Republicans, "Girls," and Sexual Freedom

Sex, women, societal expectations, relationships, class, inequality, privilege, capitalism… This commentary has it all! The idea here is that the sexual revolution is over—that is to say, sex has been undeniably and irrevocably revolutionized. But as with any revolution, the famous battle is but a starting point, and the real negotiations for power sites (be they legal, symbolic, cultural, or what have you) begin when the smoke clears the air. The author points out that other discriminatory expectations for women, such as those against pursuit of higher education and professional careers, have lost any credibility in mainstream American discourse. In the ongoing fight for women's liberation, sexuality might be, in some senses, the final frontier. The commentary acerbically poses the question and answer: “is sexual freedom good for women? ....In a world that always seems to need a woman problem of some sort, it’s as good as any, and more entertaining than most.” The sexual revolution introduced a new sexual space for women, but that space is still being shaped today. Taking some liberties on Marx, the author closes with the acute insight that "women make their own circumstances, but not under circumstances of their own making." Sometimes so few words can say so much. http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2012/04/16/120416taco_talk_talbot