I don't know about this read of these images. the BDSM community is very pro-woman and feminist conscious. Here's a little article on the topic. It may be too brief to do the argument justice but it's a taste: http://www.uncharted-worlds.org/bdsm/bdsmfnsm.htm

Also McClintock's Imperial Leather (a feminist classic) is a good intro to the complexity of submission and dominance in sex.

Obviously, in advertising, these images aren't necessarily referring to BDSM culture, but I wonder if the analysis that "This fits in well with our cultural beliefs that women have power over men because men want sex and will allow themselves to be manipulated by women in order to get it" is too simplistic regarding the nature of dominance and submission in sexuality AND how it's complexly interpreted by the "average" person.

"So women can supposedly control men by threatening to withhold sex until they get what they want."
Are these woman "withholding" sex? I suppose if sex is defined as intercourse strictly, then maybe, but these images depict sex acts as far as the fetishist/BDSM culture is concerned... for more,

"And is it not possible to just have some images where men and women are equals and no one has to be dominant? Is that out of the question?"

I think it might just be actually. Sex intrigues in advertising because it teases (withholds power until one purchases X). If we are talking about sexual images in general, than that would be a problem, but if we are looking at ads specifically, it seems like depicting loving equality would be simply ineffective.

I think you are misunderstanding what I was saying. I wasn't saying that those ads show women withholding sex or that S&M is particularly problematic for women. My point was that it's interesting that in those ads where we see a reversal of the ever-so-common motif where men are taller than/loom over/have control of/direct women, it's in a sexual scenario (all of these ads use sexualized images), and that I think this might have something to do with the way that we construct men as helpless slaves to their sexual urges. Movies, TV shows, and other media images imply that if women don't get what they want, they'll cut off sexual access, and that men will do things they don't want to do to get to have sex again (the husband that goes to the opera, for instance).

So I'm just thinking it's unlikely to be coincidental that we see the reversal of gender power motifs most often in combination with sexualization of (beautiful, thin) women who are in control in the picture. Images that show men in control do not necessarily (or even often) show them in specifically sexualized poses--when we see ads where the guy is driving the car (while the wife is in the passenger seat, he's not sexualized.

I am unconvinced that sex = teasing = power imbalance or that there's no other way to have men and women together in ads. But mostly I was being rhetorical.

One might also think of the idea of "sex war"/"battle of the sexes", and of the popular mischaracterisation of feminism as a movement to dominate men, Both ideas serve to give an impression of a level playing-field, that gender inequality is a tit-for-tat situation. These images play into that - that if men are not dominant then women will dominate men. Or as you say, why is dominance so easily sexualised, and not equality?

Okay Gwen! Thanks for the clarification! Am I a drone of hegemony to think that sexuality based in equality will never be marketable the way power relations are? Even in an ideal world of 100% equality, can sex and power ever be separated? I honestly don't think so.

I think there should be a place where men can learn their proper place in submission and obedience to women. Women are superior to men.

@Pop Feminist: " ... can sex and power ever be separated?"

Why would anyone ever want sex and power to be separated?

These advertisement images are very empowering for women and reflect the growing phenomena of women increasing in power and social agency. The notion of gender equality is an illusionary cultural contruct in Western society that has no analogous counterpart in nature. Creating images of this cultural idea will not make it a reality in the social structure of society, nor change the fact that Western culture is a product of phallocentrism.

And yes in ancient and modern times women have employed the witholding of sex in order to regulate male behavior, especially destructive male behavior which has been detrimental to the well being of women and children and the stability of communities. This is called the SEX STRIKE. It was what enabled Liberia to end its decade long brutal civil war and elect a female president.

The emergence of female dominance in culture would actually reflect a more synthetic, dynamic and realistic expression of nature.

I think that it's interesting how most of these images have women who are disembodied- you only see limbs, legs, or feet. There are no faces here- so although BDSM culture may be pro-feminist, the use of it here is certatinly not.

I love it!!! I am not a submissive man, however in my view and in my desire to please satisfy and protect a woman..I find great pleasure in giving her complete control (without feminizing her man or attempting to emasculate him)..It is Physically obvious a man is dominant, I will gladly serve my queen in any way that gives her the greatest pleasure and peace. Indeed there comes the point after the foreplay however, when the rolls switch sexually at the peak of her arousal is when she needs to be taken rough, dirty and hard while holding the reins lol..Without mutual respect all relationships are useless...

Women rule I'm a slave for one I should know

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