Unscrewed

Unscrewed Plot Summary

Introduction

Contemporary society presents us with a paradoxical situation regarding sexuality. While we are bombarded with images suggesting sexual freedom and empowerment, particularly for women, these representations often mask underlying systems of control that continue to limit genuine sexual autonomy. This disconnect between apparent liberation and actual constraint creates what can be termed "fauxpowerment" - a superficial appearance of sexual freedom that distracts from persistent structural inequalities and power imbalances that shape our sexual lives and choices. Understanding this distinction between authentic sexual empowerment and its counterfeit version requires examining multiple interconnected systems: economic forces that commodify sexuality, religious institutions that seek to control it, educational failures that perpetuate ignorance about it, and media representations that distort it. By critically analyzing these structures rather than focusing solely on individual choices, we can begin to envision what genuine sexual liberation might look like - one that addresses root causes of sexual oppression rather than merely celebrating its superficial transcendence. This approach reveals that true sexual freedom cannot exist without confronting broader social, political, and economic inequalities.

Chapter 1: The Illusion of Empowerment: Defining Fauxpowerment in Sexual Culture

Fauxpowerment presents itself as liberation while actually reinforcing existing power structures. It manifests as Beyoncé standing before the word "FEMINIST" while critics debate whether her clothing choices are empowering or objectifying. It appears as the Spice Girls selling "Girl Power" as a brand while stripping it of political significance. It emerges in the suggestion that purchasing luxury lingerie or taking pole-dancing classes constitutes feminist activism rather than consumer choice. The problem with fauxpowerment extends beyond its superficiality to its active distraction from systemic issues limiting women's sexual freedom. When public discourse fixates on whether individual women's choices are "empowering," it neglects the broader cultural and institutional changes necessary for genuine sexual liberation. Women cannot simply choose their way to freedom in environments where they face tangible consequences for their sexual decisions - from social stigmatization to employment discrimination to vulnerability to violence. This focus on individual choice obscures the collective nature of sexual oppression and the collective action required to address it. Fauxpowerment also imposes contradictory demands on women's sexual expression. It suggests women are free to be sexual, but only within narrow parameters that maintain their appeal within a heteronormative male gaze. This creates an impossible situation where women must be sexual enough to demonstrate their liberation but not so sexual that they forfeit respectability. Meanwhile, the systems that actually determine women's sexual options - from healthcare access to legal protections to economic opportunities - remain largely unchallenged and unchanged. Perhaps most insidiously, fauxpowerment individualizes what are fundamentally collective problems. When women experience sexual dissatisfaction, insecurity, or violation, fauxpowerment directs them toward personal solutions: buy different products, alter their appearance, or simply make "better choices." It never questions the underlying structures creating these experiences in the first place. This individualization serves power by directing energy away from systemic change and toward personal adaptation to problematic conditions. The sexual revolution of the 1960s, while bringing important advances like increased access to contraception and challenging traditional sexual norms, ultimately delivered an incomplete liberation. Women today still navigate contradictory expectations: being valued for sexual restraint while simultaneously pressured toward availability. This unfinished revolution created the conditions for fauxpowerment, where symbols of sexual freedom substitute for substantive change in the conditions that determine sexual autonomy. Recognizing fauxpowerment requires developing critical literacy about how power operates through seemingly progressive sexual representations. It means asking not just whether individual expressions of sexuality feel empowering, but whether they challenge or reinforce systems that distribute sexual freedom unequally based on gender, race, class, disability, and other factors. True sexual liberation demands addressing these interconnected systems rather than celebrating individual exceptions that appear to transcend them.

