Female Chauvinist Pigs

Book by Ariel Levy

Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture is a 2005 book by Ariel Levy that critiques the highly sexualized American culture in which women are objectified, objectify one another, and are encouraged to objectify themselves. Levy refers to this as "raunch culture".

According to Levy, raunch culture is a product of the unresolved feminist sex wars – the conflict between the women's movement and the sexual revolution. Another source places the beginnings of raunch culture in the permissive society of the 1960s, which in postfeminist perspective was less about female sexual liberation than fulfilling the male fantasy of unlimited female availability. Levy also characterizes raunch culture as a backlash against the stereotypes of "prude" and "uptight" (women) applied to many second wave feminists (e. g., anti pornography feminists). was increasingly confirmed by a pragmatic alliance between neo liberalism and the commodification of sexuality. The 1990s saw the ever growing sexualization of the media, with raunchiness emerging in the overlapping interfaces of music, TV, video, and advertising. By the close of the century, figures like Germaine Greer were talking critically of sex positive feminism, whereby acknowledging one's inner "slut" (in a commodified context) was seen as an ultimate goal. Levy claims that the enjoyment of raunch, or "kitschy, slutty stereotypes of female sexuality," has existed through the ages, but it was once a phenomenon that existed primarily in the male sphere and has since become mainstream and highly visible. Raunch culture has penetrated "political life, the music industry, art, fashion, and taste." Although raunch culture is focused on the sex appeal of women, it is solely image based: "It's about inauthenticity and the idea that women should be constantly exploding in little bursts of exhibitionism. It's an idea that female sexuality should be about performance and not about pleasure." Others, such as Susan Brownmiller, a well known American feminist, journalist, author, and activist, share this opinion. According to Levy, there are two strategies a Female Chauvinist Pig (FCP) employs to "deal with her femaleness." In the first strategy, an FCP distinguishes herself from women whom she deems excessively feminine ("girly girls"), while simultaneously objectifying such women (e. g., going to strip clubs, reading Playboy, and talking about porn stars). Levy quotes from the CAKE website: "The new sexual revolution is where sexual equality and feminism finally meet." On the other end of the spectrum, Levy takes issue with women who make their way in a man's world by playing by men's rules. Sometimes, she argues, these women even make their fame and fortune by objectifying other women; for example, Levy finds it interesting that the Playboy organization was run by a woman, Christie Hefner, Hugh Hefner's daughter. Levy addresses women who succeed in male dominated fields on their merit, but shy away from feminism, saying: "But if you are the exception that proves the rule, and the rule is that women are inferior, you haven't made any progress." Levy proposes the following as a solution: "Ending raunch culture will require citizens to scrutinise the way they regard gender. Objectification is rooted in disrespect, condescending views of the opposite gender, and power struggles. When men realise that they have the capability to fundamentally respect women, and women realise that they have the power to present themselves as empowered, fully capable people, raunch culture may moan its last and final faked orgasm." Among these women is Hefner's daughter, Christie Hefner, the chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises.

The Man Show, a variety program on Comedy Central, was initially hosted by well known comedians and television hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla and was one of the top shows on cable in 2000. In the same year, thirty eight percent of the viewers were female, and it was executive co produced by two women. The show presents women as sexual objects, is self described as "chauvinistic fun," and concludes each episode with a scene of women bouncing on trampolines. According to executive co producer Jennifer Heftler, this status as "one of the guys" is an advantage of her job, in that it meant that she would no longer have to prove herself as a woman who is not excessively feminine or easily offended, and is thus relatable to men. Levy found that many women who appeared on GGW were eager to display their bodies for a GGW hat or T shirt, while others did not immediately comply with the cajoling of peers or the crew, but eventually relented. as well as G String Divas, a television show about strippers which was executive produced by Sheila Nevins, feminist and well known veteran of HBO.

CAKE is a feminist group concerned with women's sexuality in terms of liberation and self expression. While the organization encourages women to explore their sexuality, the parties themselves have the appearance of an average strip club. According to Levy, pornography and objectification of women are prevalent at CAKE parties and events.