*Warning* This post will be a rant about the social norms that today's society has imposed on young girls and women.
When you open the twitter app, you're never really 100% sure about what you're going to get. But one thing you can be almost certain to see at least once is a post about someone's appearance. More often than not this post will be regarding a female, her clothes, make up and overall appearance which will be critiqued by her peers who lack respect for her.
It's normal to hear that a girls skirt is short, that's a fact. But to say that, "she has not self respect and only dresses like that to impress boys" is unacceptable. Maybe (be careful this may be too crazy to comprehend) she just feels confident in her outfit choice. What upsets me so much about this topic is that the appearance of the young girl is often interpreted by a young man, or the way he may feel. I recently read in another person's blog post that young girls must dress modestly to protect their reputation, and to appeal to boys.
I could honestly not care less about what a male specimen thinks of me. I'm not worried about that right now, I'm only sixteen. I'm applying to colleges and focusing on getting the education I deserve. But to those young women who do care what boys think about them, if someone ever makes you change, leave. You shouldn't have to dress differently because your boyfriend is insecure when you look good. You shouldn't have to change your clothes because the boy next to you can't focus on his government homework while you shoulders are so exposed.
Another issue we see in today's society regarding female appearance is makeup. Whether it's a little bit of eyeliner or a full out contour, people will assume a female is trying to look good for someone. This isn't true. Makeup is fun to experiment with. You can transform yourself, not necessarily because you are insecure but because you want to bring out the features that you love about yourself.
I love makeup, it's fun to mess around with. I can create a smoky eye if I'm feeling crazy or a bold lip if I want to spice up an outfit. Just because I want to wear a berry lip stick doesn't mean I'm trying to impress Jimmy who sits next to me in math.
A post on the HoustonPress website recently caught my eye. A five year old girl was sent home for wearing a spaghetti strapped dress to school. She was five years old! At this young age we are already imposing the idea that women need to dress modestly to appeal to the needs of the young boys at the school. This is bologna. Why are we already subjecting this little girl to the immense embarrassment that comes from being dress-coded.
What I tried to relay in this blog post was that the societal view of women being modest to appeal to a man's needs is a view that needs to be stopped. We are individuals who have our own aspirations and not all of them are geared towards appeasing men (surprise!!).
Read the post here: http://www.houstonpress.com/arts/the-apparently-immoral-shoulders-of-my-five-year-old-daughter-7372634
stay peaceful
I totally agree with this post, you couldn't have said it better!
ReplyDeleteThat's crazy! Dress coding a five year old, that's ridiculous. I agree with you, but in some cases there is a borderline on how appropriate clothing choices are...for both men and women.
ReplyDeleteTRUE. I hate how many articles there are in media and online that suggest action and change based on men's opinions. Also, in my house, if one of my parents doesn't dig my look (whether it be accessories, clothing, makeup, hair color), the reasoning is typically "boys won't like it." Like, I couldn't care less what judgmental and shallow boys think of me. Why would I want to attract someone like that anyway? Dress codes from a young age also contribute to the sexualization of minors in my opinion. Absolutely awful.
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