Cake

Amidst the fun and games, A Piece Of Cake finds ways to make some quite relevant feminist statements. The CAKE ladies refuse to take the either/or approach toward sexuality that is so common in most feminist theory and steadfastly forge their own middle path. Take, for example, their treatment of the idea of “the male gaze” – the concept that in traditional sexuality, women are objects of men’s desire.

“According to one kind of feminist sensibility, we must demand we be subjects and avoid identification as sexual objects. Fine. However, women are brought up with our sexuality tied to our experience as objects. Our ability to feel sexy in many ways is rooted in our ability to be desirable i.e. to play the object role.”

Denying this kind of sexual sensibility is just another way to oppress women, the CAKE authors say. So, they introduce the idea of “the CAKE Gaze: women choosing to be subjects, objects, or both at the same time… The crucial point is that we knowingly choose this role as part of an equal sexual interaction.”

It’s a valid point, especially when women who choose to be overtly sexual are often condescendingly accused of dumbly playing out male fantasies. Ariel Levy’s book Female Chauvinist Pigs is the most recent expression of this mindset, and indeed, Levy specifically targets CAKE women as examples of what she thinks are poor, deluded victims, claiming they’re empowered by pole dancing when really they’re just playing into old-fashioned stereotypes.

A Piece Of Cake kicks sand in the face of that assumption simply because its basic premise is always one of female choice. Power arising from self awareness is a vital component of the CAKE manifesto, and that ultimately puts paid to any suggestions of male manipulation or oppression.

This rejection of some of the more uptight, Victorian feminist viewpoints is refreshing, and much needed. Karen Jackson - For the Girls Review