Calendargate

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The images used in the calendar, as arranged in an online promotional montage Conservative Dad Real Women of America calendar photos.jpeg
The images used in the calendar, as arranged in an online promotional montage

The Calendargate controversy among American conservatives developed in December 2023 after the release of a 2024 calendar featuring photographs of female conservative activists and commentators, several of whom wore revealing clothing. Debates online among conservatives, including some of the women who had posed for the calendar, continued on social media websites into 2024. [1]

Contents

Social conservatives, evangelicals and postliberals criticized it for its display of public sexuality. More libertarian commentators, or "Barstool conservatives", sided in favor of the calendar against the criticism, describing it as overly puritanical and censorious. Observers from that side of the political spectrum cited the controversy as reflecting continued tension between the two factions that had united to support former president Donald Trump in his re-election bid.[ citation needed ]

Calendar

Earlier in 2023, conservatives angry that AB InBev had hired trans woman influencer Dylan Mulvaney as a brand ambassador for Bud Light launched a boycott. In April 2023, Seth Weathers, under the name Conservative Dad, launched Ultra Right Beer, brewed in Gwinnett County, Georgia, as an alternative. Within two weeks he reported over $1 million from sales of 20,000 six-packs. [1]

In early December Ultra Right offered as merchandise on its website "Conservative Dad's Real Women of America 2024 Calendar." It featured pictures of women known as conservative commentators, influencers and activists in pin-up poses, many of which in minimal attire. [lower-alpha 1] One of the images featured conservative comedian Ashley St. Clair wearing a black bra and pearl necklace while sitting in a bubble bath, an apparent reference to one of Mulvaney's Bud Light videos. [2] Ultra Right said that 10% of the calendar's sales would go to the Riley Gaines Center to "protect womens sports from extreme leftist ideology seeking to destroy real women." [3]

Reaction

Some conservative commentators reacted negatively in a vigorous online debate later that month around the Christmas holidays, [1] criticizing its sexuality and objectified the women involved, [2] [3] even calling it "demonic". [1] [4] Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis responded to another tweet mocking Gaines for posing so suggestively for the calendar after having cited fears of locker-room voyeurism to justify excluding transwomen from sports. "This is the problem with conservatives who think they can act just like the secular world," she wrote. "If conservatives aren't morally grounded Christians, what are we even 'conserving'?" [1]

Commentators who supported the calendar not only described social conservatives as being prudish, but saw it as also taking a stand against homosexuality. Proud Boys co-founder Gavin McInnes called the controversy "literally gay. You're allowed to enjoy looking at sexy, beautiful women. It's healthy and normal. Grow up." Scott Greer, a former editor at The Daily Caller , wrote that "[t]he outrage over the tacky conservative dad calendar proves that the chief enemy for some conservative women is male sexuality. There is a reason why so many of them marry closet cases." Another commenter, FromKulak, wrote a long post about how the calendar's critics "just want[ed] to replace the femminist-nuerotic[ sic ]-flamboyant priest class with their own alliance of the bowtied, resentful, and closeted." [3]

Subsequent analysis, commentary and opinion

National Review Online columnist Madeline Kearns observed that the calendar laid bare a faultline among conservatives regarding sexuality in culture: "Either the sexual revolution was fun and games until a bunch of overzealous feminists and LGBT activists ruined it, or the sexual revolution was doomed from the start and the '90s-style smut found in advertising, movies, and calendars isn't much removed from our present degradation." She took the latter position, that conservatives should seek the restoration of "a courtship culture, one that emphasizes male and female sexual complementarity, abstinence before marriage, fidelity within it, openness to the gift of children, as well as the cultivation of a culture in which beauty is prized over the vulgar and obscene." [5]

At another conservative publication, The Washington Examiner , Tiana Lowe Doescher took the opposite viewpoint, calling the calendar "anodyne and innocuous at worst ... PG-13 and tolerably cringe". The debate it provoked was likewise "the dumbest possible online nontroversy". She chided critics calling it pornographic, noting that conservatives had largely won their political and cultural battle over sexually explicit material online, at least as far as restricting minors' access to it. "#Calendargate is a dud for the conservative movement, and on a personal level, it reeks of simple internalized sexism, as though women's bodies should be shrouded rather than celebrated." [6]