Chapter 2: Economic and Media Forces: How Markets Shape Sexual Agency

Economic structures profoundly influence sexual expression, often in ways that remain invisible or unacknowledged. The pornography industry exemplifies this dynamic: while independent producers create diverse, ethical content centered on women's pleasure and agency, most young people encounter pornography through free tube sites owned by MindGeek, a near-monopolistic corporation prioritizing profit over ethical considerations. This economic model shapes not just pornographic content but broader cultural understandings of sexuality, reinforcing notions that women's bodies exist primarily for male consumption. The commodification of sexuality extends far beyond explicit sexual content. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram implement inconsistent content policies that ban educational material about female anatomy while permitting objectifying advertisements. Dating applications monetize romantic connection while frequently reinforcing traditional gender dynamics. Even products marketed as "empowering" - from shapewear promising confidence to t-shirts bearing feminist slogans - capitalize on women's insecurities while doing nothing to address the systems creating those insecurities in the first place. Women's economic vulnerability directly impacts their sexual autonomy. When women earn less than men (with women of color facing even greater wage disparities), they have fewer resources to leave abusive relationships, access reproductive healthcare, or pursue sexual pleasure on their own terms. Economic precarity can force women into sexual situations they might otherwise avoid, whether that means remaining with controlling partners who provide financial support or engaging in unwanted sexual exchanges for economic survival. This reality demonstrates how economic justice and sexual liberation are inextricably linked. Media representation compounds these economic forces by presenting narrow, homogeneous portrayals of sexuality. When men dominate as directors, producers, executives, and critics, they determine which sexual narratives receive cultural visibility and validation. This leads to a media landscape where female characters are significantly more likely than male characters to be sexualized, with their appearance commented upon and their bodies displayed in revealing clothing. Even young teenage girls are sexualized at rates comparable to adult women, normalizing the objectification of increasingly younger female bodies. The neoliberal framework governing both economic and media systems treats sexuality as simply another marketplace where individual choice reigns supreme. This perspective ignores how structural factors constrain those choices and how market incentives shape which sexual expressions receive platforms and which remain marginalized. When sexuality becomes primarily a commodity to be bought and sold rather than an aspect of human experience and connection, authentic sexual agency becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish from market-driven performance. Challenging these economic and media forces requires both individual critical consumption and collective action for structural change. Organizations that democratize media creation, like ImMEDIAte Justice which teaches filmmaking to young women of color, demonstrate how access to production tools can transform sexual representation. Similarly, movements for economic justice - from living wage campaigns to universal healthcare advocacy - create conditions where sexual choices can be made from positions of security rather than vulnerability.

Chapter 3: Religious Control vs. Sexual Sovereignty: Institutional Power Dynamics

Despite constitutional separation of church and state, conservative Christian ideology exerts tremendous influence over American sexual policy. From abstinence-only education programs to restrictions on abortion access, religious conservatives have successfully shaped laws and policies controlling women's bodies and sexuality. This influence emerged strategically in the late 1970s when evangelical leaders mobilized politically around sexual issues as a means of building power and influence in the public sphere. The Religious Right deploys "religious freedom" arguments to justify discrimination and control, particularly regarding women's reproductive choices. The Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision exemplifies this approach, allowing employers to deny contraception coverage based on religious beliefs. Similar arguments justify discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals and restrictions on comprehensive sex education. These efforts consistently prioritize controlling women's sexuality over addressing actual human needs and consistently define religious freedom as the right to impose one's beliefs on others rather than the right to personal practice. Hypocrisy permeates these religious arguments about sexuality. Politicians who claim to protect "family values" frequently support policies that harm families, such as cutting social services or opposing living wages. They express concern for children when restricting abortion access while showing minimal interest in supporting children after birth. They invoke religious freedom while primarily protecting one narrow interpretation of Christianity at the expense of other faith traditions and secular perspectives. The impact of religious control falls most heavily on those already marginalized, particularly low-income women and LGBTQ+ individuals. When religious hospitals refuse to provide reproductive healthcare, when religious schools fire teachers for same-sex relationships, when religious adoption agencies reject same-sex couples, the consequences extend far beyond abstract theological debates to concrete limitations on people's lives and choices. These restrictions particularly affect those without resources to seek alternatives, demonstrating how religious control intersects with economic inequality. Challenging religious control over sexuality doesn't necessitate abandoning faith traditions. Organizations like Sister Reach, founded by Cherisse Scott, demonstrate how faith-based approaches can support rather than restrict reproductive justice. By studying scripture and developing alternative theological frameworks, Scott and others show that Christianity can affirm women's bodily autonomy rather than limit it. This work recognizes that until we can fully disentangle church from state, creating counter-narratives within religious communities remains an essential strategy for advancing sexual freedom. The struggle for sexual sovereignty against religious control requires both legal challenges to discriminatory policies and cultural work to transform religious narratives about sexuality. It means defending secular governance while simultaneously engaging with faith communities to develop more inclusive theological perspectives. Most importantly, it means centering the experiences and needs of those most affected by religiously-motivated restrictions rather than allowing abstract principles to override concrete human wellbeing.

