Feminist Thought Rosemarie Tong Analysis

In Feminist Thought, author Rosemarie Tong writes about women’s different reactions to pornography. Radical-libertarian feminists celebrate pornography and want women to use it to their advantage. Radical-cultural feminists see mainstream pornography as harmful to women and think that it degrades their sexuality. In this essay, I will argue for the radical-cultural feminist viewpoint that pornography has negative consequences for women, and I will also take their argument further, contending that it can have negative consequences for heterosexual romantic relationships. According to Tong, radical-libertarian feminists urge women to use pornography to overcome their fears about sex, to arouse sexual desires, and to generate sexual fantasies (68). Radical-libertarian feminists think that women …show more content…
They might stop finding pleasure from and engaging in sexual activity because they do not want to always have to cater to men, or put themselves in the position of ignoring their own needs to put a man’s needs first or find themselves subjected to abusive behaviors from which they do not get enjoyment (such as being spanked or slapped too hard, being name-called, etc.) —It is 2015, and gender equality is important, even in the bedroom. If some women who are uncomfortable with and offended by pornography do not feel required to conform to their male partner’s desires, they still might internalize the misogyny of pornography, adding to the baggage they already feel from living in a male-dominated world. If they choose not to engage in acts with which they are uncomfortable, they may face guilt from their