Gordon: For women, perfection by deprivation
Third-wave feminism tells girls that we can be both empowered and feminine. We can be CEOs in heels and lipstick; we can (almost) be president in a skirt and pantyhose; we can (sort of) be sexual aggressors in a mini-dress. We can have it all. We are liberated. But the ideology of “beautiful femininity” is not a choice — it’s a social mandate.
There are few female role models for young women to emulate, beyond the anemic frames of actresses and models. Now in my third year at Yale, I’ve had 20 male professors. My syllabi feature Plato, Descartes and Kant. Walking across campus, I...
Right. So what to do about it?
Really?
I mean-- really?
This is a really interesting starting point but I agree with the above, what to do about this would be nice to hear. Perhaps for a future op-ed.
O M G this girl is like soooo good. she's a beam of light in this abyss of patriarchal darkness.
Hey Claire,
Really well-written, and very insightful (especially for a guy). One thing I couldn't help thinking about, though, is the relativistic nature of weight, particularly the notion of being "overweight." You throw out a figure (npi) that the number of high school women who considered themselves overweight increased from 50% to 80% in the aftermath of the 1960's. Well, objectively, clinically-speaking, over 60% of American high school girls ARE overweight in 2008. The obesity epidemic doesn't negate the existence of the near-opposite cultural force that you write about (which, I agree, exists), BUT the truth is, more American women are unhealthily overweight than underweight. This obviously complicates thing pretty severely, because on the one side you have body image issues and the pressure to be thin, which are dangerous mentally and emotionally, and on the other side you have very real physical health issues involved with being overweight that can be even more damaging, especially long-term. Stuck in the middle, walking an ever-thinning line, is the modern American girl.
So the question becomes, how can we, as a society, help the majority of women find healthy body weights, without pushing them to either dangerous extreme?
It's a hard question.
Also, as much as I enjoyed your article as a whole, another idea I have to push back on is the notion that "thin has been in" only since the 1920's. While concepts of beauty definitely have fluxuated over time, the evolutionary attractiveness of a healthy-looking mate I think has been a pretty steady constant throughout human and pre-human history. Between foraging for food and running from sabertooths, our ancient ancestors never had to worry about not fitting into their old pairs of jeans. And to them, when starvation was much more of a relevant health concern than overeating, having a few extra pounds was probably viewed positively. Today, though, in the Western world of disgustingly large (and cheap) food surpluses, being overweight is I think both culturally AND evolutionary unattractive because in addition to not meshing with Vogue's concept of beauty, being overweight in the modern world also increases ones risk of chronic disease like heart disease, diabetes, etc. AND makes individuals less productive, more stressed, etc. in the mean time.
Anyways, congrats on a thoughtful, thought-provoking article. It's a big problem. But the first step to recovery is recognizing it, I guess.
This is an outstanding commentary! Women must be ever mindful of this history of self-hatred. We can, however, begin to daily cultivate a deep awareness of these destructive forces. In doing so, we will generate feminine community, gratitude of our blessed physicality, and realization of our full potentials.