Nate Hochman, a speechwriter for Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who had in 2021 defended Turning Point USA's controversial decision to rescind porn star Brandi Love's invitation to appear at their conference, [7] found fault with both sides in an essay about the controversy in The American Conservative , a paleoconservative publication. "In the abstract," he admitted, "calendars with pictures of women in bikinis aren't much to write home about." What he found "exceptionally off-putting" about the Real Women of America calendar—"a ham-handed right-wing effort to be hip"—was that it had been created by and for conservatives. "It's difficult not to feel a certain amount of secondhand embarrassment for everyone involved." But at the same time, Hochman wrote, "the calendar's critics ... veered into much more bizarre territory", in particular proposing instead that it show conservative women either pregnant or attending to children, "somehow an even more disconcerting concept". [4]

The underlying problem, according to Hochman, was conservatives' failure to articulate a vision of what American culture should be, or even a consistent critique of what it was: [4]

[C]onservatives no longer have the foggiest idea of what a 'culture' actually is, let alone what it would take to shape one... Instead of creating an authentic counterculture—one that might someday be able to challenge the hegemony of our decaying mainstream institutions—conservatives are locked in a dialectic relationship with the very social norms and mores that they ostensibly seek to overcome.

From progressives

The progressive outlet Vox called Calendargate "deeply revealing about the fault lines inside the conservative movement". Writer Zack Beauchamp identified the conflict as between social conservatives who prioritized "traditional values" while on the other he identified the more libertarian-leaning "Barstool conservatives" ("leave-me-alone bros who resent what they see as censorious political correctness"), a divide he traced back to a 1966 debate between William F. Buckley Jr. and Hugh Hefner, with newer postliberals like Missouri senator Josh Hawley joining the social conservatives in urging a greater role for government. Calendargate "exposes the ways in which the attempts to remake conservatism in the 'anti-woke' era will create new sources of tension inside the conservative camp—and highlights the way this struggle might play out inside conservative cultural spaces." [1]

At Salon , Amanda Marcotte characterized the Barstool faction as having more traditional views of patriarchy, "see[ing] sex as men's right and women's burden—and childbirth and marriage as ways to trap women into servitude to men", she pointed out that the social conservatives understood that that was "a hard sell outside of their circles" politically. Trump's success and their tacit acceptance of his embrace of this viewpoint, however, left them "lying in the bikini photoshoot bed they made for themselves." [8] Mediaite derived the message of Calendargate to be that "[c]onservatives should be upholding family values like the sanctity of marriage, honoring women, especially the mothers of their children, celebrating 'real' women without objectifying them, but also reiterating the alpha male status that will make America great again." [2]

"I only wish that I believed this would become a huge, ongoing fight rather than petering out (so to speak) after a few weeks", progressive journalist Kevin Drum wrote on his blog. "But this isn't the kind of thing Fox News will obsess about, so it's unlikely to last." He took no position on the issues involved, but, noting that this sort of internal feud was more common on the political left, said it was "nice to see conservatives taking a crack at it. Let's keep it going, OK?" [9]

Vice writer Magdalene Taylor took note of a video Isabella Marie DeLuca, another young conservative influencer, had posted in October of herself baking a cake that had drawn fresh attention after Calendargate. In the video her breasts under her T-shirt are prominent while she bakes. It does not focus on them nor otherwise draw attention to them, but some commentators suggested DeLuca was drawing attention to "the spectacle of those giant ta tas" anyway, or that they expected her to add a link to her supposed OnlyFans page. The labeling of that content as well as the calendar images as "pornographic", she said, despite the minimal sexual aspect, showed how pervasive pornography was in modern culture. "[It] really does increasingly dictate how we view the world, and many now broadly define porn as anything that seeks our attention". But, Taylor continued, "[b]y calling everything porn, we're not really making any sort of point. We're just making more porn." [10]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Loesch is wearing a T-shirt, jeans and lifting an assault rifle in each arm

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual objectification</span> Treating a person primarily as a sexual object

Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person solely as an object of sexual desire. Objectification more broadly means treating a person as a commodity or an object without regard to their personality or dignity. Objectification is most commonly examined at the level of a society, but can also refer to the behavior of individuals and is a type of dehumanization.

