I’m in a dance class here at Iowa State. It’s a nice dance class. A fun dance class.

We had a research project in this dance class recently. Look up the history of a famous dance or dancer and give a presentation on it. Well, you know I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to report on the fine art of pole dancing.

Now, as weird as that may sound, I’m going to share with you an even stranger insight I stumbled across while researching that I found to actually be somewhat to very true: Pole dancing is extremely feminist. Yeah.

Think about it: Who is in control during a pole dance or striptease? It’s certainly not the man. The man is nothing if not jerked around by his testosterone as it screams in his ear, “Money! Throw more money! She likes you, dude! No, she really does! More money!”

Pole dancing and stripteases offer women an opportunity to embrace their uniquely feminine sexuality in a way that is extremely powerful. It can complete fantasies and fill their pockets. Who doesn’t like to be sexy and powerful with money in their pockets?

Now of course, I realize that plenty of women — and to a likely lesser extent, men — out there are thinking of the degradation that such an activity brings, but I’d challenge anyone to search through his or her life and history and not find anything that is degrading in some fashion or another.

You like numbers? You’re a nerd. You like sports? You’re a jock. You like Jesus? You’re a Christian. You like the same sex? You’re gay. Conservatives and liberals, muscleheads and wimps, potheads and prudes. This list could go on forever. No matter what you do, no matter what you think or what stance you take, someone is going to look down on you for it. I guarantee you that.

So why is there such a focus on sexuality, women’s in particular? Why has birth control been called the tipping point for the fall of morality? Why was it illegal for women to even know about birth control with the institution of the Comstock Law in the U.S. in 1873? Why is there such a raging debate about abortion when it seems that half of the people involved don’t have uteri in the first place?

I’ve even heard summarization of arguments from J. J. Bachofen that marriage was instituted as a means of social control. It was said that the 19th century anthropologist’s basic argument is that women are controlled sexually so men can know who their children are — all of the cultural obsession with women’s sexuality is ultimately rooted in the desire for men to know their heirs when they see them.

The claim was also made that every primitive human group would have a matriarchal structure because human beings without culture are “matriarchal beasts,” and that is the case because maternity is certain, paternity is not. In Bachofen’s view, “paternity only becomes certain within forced monogamy.” In reading this, I read a probing thought that patriarchy possibly occurred as a “war” against women.

But still, I feel I should point out that if someone happens to believe that women should be at home with kids and not pursue a career or even an education, that’s not sexism. Nay. ‘Tis but traditional feminism.

You see, the whole point of feminism, be it traditional, modern, radical, or any other flavor is for women to experience their potential.

Some think women were made to be quiet, ignorant helpers. Others believe they are to be revolutionary leaders with hairy legs. Most of us fall somewhere between those two ideologies, which is probably for the best.

Choose your stance and stick with it. Know why? Because in the end it doesn’t matter what other people think, really. Do you want to live your life, swinging from a pole with money touching places you didn’t know you had? Go for it. Want to stay at home to massage your man’s feet while serving a delicious turkey on rye? Rock that kitchen stove, girl.

Because you are just that: a girl. You have total choice to do what you want with your life. That, to me, is the ultimate form of feminism.

— Sophie Prell is a junior in pre-journalism and mass communication from Alta.