thing in blogs? I thought it was just used because of the whole "sell yourself!" thing in the auction.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

No :( I've seen it for a couple of years now and it made me sick and upset, it was used like squee and yay: bitch, ho. I bet there's a whole empowerment blabla to back it up, but I disagree with the flimsy false arguments. Rappers don't think women are cool when they say "bros before hos", and saying the scantily clad prositutioning females in icons are taking back the whatever doesn't change the fact that it looks and feels the same as "really meant" sexism and exploitation. *shuts up again*

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

Wow, I'm as upset and annoyed as ratcreature. I hadn't seen that, but I'm really not surprised.

Ss for the Charity? I still think there's a huge difference between using the term pimping (which, yes, has some seriously problematic connotations) and ho. ...

[ratcreature]

Yeah, I find "ho" more problematic as well. I think it still wouldn't have bothered me this much if it had been like one or two link banners with this for people who like this kind of thing, different strokes and all that, whatever. But the whole site scheme is like that. The link names on the site ("555-call-me" for the contact link and so on), throughout the FAQ participants are referred to as "hos", the link banners with pictures they offer have scantily clad pinup girls on them... it's just so pervasive.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Oh, good - I wasn't sure if you were for the "reacquisition" of terms like "bitch" or not.

And I know that "porn" also comes/used to mean "prostitute" and know that I'm more upset about most stuff than others. Still.

Ss?
Yeah, pimping I don't mind because from the way I have seen it used, it crosses all over.

[ratcreature]

I interpreted "ss" in this context as "sex sells".

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

*nods* right (I use SS for Social Services ... which erm is similar?)

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

As. LOL

It's my horrendous typing skills and not having a paid account any more :D

[ratcreature]

Heh. So you have to live with your meaning being mangled and interpreted by the readers even more than usual.;)

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

I love your sex sells interpretation!

I have an entire chapter on the English title of a German novel and the varied readings afforded in it...except that in German that's not true... *headdesk*

[The Reader - Der Vorleser]

[ratcreature]

*sporfle*

Yeah, I guess English doesn't have an unambiguous word for "Vorleser", has it? I mean, the translation is correct, it just introduced ambiguities that the German title lacks.

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

That ambiguity gave me like half a dozen pages of serious analysis and inquiry :)

I almost died when I got the German book...and then kept it anyway :D

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

See, and I thought the terminology was being used because Sweet Charity is the name of a musical about a prostitute (well...a "taxi dancer" in Fosse's American version, but definitely based on the story of a prostitute)

"Big Spender" Lyrics:

The minute you walked in the joint
I could see you were a man of distinction
A real big spender
Good looking, so refined
Say wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind?

So let me get right to the point
I don't pop my cork for every guy I see
Hey, big spender!
spend a little time with me

Do you wanna have fun, fun, fun?
How's about a few laughs, laughs?
I can show you a good time
Let me show you a good time

(etc.)

You're right that fandom uses a lot of highly sexualized vacabulary - and often related to prostitution - but this entire fund raising venture is named after something specifically related to "selling yourself" in that exact context.

[ratcreature]

Huh. I never even heard of that musical. It doesn't make the site theme much more attractive to me though, that it refers to a musical about a prostitute. I mean, the "sell yourself" references and such and the reference to that musical, okay, but calling participants "ho" constantly in the FAQ, I really disliked that.

[bethbethbeth.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree...It's just that clearly the folks who put it together originally were thinking about the 'ho' connection when they named the community. Sweet Charity does good work, but I can't say that I'm impressed with the terminology either.

[yahtzee63.livejournal.com]

I also find it annoying and the opposite of empowering, but as it's lighthearted and for a good cause, I shrug it off. But I have NO IDEA what they were thinking.

[ratcreature]

I have no issues with their purpose either. I just wish their site theme was maybe a little less pervasive, I guess.