Monday, February 02, 2004
(first post since the blog got well and truly 'purpled'. congratulate me please on my grasp of html!)
The very visible girl
I saw a cartoon a while ago (New Internationalist, I think) called 'the invisible girl'. This was all about how girls are overlooked, ignored and (might as well be) invisible.
But, thinking about this, I can see another side to the problem. Because experience tells me that, while girls (and women) are invisible in many situations, there is another level at which the opposite is true. Females in western culture often have to contend with being too visible. Our 'femininity' gets scrutinised from the earliest possible point. We are monitored, and learn to monitor ourselves and each other. Then, when puberty hits, (or even before, given the availability of 'sexy' underwear for girls as young as nine) the great god *sex* enters the equation. And from this point, female bodies are public property. You can't get away from the 'gaze'. Everywhere, you are told how you 'should' be. (Should be thinner, have bigger breasts, use this, that or the other product, do this that or the other, etc) Anyone and everyone is entitled to make comments and pass judgement.
To be continued...
The very visible girl
I saw a cartoon a while ago (New Internationalist, I think) called 'the invisible girl'. This was all about how girls are overlooked, ignored and (might as well be) invisible.
But, thinking about this, I can see another side to the problem. Because experience tells me that, while girls (and women) are invisible in many situations, there is another level at which the opposite is true. Females in western culture often have to contend with being too visible. Our 'femininity' gets scrutinised from the earliest possible point. We are monitored, and learn to monitor ourselves and each other. Then, when puberty hits, (or even before, given the availability of 'sexy' underwear for girls as young as nine) the great god *sex* enters the equation. And from this point, female bodies are public property. You can't get away from the 'gaze'. Everywhere, you are told how you 'should' be. (Should be thinner, have bigger breasts, use this, that or the other product, do this that or the other, etc) Anyone and everyone is entitled to make comments and pass judgement.
To be continued...
Comments:
Post a Comment
