Society imposes femininity on women

Wednesday, November 11, 1998

Society imposes femininity on women

WOMEN: Standards of beauty, self-esteem mask individual value,
strength

By Debrah Shurman

This submission is in response to Catie Bailard’s column titled
"Sugar ‘n’ Spice as effective as feminism" (Viewpoint Nov. 11)

As tempting as it is to adopt Ginger Spice as a model for female
empowerment, I must say I strongly disagree with Bailard’s column.
Her belief that feminism consists of "army boots and buzz cuts" and
a fight against "the patriarchal hegemonic monster that is man" is
not uncommon, but it is completely untrue.

Contrary to (the ignorant) popular belief, feminism is not a
battle against men, but rather a movement that targets the socially
constructed ideologies of racism, sexism and classism.

It is Bailard’s simplistic view of feminism that creates a
dichotomy between women who shave their legs and those who shave
their heads. When women feel insecure about showing their faces in
public without cosmetics, it is time to re-evaluate our society’s
standards of beauty. Media images of female beauty leave much to be
desired when creating role models for girls.

I stand appalled in the line at the grocery store as I read the
magazine covers, the creators of which prey on the externally
implemented insecurities of America’s women. Month after month,
each magazine manages to include the newest way to shed those
"extra" 10 pounds as well as how to dress in order to catch that
man.

Personally, I have better things to do than to read about that
new lace halter top that will just drive him mad, and I find it
insulting that such ridiculous advertising strategies are directed
toward my sex.

Bailard also fails to acknowledge the painstaking attempts of
assimilation that women of color make every day. For decades
African American, Chicana, Latina, Asian and Native American women
have been subjected to a white standard of beauty that is apparent
in mainstream magazines and other media.

True beauty transcends make-up and fashion; a beautiful woman is
such with or without these accessories. My point is that socially
accepted practices, such as shaving one’s legs, are dictated
arbitrarily by society’s whims. Women who attempt to deviate from
such human idiosyncrasies are deemed "abnormal" by those who can’t
see that the "norm" isn’t all that normal to begin with.

Perhaps the guilt that Bailard feels other women force upon her
is actually self-inflicted. I highly doubt that the aim of such
women is to make Primp ‘n’ Curl girls feel guilty, but rather to
point out that the tolerance for individuality is limited for those
cast in the role of "feminine."

Visions of Ginger Spice dance in my head as I imagine a
generation of women raised with the belief that spandex dresses and
platform shoes are the means of empowerment. Perhaps they might
grow up to be Ally McBeal-like corporate women who wear tiny skirts
(doesn’t it get cold where Ally lives?) and manage to sustain a
career while squandering their time daydreaming about men and being
irrational. Will the women of tomorrow be able to rise above such
ridiculous role models?

We had better hope so.

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