That stands for the Transport Security Administration. Check out the following clip:
It's an SNL spoof about the enhanced security measures at airports, which include full body scans, and heavy pat-downs if you refuse the former. The question arises, what makes us uncomfortable about pat-downs? Is it just that somebody is touching our private parts? Does it matter who does the pat-downs? Usually, it is the same sex officer as you who does it, because it is assumed that a pat-down by an opposite sex person would be more violating. But what if the officer is a homosexual, or the person being subjected is a homosexual? Moreover, where does this leave inter-sex people in this interaction? I am looking forward to hearing some ideas or answers to these questions.
It's an SNL spoof about the enhanced security measures at airports, which include full body scans, and heavy pat-downs if you refuse the former. The question arises, what makes us uncomfortable about pat-downs? Is it just that somebody is touching our private parts? Does it matter who does the pat-downs? Usually, it is the same sex officer as you who does it, because it is assumed that a pat-down by an opposite sex person would be more violating. But what if the officer is a homosexual, or the person being subjected is a homosexual? Moreover, where does this leave inter-sex people in this interaction? I am looking forward to hearing some ideas or answers to these questions.
I agree, TSA pat downs do present us an interesting question about why and when we feel uncomfortable with being touched by strangers. It seems to me that our culture has created very specific guidelines for the level of appropriateness for these pat downs, based largely under the assumptions that everyone does and will conform to the heteronormative standard. For example, it is far more appropriate for a woman to pat down a woman than a man to pat down a woman. The reasoning behind this is that it will take away the sexual nature of the event since a woman would never desire another woman while men cannot help themselves from their desire. Of course, this train of thought completely ignores and dehumanizes queer, questioning, or intersex identities as well as those who have perhaps fallen victim to sexual violence from the same gender, or any gender, for that matter.
These ideas again are interesting in context with the video that seems to imply that TSA pat downs would be fine-enjoyable, even-if only the TSA agents were all sexy women. This is yet another double standard, where sexual touching between strangers from a woman toward a man is okay, as long as the woman is sexy, while sexual touching in the same instance from a man to a woman would never be acceptable.
You raise a good point about airport security that I really never think about when I go through the security line. Our society definitely implements strict rules about same-sex pat downs that stem from heteronormativity. Because I am a female, I usually have to go through a purse check line at public events. I think this relates to the pat down idea. The person checking the purses doesn't really check them. It's a quick look, and you get the go ahead. What does this say about our society? Does this imply that women are less likely to bring something illegal into an event or is it simply a gesture of appropriateness? Because some men think it is sexy for a woman to pat them down, but most women think it is inappropriate for a man to pat them down signifies that there are still gender roles present. I also noticed the mannerisms of the women. They were talking in seductive voices, wearing revealing clothing, and were all white. I find this interesting because it is defining what is considered "normal" for men to desire.