Chapter 4: Redefining Masculinity: Breaking the Cycle of Domination

Traditional masculinity constructs itself in opposition to femininity, creating a toxic dynamic where men must constantly prove their manhood by dominating or devaluing women. This fragile masculinity manifests in countless ways: men who avoid dating women more successful than themselves, judges who sympathize with rapists who remind them of their own youth, and everyday interactions where men use sexual harassment or aggression to assert power. The resulting culture undermines women's sexual agency while simultaneously harming men themselves. The consequences of toxic masculinity extend to all genders but operate differently across racial and cultural lines. Black masculinity is often perceived as inherently threatening while Asian masculinity is frequently marginalized as insufficiently "manly." These racialized perceptions create additional layers of complexity for men of color navigating societal expectations. Meanwhile, research demonstrates that men who adhere most strongly to traditional masculine norms experience higher rates of depression, substance abuse, and relationship difficulties, revealing how patriarchal expectations damage those they ostensibly privilege. Changing masculinity requires more than individual men deciding to behave differently. It demands dismantling cultural systems that teach boys from early childhood that their worth depends on dominating others and suppressing emotional vulnerability. Programs like Kenya's "Your Moment of Truth" demonstrate effective approaches by engaging young men in critical examination of gender norms and teaching alternative models of masculinity centered on respect, emotional literacy, and equality. These interventions show significant success in reducing sexual violence by transforming underlying attitudes rather than simply punishing harmful behaviors. Media representation plays a crucial role in either reinforcing or challenging toxic masculinity. When entertainment consistently portrays male sexuality as aggressive and female sexuality as passive, it normalizes harmful dynamics. Conversely, media depicting men expressing vulnerability, prioritizing consent, and respecting women's autonomy helps normalize healthier expressions of masculinity. This cultural shift requires not just more diverse representation on screen but more diverse creators behind the scenes who can imagine masculinity beyond traditional constraints. Women cannot and should not bear sole responsibility for transforming toxic masculinity. Men must take leadership in challenging other men and modeling healthier ways of being. However, women can support this transformation by refusing to accept dehumanizing treatment and by recognizing that men, too, are harmed by rigid gender expectations. Building better masculinity isn't about demonizing men but about creating space for men to be fully human without requiring the subordination of women. The redefinition of masculinity represents perhaps the most fundamental challenge to achieving genuine sexual liberation. Until we transform cultural understandings of manhood away from dominance and toward partnership, other efforts toward sexual equality will remain incomplete. This transformation requires coordinated efforts across multiple domains: education, media, peer relationships, and institutional policies that reward cooperation rather than aggression.

