I’ve recently seen a Funny or Die video starring Amber Rose called “Walk of No Shame.” The video depicts Amber Rose walking out of a home with the last night’s party clothes and heels in her hand. She is first approached by the milk man who walks up to the door and states, “Say, it looks to me like you had sex last night.” Amber happily replied, “I sure did.” As she begins to make the journey to her destination she is often looked at by strangers and congratulated on her sex life. A few of the most inspiring messages about her sexually came from the construction worker who stated, “I respect that you enjoyed yourself last night. I think we can all agree having sex is fun.” In addition, the mayor commends Amber Rose on her confidence as a woman and the choices she makes to celebrate her body.
This video teaches an important lesson about the view of women’s sexuality and the standard at which they are held. The phrases “Walk of Shame” and “Stride of Pride” are not foreign to me and I too deride myself for being so naïve in using those phrases in my past days. Stride of Pride is used as a tool to congratulate men for their sexual “accomplishment” yet it is a humiliation to women. Women are constantly fed the notion that if you are sexually liberated you are a slut but if you withhold you are a prude bitch. But this idea of feminine sexual liberation is one that is strongly tied to women’s self-worth ability to be sexually attractive or available.
Because we live in a culture that creates a space solely for the purpose of male desires, women’s bodies are simultaneously valued for the sexual desirability but shames them for having or even pursuing their own sexual desires. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian novelist states, "we teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are. Feminist: the person who believes in the social political, and economic equality of the sexes.” I understand that not everyone will see the word from the feminist view, but to break down some of the social pressure of hegemonic patriarchy isn’t such a bad thing.
As students of a liberal arts college we must dismantle such judgments and norms. If you aren’t actively fighting against such ideologies then you are part the reproductive cycle of many of the current issues in our world today.
Steele is a senior education studies major from Chicago, Illinois