WHORE!

–verb (used without object)

–verb (used with object)

whore[hoː(r)] noun a prostitute

There. Now you can use it all the time. Every time a girl does something you don’t agree with, every time a woman steps beyond her boundaries? You can call her a whore. You’ll be wrong, of course, because unless that woman is exchanging sexual services for money she’s not a whore. Even if she’s flirting with or dating the guy you want, even if she’s not afraid of making the first move, even if she’s posting pictures of herself in her underwear on the internet. She’s not a whore.

Ladies, we’re not whores. We’re NOT. We’re strong, independent women. We’re free to flaunt our sexiness or keep it to ourselves. We really should understand that being sexy and having sex are two entirely different concepts. We’re fresh, raw, refined, strong, free and REAL. But we’re not whores.

A lot of women blame men for the repression of women. They don’t have to. Because really, men can sit back, relax and watch us rip each other to shreds. Watch us impose stupid rules that we didn’t even really create on each other. They don’t have to work to oppress us anymore. We oppress ourselves. We oppress each other.

This is not just about Miley Cyrus and her possibly bad decision to put photos of herself in her HARDLY revealing underwear on her myspace (which, might I add, I’m sure is policed by her agent, publicist and parents. If you really believe, after all the media hype that’s been thrown around about how her parents keep her under control, that those pictures were put online without their knowledge…as well as the knowledge of her wranglers? You’re deluding yourself.). This is about something I see done all the time. It’s about a double standard, it’s about hating each other and by proxy ourselves.

When Gerard Way married Lyn-Z last year? There were more than enough people out there calling her a whore and a slut. Talking about how “inappropriate” it was for her to wear short skirts on stage and do backbends, about how disgusting it was. But at the same time, these girls were screaming and mourning the marriage of a man who has REPEATEDLY SIMULATED MASTURBATION ON STAGE. Not to mention his antics involving himself and Frank Iero on this year’s Projekt Revolution Tour. So, it’s wrong for Lyn-Z to do backbends in a skirt, but it’s sexy when Gerard Way touches himself on stage? Double standard.

When naked pictures of Vanessa Hudgen leaked online, a far from sexy picture that was sent from her to her boyfriend privately, people were screaming about what a whore she was. Nevermind that the pictures were meant to be private, nevermind that, as I mentioned, they weren’t really sexy, just a girl standing naked in her bedroom. People were screaming that she was a slut and a “bad role model.”

When Jamie Lynn Spears announced she was pregnant at 16, people were calling her a whore. Despite the fact that we had no proof of her having had multiple sexual partners, despite the fact that all she did was make a mistake she now has to deal with…an easily preventable one at that…she was a whore.

These four women are not whores.

We need to stop it.

Doing things like this just re-enforces bullshit stereotypes about female cattiness and jealousy. We play up to it (yeah, I’m not innocent either), we almost excuse it in ourselves because we’re women. We’re supposed to be catty and mean to each other, we’re supposed to rip out each other’s hair and fight over boys. That’s what they tell us, right?

Who are “they?” I don’t know. I don’t care. Whoever they are, they’re WRONG. And the more we play up to what they expect, the more we give people like this S.O.B. fuel for their fire.

In closing, I’d like to include the lyrics to a song performed by such greats as Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald (who’s version I’m quoting here). The song is “The Lady is a Tramp.” Think about it.

I’ve wined and dined on Mulligan Stew, and never wished for Turkey As I hitched and hiked and grifted too, from Maine to Albuquerque Alas, I missed the Beaux Arts Ball, and what is twice as sad I was never at a party where they honored Noel Ca-ad (Coward) But social circles spin too fast for me My “hobohemia” is the place to be I get too hungry, for dinner at eight I like the theater, but never come late I never bother, with people I hate That’s why the lady is a tramp I don’t like crap games, with barons and earls Won’t go to Harlem, in ermine and pearls Won’t dish the dirt, with the rest of the girls That’s why the lady is a tramp I like the free, fresh wind in her hair Life without care I’m broke, it’s o’k Hate California, it’s cold and it’s damp That’s why the lady is a tramp I go to Coney, the beach is divine I go to ballgames, the bleachers are fine I follow Winchell, and read every line That’s why the lady is a tramp I like a prizefight, that isn’t a fake I love the rowing, on Central Park lake I go to Opera and stay wide awake That’s why the lady is a tramp I like the green grass under my shoes What can I lose, I’m flat, that’s that I’m alone when I lower my lamp That’s why the lady is a tramp