Sunday, March 18, 2012

Sexy and I Know It… I Mean, If That’s Fine With You Guest Blog with LM Pruitt



When I started writing this post, I thought I had a pretty solid idea of what I’d be writing about—sex. With such a broad subject, it should have been a snap to find a topic to wax prosaic about. Maybe it’s the day, maybe it’s me, or maybe I’m just feeling first guest post jitters, but I’ve been staring at the computer screen for the greater portion of an hour. I’ve written and erased enough material for two posts. None of it feels right.

And then I turned on the television. And found Sucker Punch.

Some people—ok, a lot of people, average Joes and critics combined—thoroughly panned Zach Snyder’s first original film. One of the most common complaints was, according to these folk, Snyder’s marginalization and essentially exploitation of women. Even though Sucker Punch was billed as a fantasy-action adventure type of film, both genres in which women historically play small, side-line parts, critics viewed the dream within a dream within a sucky reality as demeaning, mainly because of the costuming, but also because of the “first level” dream.

I may lose some people here—but I’m calling bullshit.

We say a film is exploitive and marginalistic because of how the characters are dressed sexy? Really?

Because that’s the impression given by the various reviews and general backlash. Not that there are plot holes (which there are) or that the timeline can be confusing and the story is, for lack of a better term, fantastical (both of which are valid complaints as well). But that Snyder’s choice to put the females of the picture in revealing clothing objectified them, thus detracting from the story.

And again—I’m calling bullshit.

I may be in the minority, but I honestly didn’t think anything of the costuming, besides the fact that some of the outfits would be amazing at Halloween. I didn’t feel like the detracted from the storyline—which, by the way, is a girl trying to escape from a mental institution where she’s been wrongfully imprisoned—because, get this it’s all a dream. People wear some crazy stuff in dreams. Seriously. I’ve had dreams before where everybody was naked and it was totally normal—but I digress.

The characters went in, kicked ass in every level of the dream and at least partially in the reality the movie takes place in, and they managed to do it in heels, short skirts, bustiers, and fishnets. The only thing I think of when I see that is “Damn. I have got to take some sort of martial arts class, because that’s some cool shit.” I don’t see objectification, I don’t see exploitation, I see girls kicking ass.

It’s sad, at least to me, that society has become so politically correct that in order for a woman to be taken seriously she needs to be, for lack of a better term, unsexy. Doubt me? I can think of three Academy Award winners for Best Actress in the last ten years who earned their statute because they played unsexy, ugly roles. Put a woman in dirty clothes, make her a killer, or a woman pretending to be a man and we respect her. Put a woman in a short skirt, and, well—we all know what happens.

To sum it up, which given my intention to ramble is most likely best, looking sexy, being sexy, owning your sexuality isn’t bad. It doesn’t mean you’ve been objectified or exploited. It means you’ve taken control. Which, in case you’re wondering, is pretty damn awesome.

March 16 Tour Launch/Intro
Fang-tastic Books

March 16 review
The Autumn Review

March 17 reviews
Doctors Notes

March 17 Promo and review
SJ Clarke’s Blog

March 18 Guest Blog
Roxanne’s Realm

March 20 review
WTF Are You Reading?

March 24 Spotlight with series review
Cocktails and Books

March 26 Guest blog 
Grave Tells

March 26 Guest blog
J.D. Brown's Blog

March 27 Review

March 30 Guest blog
Louisa Bacio -- Love Knows No Bounds

April 2 Interview and Promo
JeanzBookReadNReview

April 3 Guest blog
Fictional Candy

April 4 Interview
The Speculative Salon:

April 4 Guest blog
Fiction Fascination

April 5 Guest blog
Mama Knows Books-

April 10 When I’m Not Writing Feature
Review
Tynga's Reviews 

April 10 Guest blog
Read2Review 


April 11 reviews
SupaGurl Books

April 12 Promo and review
Reader Girls

April 13 Promo and review
Beverly @ The Wormhole

Shades of Desire


By L.M. Pruitt

Blurb

All I wanted was a little peace and quiet.

Instead, I've got dead Covenant members and a steady stream of letters from the new guy in town. His beverage of choice? A 2002 Merlot, with a shot or two of powerful virgin blood.

On top of that, I'm breaking in a new police liaison, failing at playing matchmaker, and fighting nausea like it's a full time job. All I wanted was a little peace and quiet.

Instead, I've got dead Covenant members and a steady stream of letters from the new guy in town. His beverage of choice? A 2002 Merlot, with a shot or two of powerful virgin blood.

On top of that, I'm breaking in a new police liaison, failing at playing matchmaker, and fighting nausea like it's a full time job.

Did I forget to mention that I've also got enough girls living at the Crossroads to start my own boarding school?

Peace and quiet? Out the window.

--Jude Magdalyn Henries


Buy Links             Kindle    

Book 1 Shades of Grey for your Kindle, in Paperback



About the Author:


L.M. Pruitt has been reading and writing for as long as she can remember. A native of Florida with a love of New Orleans, she has the uncanny ability to find humor in most things and would probably kill a plastic plant. She is the author of the Jude Magdalyn Series as well as New Moon Rising, featuring Cari Gravier, and Taken, featuring Frankie Post. She is currently at work on the next book in the Moon Rising series, Harvest Moon Rising, due out April 2012. Ms. Pruitt makes her home in Florida with two cats--one smart, the other not so much.

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/LM-Pruitt/364776895104

Blog: http://www.lmpruitt.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/lmpruitt

2 comments:

Roxanne Rhoads said...

I'm with you.

I think women should embrace their femininity and express themselves how they want.

Back in the day the feminist movement with the bra burning and the whole "let's not wear makeup, shave our armpits, or try to be feminine or sexy at all"- well I personally think that's over.

I don;t think women should have to act or dress like men to be taken seriously.

I consider myself a neo-feminist. I'm all about kick ass women who can do whatever they want- and wear corsets, or leather, or mini-skirts or high heels while doing it. I'll put on my black lace, lipstick, mascara and go out into the world and be as feminine as I want. :-)

L.M. Pruitt said...

Agreed! If I feel inclined to wear a short skirt or show off the girls, I shouldn't have to listen to somebody theorize about latent "daddy issues". Maybe it's really hot and i don't feel like sweating to death, lol. Either way, it shouldn't matter, lol. Thanks so much for having me here today!