Reply #369: How do I begin..

[Feron]

It's difficult to explain to a man the minefield of nuance women must navigate through. Ultimately though, a woman will fail to pass muster no matter how valiant her efforts are. The only way to win is to not play, but society strictly punishes the women who refuse to conform.

Women are viewed through the lens of fuckability (tm the wonderful Feministe blog). That is pretty much what it boils down to, but it doesn't do the ever changing and hypocritical standards justice. It also does nothing to make a person understand the additional feelings of self-hatred women learn from their mothers and society.

In addition to what you said, I think that if feminism is going to make progress, then women need to reclaim their bodies. My body doesn't belong to the public or to a person nor am I going to enslave myself to the standard corporations set to sell products. It's sad reading threads from women worrying if they are too fat for shorts or undergoing painful procedures in order to live up to some idiotic societal standard.

And I've found that attitude here on DU. Recently a poster said that older women should cut their hair because long hair is something young (and presumably fuckable) women have. I'm not even old, but give me a break. I don't know if the poster was trying to be offensive or simply parroting ingrained rubbish, however it's no secret that older women are unworthy in our society.

You can be a feminist that loves men, has a sense of humor, and wears lipstick and high heels. But once you self-hate then you allow someone else to control you. Be subversive, Be yourself. A woman with self-esteem is a dangerous thing.