My
husband took the two older kids on a daddy-kid camping trip this weekend (I
stayed at home with the baby....no complaints! :) He couldn't sleep, and my
ipod was still in the car, so he watched the only full length movie on
it-----Miss Representation!
Here is what he sent me from his phone:
So i think my view of that show and what it portrays is jaded by the fact that i am the father of a daughter. I like the idea of my daughter being secure in her body and character, enough to challenge conventional notions that may hinder her development or aspirations in any way. However i don't want to entirely let you of the hook. One of them commented on how female news aanchors look more like cocktail waitresses with their tousled hair and tight revealing clothing, yet look at how many of the women espousing those views in the interviews are dressed to the nines and loaded with make up.
Awesome that my husband actually watched the movie, and we ended up having a really great conversation when he got home that evening. I'm not sure why this is writing in "white" now, can't fix it!
I think he makes a good point here, that all the women talking on the film are really dressed nicely themselves, with perfect hair and makeup. Though I think there is a huge distinction between women wanting to look nice (and respectable) and looking trashy. I can morally handle a bit of makeup...what really distrubs me is how the media sexualizes women, and this goes so far beyond a bit of eyeliner! This year I actually wanted to make a point in class. I was planning on coming to class with NO MAKEUP (seriously, I don't leave the house without makeup. I know this is totally shallow and lame, but it is what it is!) But I got a huge zit that morning (sigh....still getting zits in my 30s....does this ever end?) so I chickened out. But at least I thought about it, right??!? Baby steps.......
That us awesome! My husband watched it too... he liked it also... I love that this documentary provides so much room to discuss these issues with women being dogged in the media- and I love the strong voices heard advocating the cause. I am so glad that we had the opportunity to watch this documentary in class.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that as well but then thought the exact same thing. I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to look presentable and nice. I just think it gets overboard when you are trying to get your looks to get you things instead of your character. All about what you value and I feel like that is where the slippery slope begins.
ReplyDeleteI love that your husband watched it! That is awesome...and that he had an opinion about it. Don't be afraid!!!! Going without makeup is so freeing. I hardly ever wear makeup (maybe once a month)! I feel like I am me. If I wear makeup too much I stop recognizing myself so I purge for a while. I think my mom thinks I'm crazy and I need to take care of myself more (true), but I just love how much better I feel when I am all natural!
ReplyDeleteWhen the Women's Center on campus does their 10 Day Beauty Challenge, one of the challenges is to go without makeup for a day and write about how you feel about it, and why you use makeup. I don't know if I ever realized how dependent so many women are on it.
ReplyDeleteI love that your husband watched it! My husband really wants to see it, but we have had a lot of good conversations about what I have told him about it.
ReplyDeleteAlmost went to this when it came out in Sundance. Didn't happen though and I'm looking forward to watching it in class. Hurray for your baby-step into a make-up free world. Keep it up! It was wonderful to live in the desert this summer doing therapy because none of my female coworkers or teenage girls wore make-up. Some of them had pictures of themselves from home and they looked like completely different people with make-up on. I think make-up can often be a good thing, but I lived in a world this summer where appearances didn't matter at all and it was so refreshing!
ReplyDeleteHa! That is so great that your husband not only wrote it but gave you an entire write up of his thoughts, its obvious you've infused in him your passion for media! I love the idea of succumbing less to the expectation of a sexualized woman, but I also feel like I value enhancing my make up with beauty. I feel like as long as we have confidence as women WITHOUT the make up, clothing, and attention, then it is fine to use it as a booster for ourselves. This to me means investing my confidence in being a reader, and baker, and all of the other things that I know I have going for me besides beauty. This has been a big goal of mine to develop in those other areas the past few years.
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