These images popped up in my Facebook news-feed today:
I find both of these images troublesome. Let's dissect them.
1. First image: This image implies that because someone got a belly-button piercing, it means that they have a smelly vagina from being sexually active with many men and/or women. It also implies that the woman is uncleanly.
2. Second image: The purpose of this image is to shame other women for wearing short-shorts and therefore exposing more skin in a private area. It also implies that the women is a slut.
Why is this so bad?
The type of slut shaming portrayed here is eerily similar to fat shaming. I think people should be able to wear whatever they want as long as they are not hurting others in the process. Judging someone based off their choice of piercings or attire is just like any other type of discrimination. This can be even worse because of the social stigma around slut shaming. Slut shaming is just an aspect of woman hating. Woman hating can poison your viewpoint on the world. Being so judgmental closes your mind to more abstract thoughts.
What is slut shaming?
Where does woman hate stem from?
How do we stop this?
- Realize that hating the other woman has nothing to do with her actual personality or worth as a person. Know that the hate you are feeling comes from competition or jealousy. Just because she might wear something you'd never consider or decides to have more sexual partners or different sexual practices than you, doesn't make her a bad person or someone to hate.
- Understand that this hate also comes from personal insecurity and personal hate. Work on loving yourself for who you are.
- Try being friends with her, instead of hating her. Most likely you have a lot in common and she probably suffering from woman hate, just like you.
- Accept everyone for who they are. We don't like others to stand in our way, why would we stand in theirs? All women should support other women in their personal endeavors.
- And as Tina Fey put it...
I think women haters are anyone (man or women) who fears a free thinking and acting women. Society as a whole gets off comparing ourselves to others unfavorably as a way to feel better. It's a version of Schadenfreude. This really isn't sexism at least in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI would have to disagree with you. I do understand the basis of Schadenfreude, but I do feel it is a legitimate concern about women hating other women. Girl hate is a crazy thing, and I know there was a time in my life when I was a victim to it too.
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