Abstract
This chapter delves into the sexual pleasure discourses used in Marzipan. First, Redai defines the meaning of pleasure for her respondents. Then she analyses three dominant pleasure discourses which constitute gender distinctions: the ‘natural’ vs. ‘learnt’ character of experiencing sexual pleasure; discourses of sexual objectification and self-objectification; and the sexual double standard and the girlfriend/slut and virgin/whore dichotomies. These discourses are embedded in a neoliberal-postfeminist framework which positions girls as sexually empowered and agentic, constantly having to work on themselves to achieve more sexual pleasure and power. At the same time, male sexual licence and dominance, and sexual expressions of hegemonic masculinity are left unquestioned, which, as Redai argues, contributes to restricting girls’ sexual agency and empowerment and to reinforcing gendered dichotomies based on sexuality.
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