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🪞⚔️👁️ Post-Feminizm 🪞⚔️👁️

(Turkish)

Throughout human history, the social perception of sexuality has been shaped by oscillations between what is valued and devalued, respected and degraded. In this regard, the conceptualizations put forward in Sigmund Freud’s early 20th-century works have shown us the deep psychological dynamics underlying human sexuality. One of the central ideas Freud emphasized in his essay “On the Universal Tendency to Debasement in the Sphere of Love” was this: the development of people’s libidinal structures evolves from the deep bonds formed in childhood. The enduring effect of these bonds prevents the full union of sexual and emotional desires; thus, the pursuit of sexual pleasure is often directed not toward objects that are loved and respected, held in high esteem, but rather toward objects that are degraded and devalued.

According to Freud, the result of this condition is that men need a “degraded” object in order to satisfy their sexual desires; in contrast, when confronted with a respectable, valuable, and beloved woman, the man may become sexually inadequate and impotent. Freud names this conflict the “Madonna-Whore Complex”: the women in a man’s life are seen either as saints (Madonna) or as objects of desire (whores); reconciliation between these two categories rarely occurs. Thus, as Freud demonstrated, in male psychology, sexual activity is—consciously or unconsciously—associated with degraded objects, not for love but for the satisfaction of desire.

Sexuality in the Age of Social Media: The Rise of Cinematic Voyeurism

Freud’s ideas gained meaning within the social life and cultural norms of his time. Yet in today’s world, where digitalization has transformed everything, and a new cultural context shaped by cinema and social media has emerged, these concepts must be rethought. The digital age has removed sexuality from being a purely physical act and transferred it into the realm of visual exhibitionism and voyeurism. In this new form, which can be described as cinematic voyeurism, sexuality is shaped not through the act itself, but through watching and making oneself watched. Users have now come to satisfy their sexual desires through a cinematic voyeuristic experience on social media platforms, where a new kind of relationship between viewers and content creators has emerged.

The algorithmic structure of social media turns users into both exhibitionists and voyeurs in order to increase engagement. The viewer, even without giving consent, is exposed to hundreds of exhibitionist performances each day. At the same time, they themselves become part of these performances. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and OnlyFans function as mechanisms that continuously force users to exhibit themselves, transforming sexual pleasure into a cinematic spectacle.

From Prostitution to Artsy Prostitution: The New Appearance of Feminism

In this digital and visual age, the concept of prostitution has also undergone a transformation. Formerly degraded and regarded with societal shame, this profession and role have now, under the banners of “liberation” and “free sexual expression,” acquired a kind of sanctity and respectability. The exhibitionism economy of the digital world has reversed this previous degradation and transformed it into a condition that is now admired, valued, and rewarded. This has led to the emergence of a new concept: what is referred to as artsy prostitution.

Artsy prostitutes present sexual exhibitionism and mundane acts as high art through rhetorical embellishments. This group, which extracts metaphysical depth even from drinking a glass of water, is encouraged and rewarded through social media algorithms and academic funding. Thus, exhibitionism becomes legitimized as art through the inflated contexts of simple acts, and in this new context, degradation is replaced by sanctification. This transformation is legitimized and glorified under the name of “feminism.”

In this context, the Madonna complex described by Freud has been reversed: instead of the saintly Madonna, the superstar Madonna—an exhibitionist popular culture icon—has become the new paradigm founder. The good woman is no longer the sacred and respectable one, but the one who gains value in popular culture by exhibiting herself.

Rewarding Promiscuity, Punishing Fidelity

In Freud’s era, sexual impulses were repressed by cultural taboos. Today, the situation is the exact opposite: sexual promiscuity is rewarded, encouraged, and idealized, while fidelity, commitment, and moral restraint are punished or belittled. Those who demonstrate loyalty and refrain from displaying their private, intimate spaces become invisible and devalued in the voyeuristic economy of social media platforms. Fidelity is coded as boring, monotonous, and conservative; promiscuity is sanctified as freedom, novelty, and self-realization.

Conclusion: The Future of Modern Culture

In conclusion, the desire-love dichotomy defined by Freud has been inverted today through cinematic and social media-based voyeurism. The once-degraded figure of the prostitute has been glorified under the label of feminism and has even acquired an artistic and academic identity on digital platforms. In this new order, by rewarding promiscuity and punishing fidelity, the nature of social relationships and individual sexuality has been radically transformed.

For a true human and cultural progress, we must break free from the cinematic hypnosis created by the culture of voyeurism and exhibitionism and reconstruct our personal relationships in a meaningful way. This is only possible by recognizing the manipulation mechanisms of the digital age and reclaiming this awareness. Only then can the deep psychological splits identified by Freud be overcome, and a true unity of love and desire be established. Today’s society is suffering from this division, yet still resists grasping the depth of the problem.