A post over at Feministing about the health problems high heels cause has of course turned into a discussion about whether or not high heels are feminist approved, or simply the medieval torture devices of the patriarchy.
I just have to say- I'm already a pretty tall lady- 5'8". If I was out seeking male approval, I would probably never wear heels! In fact I'd probably slouch! I just happen to like shoes. I like pretty things. This doesn't make me any less of a feminist. I'll never see the difference between rad-fems who say if you wear make-up or wear heels or shave your legs you're not a feminist and the Christian freaks that say if you do so you're a damned jezebel.
Also- like I've said before- most of these "beauty standards" are created and perpetuated by women. Women primarily dress up for themselves and for other women. Don't believe me? Go out looking like crap one night, and see how much more often you get approached than when you're all dolled up and look fabulous. Men have far lower standards than we give them credit for. Seriously- like my mom always says: "Don't drive yourself crazy, haven't you read Portnoy's Complaint? They'll screw a piece of raw liver if that's what's around." Most men could not tell the difference between a pair of Manolo Blahniks and a 10 dollar pair of shoes from Target if their lives depended on it!
So there.
1 comment:
What I find amusing is that some would take the angle that it should be stopped because it was a health problem, when it clearly seems to be a social/political issue to them. The fact that some members of a movement that claims to praise strong and independent women would get upset over others who didn't conform to their fashion aesthetic does trouble me slightly. The problem is that if one expresses an idea that the core oppose, they can be called out that they have been corrupted by either mainstream ideas, or the media portrayal of women etc.
Some people are going to enjoy heels, for many different reasons. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, and sometimes a pair of shoes is just a pair of shoes.
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