I hate to say it, but I am a culprit of everything that she describes. I can't help but fall into the pack of girls and women who look at magazines and television and constantly compare myself to these models. I can't help but walk into a party and size myself up against those around me. I can't help but see the "pretty girls" from high school and college and innately feel contempt and distrust.
But the thing is, I can help it.
Every morning I allot an hour to putting on my make-up and choosing what clothes are going to make me look my best. An hour. Exactly what Caroline said. My male friends? How long do they take? 5 minutes. The majority throw on whatever jeans are closest with whatever shirt has the coolest looking design and softest fabric to sit on their back. And what about the minority of male friends? They slide on some suit pants with a button-up shirt that they didn't wear the day before, a tie that compliments the color, and shoes that don't clash with the socks.
Why is it that Mens' professional wear doubles as "sexy" clothes? Yet for women, we have all different kinds of "sexy" wear: "sexy" casual, "sexy" formal, "sexy" professional, "sexy" sexy...The short body-con dress that girl in the corner of the party is wearing? She'd never go to a professional interview wearing that. The suit and tie that guy is wearing? Justin Timberlake just created a song about it!
Maybe it's because a woman had the historic role of house keeper and was in charge of mending and sewing garments, so as the fashion industry developed more clothes were marketed towards women.
Maybe it's because what women have been bred to find "sexy" is a man who can provide for them, so any man dressing snazzy is most likely going to be rich, successful, and sophisticated.
Maybe it's because women haven't been bred to view scantily clad men as sexual objects because the media has been traditionally run by men and has consequently led them to think that they are the ones who need to impress rather than be impressed.
Because even though men with muscle are considered sexy due to their favorable base traits of evolution (their ability to find a cave or build a house, and to outsmart animals while hunting for food), the impossibly skinny too-malnourished-to-have-a-baby unintelligent modern female is the one considered desirable.
So maybe it is time to change. Maybe women should stop mid-adjustment and think about how they're presenting their mind or their heart rather than their stomach and thighs. Sit in a way that enhances what you can contribute to the conversation rather than what will attract the male in the corner who just wants to USE you rather than participating in a TWO-SIDED two-party party.
Because sexually objectifying a female establishes a gender role that hinders everyone. Men are criticized for caring about fashion and hygiene because that obviously makes them homosexual....because being gay is wrong and insulting? Men who have emotions and like children may be sexy to women, but they're not macho, they're just pussy whipped.
Establishing a binary system limits EVERYONE and a system that encourages depression should make everyone sad, no matter what their sex or gender.
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