The other day I saw a news article about a high school that had banned certain articles of clothing because school officials thought they were too provocative. Yes, that's right, the ruling was primarily aimed at female students. Ok, so this is sexism at work, right?
But then I read a quote from one of the female students and while I can't remember the exact words, the gist of it was that "we (women) have the right to wear what we want where we want and if the guys have a problem with that, it's too bad, because we don't feel we have to take that into consideration."
Let me first say, that I come from a repressive "Do Patent Leather Shoes Reflect Up" Catholic background, so I get it. I know what it is like to have to worry about every article of clothing I put on and what kind of message I might inadvertently be sending out. To make it worse, I am what they call full-figured, so even a simple thing like a T-shirt with writing on it can be, in the words of the good nuns, "an occasion of sin" for the boys. I agree that there is such a thing as going overboard.
But on the other hand, I think that a lot of these young women like to push the envelope just to push the envelope. They want to show the world that they are liberated, that they are past all this modesty, chastity, purity prudery. Well, as I wrote in an earlier blog, that is not what it is all about.
I remember one time in my office when I had a very blunt outspoken manager and there were two young women who were in a contest to see just how little they could wear to work and get away with it. Every day the rest of us waited to see what more would be revealed. It got to the point where she (the boss) finally called us all together into the office and I will never forget her words. "This is an office, not a whorehouse, and I expect you all to dress accordingly." Lest you are thinking that this woman was a dried up prune of a sheltered old maid, let me tell you she had a mouth on her that would make a trucker blush and she was not afraid to use it. Her statement that day was actually one of her milder ones. Anyway, it put a stop to that nonsense.
I have never heard of a man or group of men being called into an office and being told that they need to start dressing professionally and for God's sake cover up. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but as a rule guys don't go out of their way to wear deliberately revealing clothes at the office. Why is it, I wonder? Is it because they are so secure in their position in life that they don't feel that they have to bare all or nearly all in order to impress?
Ok, so we women have won the right to dress like skanks or at least we ought to be able to dress like skanks regardless of whether it is "appropriate". BIG DEAL!!!! Is that empowerment? Is that freedom? Meanwhile women still make less money than men.
I would like to know, where are our female inventors and scientists? Where are our equivalents of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs? Can anyone name a leading female biologist, chemist, astronomer? Architect? Engineer? Designer? Can anyone name a living female Hollywood director with the same status as Steven Spielberg? How about heads of state? Why is it that I can look on my library shelves and find that most of the authors are male? For every example I gave I can name several men whose names are household words. Ladies, we have a long, long way to go.
But at least we've won the freedom to show as much skin as we please . . .
But then I read a quote from one of the female students and while I can't remember the exact words, the gist of it was that "we (women) have the right to wear what we want where we want and if the guys have a problem with that, it's too bad, because we don't feel we have to take that into consideration."
Let me first say, that I come from a repressive "Do Patent Leather Shoes Reflect Up" Catholic background, so I get it. I know what it is like to have to worry about every article of clothing I put on and what kind of message I might inadvertently be sending out. To make it worse, I am what they call full-figured, so even a simple thing like a T-shirt with writing on it can be, in the words of the good nuns, "an occasion of sin" for the boys. I agree that there is such a thing as going overboard.
But on the other hand, I think that a lot of these young women like to push the envelope just to push the envelope. They want to show the world that they are liberated, that they are past all this modesty, chastity, purity prudery. Well, as I wrote in an earlier blog, that is not what it is all about.
I remember one time in my office when I had a very blunt outspoken manager and there were two young women who were in a contest to see just how little they could wear to work and get away with it. Every day the rest of us waited to see what more would be revealed. It got to the point where she (the boss) finally called us all together into the office and I will never forget her words. "This is an office, not a whorehouse, and I expect you all to dress accordingly." Lest you are thinking that this woman was a dried up prune of a sheltered old maid, let me tell you she had a mouth on her that would make a trucker blush and she was not afraid to use it. Her statement that day was actually one of her milder ones. Anyway, it put a stop to that nonsense.
I have never heard of a man or group of men being called into an office and being told that they need to start dressing professionally and for God's sake cover up. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but as a rule guys don't go out of their way to wear deliberately revealing clothes at the office. Why is it, I wonder? Is it because they are so secure in their position in life that they don't feel that they have to bare all or nearly all in order to impress?
Ok, so we women have won the right to dress like skanks or at least we ought to be able to dress like skanks regardless of whether it is "appropriate". BIG DEAL!!!! Is that empowerment? Is that freedom? Meanwhile women still make less money than men.
I would like to know, where are our female inventors and scientists? Where are our equivalents of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs? Can anyone name a leading female biologist, chemist, astronomer? Architect? Engineer? Designer? Can anyone name a living female Hollywood director with the same status as Steven Spielberg? How about heads of state? Why is it that I can look on my library shelves and find that most of the authors are male? For every example I gave I can name several men whose names are household words. Ladies, we have a long, long way to go.
But at least we've won the freedom to show as much skin as we please . . .