Chapter 5: Educational Failures: How Institutions Perpetuate Sexual Inequality

The state of sexual education in America reveals profound institutional failures in preparing young people for healthy sexual lives. Unlike fire drills, which schools practice regularly despite the minimal risk of fires, comprehensive education about consent and sexual health remains sporadic and inadequate despite the high prevalence of sexual violence and unwanted pregnancy. This misalignment of priorities demonstrates how educational institutions systematically undervalue sexual wellbeing, particularly for young women and marginalized groups. The regulatory landscape for sex education creates a patchwork of inconsistent and often harmful approaches. Only twenty-four states mandate any form of sex education, and merely thirteen require that this education be medically accurate. More troublingly, several states explicitly require negative portrayals of non-heterosexual relationships, while nineteen mandate teaching that sex should only occur within marriage. This regulatory environment reflects political and religious agendas rather than evidence-based approaches to promoting sexual health and preventing harm. Beyond formal curriculum, educational institutions teach powerful implicit lessons about sexuality through their policies and practices. Dress codes disproportionately target and police girls' bodies, sending messages that female sexuality is disruptive and requires control. When sexual harassment or assault occurs between students, administrators frequently minimize these incidents or even punish victims, teaching all students that sexual violations aren't taken seriously. These institutional responses normalize a culture where consent is devalued and sexual harm is expected. The consequences of educational failures become particularly evident when students enter college environments. The much-discussed "hookup culture" reflects not increased sexual activity but increased confusion about how to navigate sexual relationships ethically and pleasurably. Studies indicate that many college students feel pressure to engage in casual sexual encounters while simultaneously feeling dissatisfied with these experiences. Without adequate education about communication, boundaries, and mutual pleasure, young people struggle to create sexual interactions that feel authentic and fulfilling. Educational institutions also fail to address how technology shapes contemporary sexual culture. Young people navigate sexting, online dating, pornography, and social media with minimal guidance about digital citizenship or critical media literacy. This gap leaves them vulnerable to both interpersonal exploitation and corporate manipulation of their developing sexual identities. Comprehensive sexual education must address these digital dimensions alongside traditional topics like contraception and STI prevention. Addressing these educational failures requires comprehensive reform at multiple levels. Sex education must begin earlier, continue throughout schooling, and address not just the mechanics of reproduction but also consent, pleasure, communication, and healthy relationships. Institutional policies must consistently reinforce rather than undermine these educational messages by taking sexual harassment seriously, eliminating discriminatory dress codes, and creating environments where all students feel safe and respected. Most importantly, educational approaches must center the experiences of those most marginalized by current systems, ensuring that reforms address the specific needs of LGBTQ+ students, students of color, and students with disabilities.

Chapter 6: Digital Platforms: New Battlegrounds for Sexual Liberation

Digital technologies have transformed sexual culture in profoundly contradictory ways. For many individuals, particularly those from marginalized communities, the internet provides unprecedented access to information, community, and platforms for self-expression. LGBTQ+ people in isolated areas can find validation and support online that may be unavailable locally. Sex educators use digital platforms to share accurate information that schools often fail to provide. Dating apps have expanded opportunities for connection and exploration. These positive developments represent genuine advances in sexual freedom and agency. However, the same technologies that enable liberation also facilitate new forms of oppression. Online harassment disproportionately targets women and minorities, often using sexualized threats as weapons of intimidation. When women speak publicly about feminist issues, they frequently face rape threats, doxxing (the publication of private information), and coordinated attacks designed to silence them. These patterns reveal how digital spaces reproduce and sometimes intensify existing power dynamics rather than disrupting them. The architecture of digital platforms often reinforces rather than challenges sexual inequality. Algorithms designed primarily by men frequently fail to recognize gendered patterns of harm, as exemplified by content moderation systems that may flag educational content about female anatomy while allowing violent misogynistic rhetoric to flourish. Platform policies regarding sexual content typically reflect arbitrary and inconsistent standards—banning female nipples while permitting graphic violence, or prohibiting sex education while allowing objectifying advertisements. Corporate control of digital spaces further complicates sexual expression online. Major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have enormous power to determine which sexual expressions are permissible and which are suppressed. These decisions frequently reflect commercial interests rather than ethical considerations, leading to policies that disproportionately impact marginalized communities. Sex workers, sex educators, and LGBTQ+ content creators regularly experience censorship and demonetization, limiting their ability to share information and build sustainable livelihoods. The digital landscape also creates new vulnerabilities, particularly for young people navigating sexual development. Non-consensual sharing of intimate images, online sexual harassment, and exposure to extreme pornography present challenges that previous generations didn't face. Yet rather than developing nuanced approaches to these issues, institutional responses often oscillate between moral panic and neglect, neither of which adequately addresses the complex reality of digital sexual culture. Creating more equitable digital environments requires both technical and cultural interventions. On the technical side, platforms must develop content moderation systems that recognize contextual differences between education, harassment, and exploitation. They must include diverse perspectives in the design process to avoid embedding biases into algorithms. Culturally, digital literacy education must help users recognize and resist online patterns of sexual harassment and manipulation. Most importantly, marginalized communities must have meaningful input into platform governance, ensuring that policies reflect diverse needs and experiences rather than defaulting to the perspectives of those already in positions of power.

