I LOVE being a woman and all womanly things. I wear make-up, nail varnish, heels, hair, the lot. Yet i'm still intelligent and responsible for both myself and my kids and i have been known to be forthright in my opinions. It's a personal choice and i think that is what 'Women's Lib' is all about: being the woman you want to be and to be taken seriously.
However, in recent years i have been wondering what has happened to 'Womens' Lib'. Take a recent competition run by a 'lads mag'. Girls at a nightclub 'performed' on a double bed in order to win the prize for being the most desirable woman (or something like that). Now as it was on a bed i'm sure you realise that they weren't being asked to show their adept at working out some accounts, writing a story, baking a cake, etc; no, in front of a crowd of drunk, leering men these 'ordinary' girls cavorted around, playing with themselves sexually with very little on. You could argue, as some do, that this is true femenism, where a woman can be in control of herself and do what the hell she likes, but i don't see it that way. I see a poor, young, average looking girl who only feels self-worth when making out to men that she's good in the sack. She may have a masters degree in bio-chemistry but at that particular moment is she been taken seriously?
You may say "Aah, see - she has a degree, therefore this is her RIGHT to act like this. She IS intelligent but as you say SCACO - you have the right to be the woman you want to be!" But the point is why does she feel the need to do this? Look good - yes. Wear 'sexy' clothes if you like. Enjoy sex - be promiscuous if you like, perform for your partner of you like it - it's fun! But why the need to perform to a gang of drunk, braying men? because it gives a feeling of self-worth. how sad.
I'm a primary school teacher (Y6) and sometimes feel really sad at the way some (not all) of the girls feel the need to copy the latest raunchy dance moves and wear the latest provocative clothing. These girls aren't doing it out of 'choice', these girls aren't doing it in irony, they are too young to know themselves, let alone play such a sophisticated game. No, they are being doctrinated into this way of behaving before they've had time to decide or find out what'who they are.
And so, to return to the theme of this thread: there is a lot wrong (in my humble opinion) with pink and fluffy. It is the tip of the enormous sexual ice-berg. Why is it ok to sexualise a cancer for goodness sake?? It's CANCER. And it is sexualised, albeit in a 'fun' way. If I'm honest, I didn't really take much notice of the campaign before - when i did it was usually because a bunch of drunk, mini-skirted, pink-boaed girls were thrusting a donation bucket under my nose at the local, or when Jordan happily gor hers out for the campaign - and so when i did it was pretty much in disdain. But obviously now it's different and i'm on the receiving end, now i've thought a lot about it and actually i don't like it.
I am not stupid and recognise that the pink thing raises money that would otherwise be lacking. I also understand that charity is big business and that people, generally, don't do something for nothing. There is too much to lose to change it now but wish that Society wasn't constantly having to be fed the sexual thing by the powers that be and that women could actually just get on with their cancer treatment without being represented by inane girliness.
I have cancer, i'm having chemo not brain removal.
