Misogyny

[poliphilo]

OK- so it's wrong for women to be overweight.

And it's also wrong for them to be underweight. So wrong that Milan has banned skinny models from the catwalk and there are calls for them to be banned universally.

I don't know whether our society hates women or fears them or a bit of both but, whatever dark things are stirring in the collective psyche, what's happening out in the light is that women are getting bossed about- as usual.  Ooh, they don't know how to look after themselves, the sluts; let's teach 'em.

Sit up girls and take notice; daddy has something to say;  You've got to eat up everything on your plate or you don't get to go out to play.  Yes, even the broccoli. Especially the broccoli. I know it's tough, Samantha, but it's for your own good!

Comments

[intotheraw.livejournal.com]

What I find especially odd about the Milan ban, is that designers started using super skinny models (I think Twiggy was the first) so that the women would be unattractive, and not draw attention away from the clothing. The idea is still somewhat present on the catwalk, with women wearing bizarre hair styles and makeup, to try and remove the woman from the clothing, and for the clothing to speak for itself (this is why they walk funny too, so you can see how the clothing moves, and supposedly, ignore how the woman moves).

I guess it wasn't expected that men would find these twigs so attractive that people would want to look like them, forgetting the high end clothing, and just going for the not quite dead look.

I have absolutely no interest in fashion, but I am mildy curious to see what sort of models will be allowed in Milan, what the new idea of beauty will be. Somehow I doubt Willendorf will be represented!

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Exactly--the idea was for the clothes to be the center of attention, not the woman. Says quite a bit for cultivation theory, though, doesn't it?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I didn't know that. I thought models had always been chosen for their (good) looks.

I love Twiggy. Always have done. She's fronting the current M&S ad campaign and she's still absolutely gorgeous.

[intotheraw.livejournal.com]

I also find Twiggy quite attractive, but she didn't have the curves of the other fashion models of the day. The idea was for the model to be like a walking hanger, to see the clothing in action, and not notice the women.

This in and of itself is a bit offensive, is the clothing the beauty, or is the woman? I'd like to think that it is the woman, and that beautiful clothing only compliments natural womanly beauty. (this too applies to men, at least in my mind, but that isn't quite the topic of our conversation regarding Milan)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I always thought we were celebrating Twiggy for herself.

A new kind of beauty- androgynous, gamine- very sixties.