What is "Raunch Culture" and why does it get capitalized?

I was just going to ask that, tommy!

The origins of the term:

Men, you can relax. You are no longer the enemy. Instead, judging by recent events in America, modern feminists have a much shapelier target in their sights - other women. Specifically, scantily clad women who use their sexuality to get ahead. I don't know if this is a PR campaign to get men to finally pay attention to the cause, but it's certainly stirring up trouble.

It all kicked off with the publication of Female Chauvinist Pigs, a rant against "raunch culture" by the New York magazine writer Ariel Levy. In the book, she argues that the recent trend for soft-porn styling in everything from music videos to popular TV is reducing female sexuality to its basest levels. In short: "A tawdry, tarty, cartoon-like version of female sexuality has become so ubiquitous, it no longer seems particular."

Which is all fair enough, until Levy starts to list the ways in which today's women are allowing their sexuality to be sold short. Thongs, for example. Crop tops. Lap-dancing classes. Maxim and FHM. Playboy T-shirts. The word "chick". Levy thinks raunch culture is a feminist movement gone terribly wrong. We are, in her eyes, doing all these things merely to show the men that we are "one of the guys" and "liberated and rebellious". Naturally, she finds this confusing. "Why is labouring to look like Pamela Anderson empowering?"

eta: The rest of the article argues against Ariel Levy and other critics of "raunch culture".

[link]

Urf. I have sleep deprivation cancer this morning.

"Tramp stamp" falls into the same mental arena for me as "wifebeater" -- the literal meanings/origins just don't ping me on any level even if I can acknowledge their unsavoriness intellectually.

I had completely missed any raunch connotations. My thought was that the lower back was a good place for a tatoo because the tatoo wouldn't show with ordinary clothes. In fact, the lower back is about the only place I've ever considered having a tatoo because of that. That's how far out of it I am.

"Tramp stamp" falls into the same mental arena for me as "wifebeater"

The first reaction I had to the term wifebeater was -- "They're not wifebeaters, they're guinea T's!" Then I realized what guinea meant (and I am one!)

I had never heard of the term "tramp stamp" until this morning, and I was raised on offensive phrases!

I have sleep deprivation cancer this morning.

Can you call in sick with that?

ION, one of these days I wanna call in sick with the screaming shits.

I had never heard of the term "tramp stamp" until this morning, and I was raised on offensive phrases!

Me neither.

Now I'm feeling sorry for those poor girls who simultaneously have a muffin top, whale tale and tramp stamp.