I can barely manage the questioning looks the girls give me sometimes, so I cannot even begin to fathom what it would be like to be a public figure subject to international, round-the-clock scrutiny. And let’s be honest, public scrutiny grows ever closer to a modern day witch hunt. Should political figures be questioned about their morality? I’m not sure, maybe if they shove one persona down our throats they should be called out if they’re being dishonest. Infidelity? Sketchy financial dealings? Disappointing, but I just don’t know where the line is. A place I feel vastly more comfortable standing up and growing my throat clearing into a defiant, “Hell no” yell is the heaping amounts of criticism, speculation and ridicule waged on women.
The pressure can begin for little girls with padding in bikini tops, being told they can’t be Batman and being “brave” for doing it anyway, it continues through high school and college as as we look at magazines intended for us, which seem to perpetuate the idea that we should be pursuing eligibility for a Maxim hot list, even though most of those women are photoshopped. Then as we hit our 30s we’re criticized for trying to look too young, for looking too old, for not being sexual enough, for being too sexual. Our 40s? I’ll tell you in about 16 months.
I could rant and rant, or I could direct you to Ashley Judd’s brilliant response to the unrelenting speculation on her appearance. She didn’t have to do this, in fact this stuff doesn’t deserve more ink, but because she started this conversation, I really think we should keep it going. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life trying to look 22 all the while apologizing that I don’t.
It’s crap. Let’s throw their stick and stones back to them and say we aren’t willing to play.
Tagged: Confidence, feminism, peace
Yep. I think a lot of boys would be VERY upset if we ladies took our toys and went home. 🙂 xo
Sadly though, it’s a lot of women blasting women too though. We gotta work on that.
Wow. Great piece by Judd. Thanks for linking to it.
Oh, Millie, I think that so much of this is fueled by women. We may not be the architects, but we keep it going—buying into it emotionally and financially.
The thing is I am beginning to see that the women who say nothing are complicit in the attack. I think that it’s tragic that we allow the definition of beauty, acceptance and tolerance to be so impacted by things that have nothing to do with them. I have been guilty of considering the mags harmless, discounting the attacks, but I can’t anymore.
Thanks, Will.
I agree. Bravo to you for using your influence to take a stand. xo
All thanks to you for being so persistent in addressing the fear we seem to have of speaking up as women.
Hell yeah! Who are they to tell us what we can or can’t and when or how. To hell with glossy magazines that make us feel less-than, and to people who judge us for who we are, whatever that is.
I am all for doing what you want and need to feel better, what I am done with is the attacks for not looking a certain way.
God Damn I’m proud of you. Kick their asses. And keep kicking til something changes. I will too.
I read the article last night, and I completely agree! I’m so glad that the magazine I work for is all about embracing age, not fighting it or trying to reverse it.
I love Ashley Judd for saying what she did. It’s something that seems so obvious to me, and it’s always on the tip of my tongue, especially lately, when I see things I don’t agree with. But, she managed to articulate it so well. And I hope that the women out there who don’t realize they’re falling prey to our patriarchal society will take some of what she said to heart.