<i>Bukkake</i> Sex act and pornography genre

Bukkake is a sex act in which one participant is ejaculated on by multiple participants. It is often portrayed in pornographic films.

Pornography addiction is the scientifically controversial application of an addiction model to the use of pornography. Pornography may be part of compulsive sexual behavior with negative consequences to one's physical, mental, social, or financial well-being. While the World Health Organization's ICD-11 (2022) has recognized compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) as an "impulsive control disorder", CSBD is not an addiction, and the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 (2013) and the DSM-5-TR (2022) do not classify compulsive pornography consumption as a mental disorder or a behavioral addiction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Facial (sexual act)</span> Sexual activity involving ejaculating on the face of another

A facial is a sexual activity in which a man ejaculates semen onto the face of one or more sexual partners. A facial is a form of non-penetrative sex, though it is generally performed after some other means of sexual stimulation, such as vaginal sex, anal sex, oral sex, manual sex or masturbation. Facials are regularly portrayed in pornographic films and videos, often as a way to close a scene.

Sex-positive feminism, also known as pro-sex feminism, sex-radical feminism, or sexually liberal feminism, is a feminist movement centering on the idea that sexual freedom is an essential component of women's freedom. They oppose legal or social efforts to control sexual activities between consenting adults, whether they are initiated by the government, other feminists, opponents of feminism, or any other institution. They embrace sexual minority groups, endorsing the value of coalition-building with marginalized groups. Sex-positive feminism is connected with the sex-positive movement. Sex-positive feminism brings together anti-censorship activists, LGBT activists, feminist scholars, producers of pornography and erotica, among others. Sex-positive feminists believe that prostitution can be a positive experience if workers are treated with respect, and agree that sex work should not be criminalized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opposition to pornography</span> Overview of opposing views to pornography

Reasons for opposition to pornography include religious objections and feminist concerns, as well as alleged harmful effects, such as pornography addiction. Pornography addiction is not a condition recognized by the DSM-5, or the ICD-11. Anti-pornography movements have allied disparate social activists in opposition to pornography, from social conservatives to harm reduction advocates. The definition of "pornography" varies between countries and movements, and many make distinctions between pornography, which they oppose, and erotica, which they consider acceptable. Sometimes opposition will deem certain forms of pornography more or less harmful, while others draw no such distinctions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesbian erotica</span> Visual art depiction of female-female sexuality

Lesbian erotica deals with depictions in the visual arts of lesbianism, which is the expression of female-on-female sexuality. Lesbianism has been a theme in erotic art since at least the time of ancient Rome, and many regard depictions of lesbianism to be erotic.

Sexualization is the emphasis of the sexual nature of a behavior or person. Sexualization is linked to sexual objectification, treating a person solely as an object of sexual desire. According to the American Psychological Association, sexualization occurs when "individuals are regarded as sex objects and evaluated in terms of their physical characteristics and sexiness." "In study after study, findings have indicated that women more often than men are portrayed in a sexual manner and are objectified. In addition, a narrow standard of physical beauty is heavily emphasized. These are the models of femininity presented for young girls to study and emulate."

The feminist sex wars, also known as the lesbian sex wars, sex wars or porn wars, are terms used to refer to collective debates amongst feminists regarding a number of issues broadly relating to sexuality and sexual activity. Differences of opinion on matters of sexuality deeply polarized the feminist movement, particularly leading feminist thinkers, in the late 1970s and early 1980s and continue to influence debate amongst feminists to this day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pornography</span> Portrayal of sexual subject matter

Pornography has been defined as sexual subject material "such as a picture, video, or text" that is intended for sexual arousal. Indicated for the consumption by adults, pornography depictions have evolved from cave paintings, some forty millennia ago, to virtual reality presentations. A general distinction of adult content is made classifying it as pornography or erotica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pornography in India</span>

Pornography in India is restricted and illegal in all form including print media, electronic media, and digital media (OTT). Hosting, displaying, uploading, modifying, publishing, transmitting, storing, updating or sharing pornography is illegal in India.

