I had planned to give you a detailed analysis about the book I mentioned in the previous post but maybe a preview would be good, just so you can decide if you want to read it.
In the quiet of the twilight, disturbing thoughts come to me. I participated in a discussion about catcalling and found out that some women take these things as a compliment. How, may I ask, is that possible? Are we so insecure and worried about our looks that a random stranger who whistles/calls out something lewd at us can make us feel good about ourselves? What is happening here?
Society makes a big deal out of appearances, especially for young women. Apparently, to lead a full and satisfying life, you have to look good, all the time. If you want people to like you, you have to look good. If you want a great job, you have to look good. Hell,if you're a girl and if you want people to look at your Facebook profile and pictures, you have to look good. Mind you, I didn't explain what 'looking good' is. Looking good, in this day and age means wearing "something" (but it doesn't have to cover much of your body, take note)- usually comprising of material with strings everywhere, and just a belt for your bottom half ('belt' refers to the things that pass for skirts these days, I quote Levy, 2005). To add appeal to your pictures, you usually have to wear an indecent amount of make up on your face (this is usually best accomplished if you own a black pencil eyeliner and proceed to smear it all around your eyes). For the finale, and for people to gawk openly at you; you have to attempt to give a seductive smile or pose in the pictures that you upload; in fact, it's a plus if you're slightly inebriated with alcohol or any other form of drug(s) and/or making a pass at your girlfriend(s). Hey, the real winners are the ones who take off their tops or have their limbs attached to another girl. That's to whom the awards go to, by the way, in case you're interested. If you manage to have some sort of physical contact other than touching (i.e. kissing, groping etc) with another girl, then (*drum roll please) you manage to get into the Hall of Shame. Excuse me, I meant Hall of Fame. For there is no such thing as shame anymore.
What I want to know is- who told us that this is acceptable? The television, the media? Cosmo? If so, I want to say that they're all wrong. Yet, how can I say that when anyone can see that the majority of young women these days are buying into this ideology? Day by day, I feel that any progress made by the fiery feminists of the 1960's slowly fade away. Some girls think they're overcoming the patriarchy by doing it this way. In reality, it's far from that. Apparently, it's liberating to dress and act this way. I need somebody to enlighten me, because wearing that much of make up, as far as I know, is uncomfortable, wearing close-to-nothing can be insane around here because of the weather and the high heels don't help either.
I don't look good all the time, I'll tell you that. But I'm having a fantastic life. But when I see what I'm forced to see everyday, around me- in university, on the streets, on the television and on the Internet, I am saddened. I was reading a blog yesterday and the girl wrote: feminists are so caught up with the minor issues (she was referring to a comment made by a feminist about a television show called the Tudors, if I'm not mistaken) and they fail to see the bigger picture. I heartily disagree. This is no minor issue. It's happening everywhere, whether you believe it or not. If we let it, this will become the only picture. But, day by day, I get a sour taste in my mouth and wish to close my eyes to reality.
Day by day, it gets worse.
p/s- did you know that the Indian Cricket teams playing for the IPL (Indian Premier League) hired cheerleaders from America to cheer for their games? Guess what they wear? Yep, you got it right. (IMO, they're skirts get shorter and shorter everyday and I thought I was just being paranoid but when I looked closely one day, the skirts disappeared only to be replaced by boy-shorts. I don't know which one's worse).
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