Chapter 7: Building Genuine Sexual Power: Personal and Political Dimensions

Genuine sexual empowerment cannot be separated from broader social and political conditions. While individual choices matter, they exist within systems that enable or constrain possibilities for authentic sexual agency. Economic inequality, racial discrimination, religious oppression, and gender-based violence all shape who has access to sexual self-determination. Recognizing these structural dimensions means understanding sexual liberation as necessarily collective rather than purely individual—we cannot be truly sexually free while others remain unfree. The distinction between fauxpowerment and authentic sexual agency often lies in whether one's choices reinforce or challenge existing power structures. When sexual expression is valued primarily for its marketability or conformity to existing norms, it rarely represents genuine empowerment. Authentic sexual power involves the ability to make choices based on internal desires rather than external expectations, to set and maintain boundaries, and to pursue pleasure without shame or fear. This form of empowerment requires both personal reflection and political engagement. Building genuine sexual power involves multiple interconnected strategies. On a personal level, individuals benefit from developing sexual self-knowledge—understanding their desires, boundaries, and values independent of cultural messaging. This process often requires unlearning harmful narratives about sexuality absorbed through media, religion, and education. For many, connecting with communities that affirm diverse sexual experiences provides crucial support for this journey of self-discovery. Politically, sexual liberation requires challenging institutions that restrict sexual autonomy. This includes advocating for comprehensive sex education, opposing discriminatory laws and policies, supporting reproductive justice, and addressing economic inequalities that limit sexual choices. It also means creating alternative cultural narratives about sexuality through art, media, and education that center pleasure, consent, and diversity rather than conformity to narrow norms. The relationship between personal and political dimensions of sexual empowerment is reciprocal rather than linear. Political engagement creates conditions where personal sexual agency becomes more possible, while personal exploration of authentic sexuality can motivate political action. This interconnection challenges the false dichotomy between individual choice and collective transformation, recognizing that meaningful change requires both. The path toward genuine sexual empowerment isn't linear or universal. Different individuals and communities face unique challenges based on their specific social locations and histories. What remains constant is the need to distinguish between superficial representations of sexual freedom and substantive conditions that enable authentic sexual agency. By maintaining this critical perspective while working toward both personal and political transformation, we can move beyond fauxpowerment toward a vision of sexuality that truly honors human dignity and desire.

Summary

The fundamental insight emerging from this analysis is that genuine sexual liberation requires distinguishing between superficial representations of empowerment and substantive conditions that enable authentic agency. True sexual freedom cannot exist within systems that commodify desire, pathologize diversity, or maintain hierarchies of access and legitimacy. Instead, it requires transforming the political, economic, cultural, and educational structures that shape our sexual possibilities. This transformation demands both critical analysis of existing power dynamics and creative imagination of alternatives. The path forward involves recognizing that sexual liberation is necessarily both personal and political. Individual journeys toward sexual self-knowledge and agency matter deeply, but they cannot substitute for collective action against systemic oppression. By integrating these dimensions—challenging harmful narratives while building supportive communities, pursuing personal authenticity while advocating for institutional change—we can move beyond the illusion of fauxpowerment toward a vision of sexuality that truly honors human dignity, diversity, and desire. This vision remains unfinished, requiring ongoing commitment to distinguishing between what merely appears liberatory and what genuinely expands human freedom and flourishing.

About Author

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Jaclyn Friedman

Jaclyn Friedman is a poet and performance artist whose writing has been published in many places, including PW.org, PoetsAgainstTheWar.org, Pedestal Magazine, the Underwood Review, and Sojourner. She has been the Program Director for The Center for New Words and New Words Live since January 2000. She is the recipient of a 2001 Cambridge Poetry Award, a 2004 Fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center, and a 2005 Literature Grant from the Somerville Arts Council.--from the Center for New Words website

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