Just another example to add to the canon - people don't like it when women don't shave their armpits. SHOCK!
I know it seems obvious, and it really is, but think about it; why would anyone mind?
As usual when it comes to people not liking a behaviour which doesn't fit into the gender stereotype (homosexuality, men having jewellery, women shaving their heads, etc), people have been asking me if it's because of the fact that I am a lesbian (yes, people just know me as a lesbian because I know that they won't understand omnisexuality) that I don't shave my armpits. Of course, any behaviour which doesn't fit with the hegemonic ideal of femininity or masculinity equals homosexuality. My arguement, a relatively sound one, is that men aren't expected to shave their bodies to fit their gender role, and therefore it's a gendered practice which, if you want to, you should be able to avoid.
Then comes the "science". "But if you don't shave your armpits, you'll stink!" So men are allowed to stink? Women aren't supposed to smell at all? Does this even make you smell worse if you have good hygene? I doubt it. In fact, I know that it doesn't, because I'm sitting here quite comfortably with no revolting smell coming at me from under my clothes. Then people start to say it's just "unnatural" for women not to shave.
Sometimes, I just despair. We need to keep on fighting for the ability to do what we wish with our bodies - tattoo them, shave them, dread them, pierce them, fuck whoever we want with them, give birth with them, abstain with them, dance with them. I will never shave my armpits again, or at least until I feel like it. Unless I become an olympic swimmer, in which case I will shave my entire body, just to be streamlined.
Until then, I'm happy to be a hairy hippie if it means that I'm rejecting the idea that women are supposed to alter their bodies for the sake of the status quo.
Combat, don't contribute.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Advertising That Makes Me Angry #1
I don't know how long this advertisement for Campbell's Soup has been on tv, but it's really, really irritating. I haven't been able to find the link to it, and I will put it up as soon as I find it, because I am sadly sure that there will be many fans of this gender-binding commercial.
Basically, the premise is this.
A man - with a beard - is eating some soup which has a lot of meat and beer in it (seriously). His girlfriend, in a tank top and tracksuit pants, comes over and decides to have a spoonful. He warns her against it, and she doesn't listen. She likes the soup, walks over to the fridge, and we see her back begin to grow a fine layer of dark hair on it. The voiceover is a deep male voice, and says the name of the brand and then "That'll Make a Man Of You".
There are so many things wrong with this ad I scarcely know how to begin.
1) It implies that a woman cannot have masculine features and still be attractive, and reiterates that women cannot have any hair on their bodies.
2) It implies that all men are hairy, and that's what it means to be a man.
3) It shows that men know better than women about what is good for them.
4) It reiterates that irritating idea that 'real men eat meat and drink beer'.
5) It implies that women can't eat what men do or else they will be far too masculine for their own good.
6) It implies that there is some standard prototype that a man should aspire to.
7) It plays on the weaknesses of men about their masculinities.
There is another advertisement for this brand, and it is just as bad. Whatever shall we do?
Just mention how terrible it is to as many people as you can, please?
Combat, don't contribute.
Basically, the premise is this.
A man - with a beard - is eating some soup which has a lot of meat and beer in it (seriously). His girlfriend, in a tank top and tracksuit pants, comes over and decides to have a spoonful. He warns her against it, and she doesn't listen. She likes the soup, walks over to the fridge, and we see her back begin to grow a fine layer of dark hair on it. The voiceover is a deep male voice, and says the name of the brand and then "That'll Make a Man Of You".
There are so many things wrong with this ad I scarcely know how to begin.
1) It implies that a woman cannot have masculine features and still be attractive, and reiterates that women cannot have any hair on their bodies.
2) It implies that all men are hairy, and that's what it means to be a man.
3) It shows that men know better than women about what is good for them.
4) It reiterates that irritating idea that 'real men eat meat and drink beer'.
5) It implies that women can't eat what men do or else they will be far too masculine for their own good.
6) It implies that there is some standard prototype that a man should aspire to.
7) It plays on the weaknesses of men about their masculinities.
There is another advertisement for this brand, and it is just as bad. Whatever shall we do?
Just mention how terrible it is to as many people as you can, please?
Combat, don't contribute.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Others who turn against each other
You would think that, in the Queer community, there would be a definite sense of comraderie; a sense that, no matter who the person was, if they identified as a queer individual, there would be a sense of acceptance from those who are also queer. You would think that people would be over, not under-sensitive about using open terminology, about not making assumptions about someone's sexuality, since they should be aware of the difficulties that people face when there are assumptions made about them. However, this is certainly not the case, and it's starting to get me a little miffed.
Personally, I identify as omnisexual. Part of that is political; I refuse to call myself bisexual because it is supposed to mean all encompassing, and yet it doesn't include people who don't fit into the gender of "man" or "woman". So when I see groups called "Lesbian and Bisexual Women", I get a little miffed. To quote my girlfriend... "So what about girls who are into girls but don't identify as lesbian or bisexual? Queer, pansexual, omni, trans...? Can they join? I just think of all our lovely sisters who are excluded by the group's title :)".
Except I don't have a smiley face.
It seems to me that there are such narrow pigeon-holing that goes on in the Queer community, and is not doing anybody any good. So many people hide their insecurities in their sexuality, and anybody who thinks that this is restricted to the heterosexist is severely and disappointingly idealistic. There is also a trend of homosexism - people who do not acknowledge the fact that other queer people have different genders, sexualities and identities to them, and act accordingly.
If we believe that our sexualities should be accepted, then we need to accept the sexualities of others. And Others. Because everyone who has ever had to come out because their sexuality didn't match the norm should understand how that feels. Everyone who has ever had to say "no, actually, I have a girl/boyfriend" should understand how difficult that can be. So if you're going to make an inclusive group, make it as inclusive as you possibly can.
Combat, don't contribute.
Personally, I identify as omnisexual. Part of that is political; I refuse to call myself bisexual because it is supposed to mean all encompassing, and yet it doesn't include people who don't fit into the gender of "man" or "woman". So when I see groups called "Lesbian and Bisexual Women", I get a little miffed. To quote my girlfriend... "So what about girls who are into girls but don't identify as lesbian or bisexual? Queer, pansexual, omni, trans...? Can they join? I just think of all our lovely sisters who are excluded by the group's title :)".
Except I don't have a smiley face.
It seems to me that there are such narrow pigeon-holing that goes on in the Queer community, and is not doing anybody any good. So many people hide their insecurities in their sexuality, and anybody who thinks that this is restricted to the heterosexist is severely and disappointingly idealistic. There is also a trend of homosexism - people who do not acknowledge the fact that other queer people have different genders, sexualities and identities to them, and act accordingly.
If we believe that our sexualities should be accepted, then we need to accept the sexualities of others. And Others. Because everyone who has ever had to come out because their sexuality didn't match the norm should understand how that feels. Everyone who has ever had to say "no, actually, I have a girl/boyfriend" should understand how difficult that can be. So if you're going to make an inclusive group, make it as inclusive as you possibly can.
Combat, don't contribute.
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