What ever happened to feminism? I'm not talking the bra
burning, militant, hairy arm pitted women put forward in the 60's and
70's as the poster-children of the Feminist movement. I'm talking about
women being feminine, being lovely, being something to admire.
Over the years I have noted a disturbing trend in the
way that women seem to be increasingly 'letting themselves go'. The
more men seem to take better care of themselves, start wearing nicer
clothes, shaving regularly and scratching their balls in public less,
the more women seem to be wearing the wrong clothes, have stopped shaving
and have started scratching their crotches in public.
So, what do I mean by the 'wrong clothes'? Take for instance
a situation I see far, far too often down at my local. I walk in and
I see fashion victims screaming for help. I see women wearing midriff
tops flashing their ample bellies to the world, reminding me of the
'layer upon layer upon layer' Sara Lee Danish pastry TV ads. It's enough
to make one shudder, and I frequently do. I'd love to know what is going
on in their minds. They couldn't possibly have mirrors at home because
they certainly wouldn't go out in public like that! Otherwise, you could
hand out “I beat anorexia” t-shirts and they'd happily wear
them.
I see women with absolutely no definition in their bodies
because they're wearing tracksuits that are two sizes too big. Of course,
men (or should I say boys) have been wearing huge jeans with the crotch
hanging round their knees for years. And quite frankly, it makes me
want to give them a gigantic wedgie just to remind them of how bloody
stupid they look. If only Trinnie and Suzanna would land at my local
and refuse to let anyone out the door until they'd promised to never
wear that outfit again!
What happened to a woman taking a little pride in her
appearance? Where did all the women go who dress nicely, wear a little
bit of make-up, style their hair and didn't start every sentence with
'Oh my God!'? When did women start walking like men?
I've had many a heated discussion with female friends
over high heels. Their argument is that high heels (now, we're not talking
stripper heels here) are uncomfortable and are bad for the back. My
retort is that, like 75% of women buying the wrong bra, they're buying
the wrong heels. Properly fitting heels shouldn't cause pain and should
in fact support the heel and ankle, not to mention that they look super
sexy. In addition, many a report has come out stating that wearing heels
actually aids women in their posture, helping to straighten the back!
It also helps if you don't buy the $20 pair from the discount store.
It doesn't have to be heels. So many times I've seen a
very nicely dressed, nicely presented lady walking by on the street.
Nice hair, make-up, clothes and then she ruins it all by wearing a pair
of thongs. I don't care how much you paid for them or how many pretty
colours they come in, thongs are not fashionable honey. Find the right
shoes for the outfit.
And, while we we're on the subject of pants... what happened
to skirts? These days, if I see a woman wearing a skirt, I can't help
but notice. Not because she's wearing a skirt, but because she's not
wearing pants! Denim jeans and slacks have their time and place, for
sure, but the demise of the skirt is a truly sad event. In the 60's,
mini-skirts were all the rage, and for a while there, many a lad was
hopeful of their return. But it doesn't have to be just mini-skirts.
In fact, many of the women at my local shouldn't be wearing mini-skirts.
Short, mid-length and long skirts are all wonderful womanly clothing.
And of course, there's dresses! A mans heart is just dying
to see a womanly figure in a nice dress. Ladies, you have beautiful
qualities, you should show them a little. Why be afraid to dress a little
sexy, to take care of yourself, to be a woman? For every 1 guy that
you might find ogling you, you'll find 20 guys quietly appreciative
of how lovely you are.
I'm the first to admit that I like a girlie-girl, or should
that be a womanly-woman, or perhaps a lady? And I suspect that many
a reader might think of me as a sexist pig. I've done a bit of ragging
on women's choices in fashion here, so perhaps it's a fair comment.
I'd prefer to believe that there are still women out there who do look
after themselves, who do dress nicely and who take themselves to a higher
standard than any heterosexual male would ever dare.
It's just so terribly sad to see so many of the fairer
sex becoming more and more like the rough blokes in the world. Wearing
men's clothing, spitting on the sidewalk, scratching themselves in public
and swearing more than a carpenter who's just nailed his balls to a
plank. Then again, maybe I just need to change my local.
Bring back feminism!
Antony Healey
Response to Antony's article:
Feminism: Woman's View