Feminist views on pornography range from total condemnation of the medium as an inherent form of violence against women to an embracing of some forms as a medium of feminist expression. This debate reflects larger concerns surrounding feminist views on sexuality, and is closely related to those on prostitution, BDSM, and other issues. Pornography has been one of the most divisive issues in feminism, particularly in Anglophone (English-speaking) countries. This division was exemplified in the feminist sex wars of the 1980s, which pitted anti-pornography activists against pro-pornography ones.

Religious views on pornography are based on the broader views of religions on topics such as modesty, dignity, and sexuality. Different religious groups view pornography and sexuality differently.

Feminism has affected culture in many ways, and has famously been theorized in relation to culture by Angela McRobbie, Laura Mulvey and others. Timothy Laurie and Jessica Kean have argued that "one of [feminism's] most important innovations has been to seriously examine the ways women receive popular culture, given that so much pop culture is made by and for men." This is reflected in a variety of forms, including literature, music, film and other screen cultures.

Feminist pornography is a genre of film developed by or for those within the sex-positive feminist movement. It was created for the purpose of promoting gender equality by portraying more bodily movements and sexual fantasies of women and members of the LGBT community.

Porn for women, women's porn or women's pornography is pornography aimed specifically at the female market, and often produced by women. It rejects the view that pornography is only for men, and seeks to make porn that women enjoy watching instead of what is being offered in male-centric mainstream pornography.

Stop Porn Culture is an international feminist anti-porn organization with branches in the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom. It works as an advisory body, trains trainers, and builds public health educational materials based on empirical research. It has a network of volunteers and activists and collaborates with other organizations in the U.S. and Europe. Some of its work is grassroots activist work.

NoFap is a website and community forum that serves as a support group for those who wish to give up pornography and masturbation. Its name comes from the slang term fap, referring to male masturbation. While reasons for this abstinence vary by individual, the main motivation cited is attempting to overcome addiction to pornography, or other compulsive sexual behaviours. Other reasons for abstinence include religious and moral reasons, self-improvement, and physical beliefs that are not supported by medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belle Delphine</span> British internet personality, pornographic actress, model and YouTuber (born 1999)

Mary-Belle Kirschner, better known as Belle Delphine, is a South African-born British media personality, pornographic actress, model, and YouTuber. Her social media accounts feature erotic and cosplay modelling, sometimes blending the two together. Her online persona began in 2018 through her cosplay modeling on Instagram. Her posts on the platform were often influenced by popular memes and trends.

Barstool conservatism is a name for a type of political conservatism in the United States, associated with Dave Portnoy, founder and CEO of the Barstool Sports digital "media empire", and his audience of "stoolies", made up primarily of younger men. The term was coined by journalist Matthew Walther.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Beauchamp, Zack (January 10, 2024). "How a horny beer calendar sparked a conservative civil war". Vox . Vox Media . Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Frevele, Jamie (December 28, 2023). "'Conservative Dad's' Calendar Featuring Scantily Clad Riley Gaines and Other Sexy Pics Sparks Outrage on Right". Mediaite . Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Ettinger, Marlon (December 28, 2023). "Conservative Dad's 'Real Women of America' pin-up calendar divides the online right". The Daily Dot . Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Hochman, Nate (January 1, 2024). "Beyond the Calendar Wars". The American Conservative . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  5. ↑ Kearns, Madeline (January 1, 2024). "On Right-Wing Smut". National Review Online . Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  6. ↑ Doescher, Tiana Loewe (December 28, 2023). "The conservative pin-up calendar is harmless kitsch, not pornography". The Washington Examiner . Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  7. ↑ Hochman, Nate (July 26, 2021). "No, Porn Stars Are Not Conservative". The American Mind. Claremont Institute . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  8. ↑ Marcotte, Amanda (January 12, 2024). "Why Evangelicals are raging about Ultra Right Beer's sexy anti-woke calendar". Salon.com . Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  9. ↑ Drum, Kevin (January 10, 2024). "Calendargate is splitting the right". Jabberwocking.com. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  10. ↑ Taylor, Magdalene (January 5, 2024). "Nobody Knows What Porn Is Anymore". Vice . Retrieved February 21, 2024.
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