Modesty, feminism, and freedom
In my Jane Austen and Film class, we had a discussion on the changing roles on women. Some boys got into a rather heated discussion about the role of women’s clothing. One asked why women chose to degrade themselves by dressing so provocatively. Another countered that it was perfectly acceptable for women to dress and act like sluts, and that slut shouldn’t be a bad word, since male promiscuity has been overlooked for so long.
Now, wait a second. If men are being promiscuous, that’s THEIR problem. Since when did male promiscuity become our problem?
Why, instead of men correcting their vices, did they instead tell women that their LACK of promiscuity was the problem? That we now have ‘hang ups’ and expectations and obsessions with looking our best, looking our sexiest, using the one asset the world tells us we have left- our sexuality.
The sin and heartache are still here. The blame, however, has been transferred to the female.
Another girl agreed with the second boy, saying that she enjoyed dressing like that for herself, not because of the culture. Nobody was telling her how to dress; she just came up with it herself, out of the blue. Right.
I sat with my long skirt and sweater on and sighed as the discussion turned to women wearing pants. Here I am, getting a college education, living in an apartment with other women, having held a full time job before- and I am oppressed because I do not choose to let my body be on display or allow myself to be viewed as a sex object. How dare I not give up my dignity to the likes of some man. A truly enlightened women would know she is nothing more than an object, and not a fully fleshed out human being.
In the end, who’s really free?
Maybe I’m not against modern feminism because I’m a man-worshiping glassy eyed fool. Maybe it’s because feminism has done hurt myself and my female sisters in very deep ways.
Now, wait a second. If men are being promiscuous, that’s THEIR problem. Since when did male promiscuity become our problem?
Why, instead of men correcting their vices, did they instead tell women that their LACK of promiscuity was the problem? That we now have ‘hang ups’ and expectations and obsessions with looking our best, looking our sexiest, using the one asset the world tells us we have left- our sexuality.
The sin and heartache are still here. The blame, however, has been transferred to the female.
Another girl agreed with the second boy, saying that she enjoyed dressing like that for herself, not because of the culture. Nobody was telling her how to dress; she just came up with it herself, out of the blue. Right.
I sat with my long skirt and sweater on and sighed as the discussion turned to women wearing pants. Here I am, getting a college education, living in an apartment with other women, having held a full time job before- and I am oppressed because I do not choose to let my body be on display or allow myself to be viewed as a sex object. How dare I not give up my dignity to the likes of some man. A truly enlightened women would know she is nothing more than an object, and not a fully fleshed out human being.
In the end, who’s really free?
Maybe I’m not against modern feminism because I’m a man-worshiping glassy eyed fool. Maybe it’s because feminism has done hurt myself and my female sisters in very deep ways.