Laura Reese
Feminism and Pornography: An Analysis of SuicideGirls.com
For years, there has been an ongoing debate in America over the con-
troversial issue of pornography. Whether it be in the form of a
photograph, a film, or even a piece of literature, the genre of pornography is
one that forces all types of people to question their own values, beliefs,
and thoughts about sexuality. Pornographic materials, and their
possible effects on society, have caused a heated debate among the feminist
community in America. While some feminists assert that pornography
aids the fight for women’s liberation, others claim that these types of
materials perpetuate gender-role stereotypes and promote violence
against women. This essay not only summarizes the two conflicting
feminist viewpoints on pornography, but applies these viewpoints to a
modern pornographic website, SuicieGirls.com. SuicideGirls.com has
gained popularity largely because of the mission of its founders to pro-
vide an alternative to the mainstream pornography that is available to
adults. By using qualitative methods to analyze different sections of the
website (photos, message boards, etc.), I concluded that although there
are certain aspects of the website that may contribute to the degrada-
tion of women, overall, the website portrays women in a positive way:
celebrating their sexual freedom and expression, giving them power
over their bodies, and de-objectifying them. SuicideGirls.com exempli-
fies the ways in which pornography has the ability to aid feminists in
their fight for equality between genders. Furthermore, this website has
paved the way for the depiction of women in pornography, and in the
media as a whole.
