February 07, 2004

On the gender front...

Plus ça change, plus c'est le meme chose. Here are two sobering links in this the year of the goddess 2004:

A woman sets off airport security alarms with the chastity belt her husband apparently forced her to wear. (Link from BlogsCanada)



(It was harrowing browsing through what came up when I googled "chastity belt." Who knew?? Somehow this is not what I imagine the proponents of sexual abstinence had in mind.)

Final chastity note: "Two historians say chastity belts are purely medieval myths." Medieval myth, contemporary reality. Huh!

Second link: Another reason not to buy fashion mags: here are two (1, 2) before and after pictures. (Link from feministe. feministe goes on to link to an "uglification" contest — whereby people Photoshop celebrity photographs — and I find it pretty offensive that for many people ugly = old.)

Cross-posted to scribblingwoman.

Posted by Jones at February 7, 2004 12:54 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Hmmm...interesting that their definition of "ugly" seems to mean pimples, wrinkles, and excess facial hair. Very scary. Those two airbrushed photos are shocking. They don't look like the same women at all. Yet another reason not to try and live up to magazines' unreasonable expectations.

Posted by: Kathryn at February 8, 2004 08:18 PM

I think a lot of people went with "looking old" because that way they only have to change the various "levels" of the existing graphics, rather than "create" new substances, etc., so that the end result would look more realistic (and make them seem more skilled.) That is I don't think it is so much to do with what they think looks bad, but the methodology that would make them look good as Photoshop artists.

Quote from Kathryn: "Those two airbrushed photos are shocking. They don't look like the same women at all. Yet another reason not to try and live up to magazines' unreasonable expectations."

I don't really think it's the magazine's fault. I mean if you don't like the effect they have on you, just don't read it. The magazine doesn't pose expectations on you, it's just an object, and none of the publishers will do an "appearance check-up" on you. Any expectations are expectations one makes of oneself. Feeling bad is just a natural part of life, and it's as "fair" for it to happen with looks as it is with anything else.

Posted by: ouhite at July 19, 2004 04:04 AM