Comments | therru: He, She, Itch

therru

He, She, Itch

Feb 05, 2006 23:36

I've been thinking about gender again. It's not usually something that troubles me so much these days. B wrote to me some time ago about cross-dressing, and I wrote a long answer about gender, and how I think 'male' and 'female' are mostly arbitrary constructions, anyway. And then, at the party last weekend, M told me that I should wear make-up ( Read more... )

self, thinking

Comments 9

frualeydis February 6 2006, 07:25:15 UTC

I think you really would like chapter 7 in my dissertation. It's about clothes and gender and how the concept of male and female bodies and of beauty were different in the middle ages from now and how that affected the construction and look of the clothes. I actually got a comment after my lecture on this topic in Visby that: "If gender identities were constructed in the middle ages it must be so now too and that is so liberating ( ... )

therru February 6 2006, 13:37:24 UTC

Actually, I would very much like to read your dissertation *anyway ( ... )

armillary February 6 2006, 08:58:17 UTC

You get a philosophical answer, since that's the mood I'm in. Don't take me too seriously - I try not to.

However, it also means that, being female, I can wear beautiful clothes and get praise, not ridicule. If I had been male, I would have been called to do that in historical and middle-earth societies, because modern male clothing is, frankly, very dull.That's part of the reason I like these societies. As far as I'm concerned, men's fashion still hasn't recovered from the 19th century. I think it was the tweed that did it ( ... )

therru February 6 2006, 14:00:28 UTC

If you look at historical clothing, and virtually all other cultures, men seem to have just as much interest in decorating themselves as women do. The particular aesthetics may be gender-specific, but the *drive* seems to be plain human. I feel a bit sorry for present-day men, who are commonly denied that.

The question is, do you want there to be a reaction or not?

Well, everyone likes to be thought attractive! But I would like people to think that it's *me* who is attractive, not the paint on my face, or the glittery stuff I hang on myself. Let's say it's not so important to me that I'd want to *trick* people into finding me attractive (in which case, I'd have to do it all the time). I think this connects to what I wrote in a earlier journal entry, about wanting to be truly seen (and appreciated) for who I am. It may be that I'd rather be left alone than live in falsehood and superficiality. It may be that my demands are far too high. ;)

therru February 6 2006, 14:22:37 UTC

I just had another thought: I'm probably more interested in connecting with people than in 'playing the game', which may be why (or because) I'm not very good at it. 'Playing the game', that is. Actually, I'm not much good at connecting with people either. But I'm still more interested in it.

tattycat February 10 2006, 03:41:18 UTC

Oh, pooh on male insecurities anyway. Some of us can't help how tall we are.

*ahem*

zappo February 6 2006, 11:06:55 UTC

Hear hear, _HEAR_! I second pretty much everything you say, esp. about the smiling. Also you're pretty whatever you wear. And talented. And interesting. Heja!

therru February 6 2006, 14:11:43 UTC

Thank you! Thank you! *sheds a small tear*

tattycat February 10 2006, 03:40:31 UTC

Okay, okay, yes, chiming in late. I read this with interest when you first posted it and then promoptly had to go think very hard for a few days. It's interesting synchronicity, because I'm working very hard at becoming more comfortable with myself and the fact that I have started leaning away from a very thoroughly gender-neutral presentation of myself, and towards an image that is a good deal more feminine than I expected ( ... )