Friday, May 20, 2016
Surfaces and Dimensions
Why are so many people attacking Emily Ratajkowski?
Moreover, why are so many WOMEN attacking her?
The headlines are all "Model whines about being too hot" when this article is about her views and some frustrations about feminism and equality. It is a light, slightly fluffy article but she makes some solid points. Yes, she does also state that she is pigeonholed as a "sexy girl" and it is hard to get more intelligent and desirable roles or be taken seriously when that is all people think she is - a body. She also wrote a more in depth essay for Lenny Letter that I highly recommend.
Why can't people look at their lives and say, "You know, I feel that, too, and it sucks."
I'll start! People think:
I'm fat so I must be a lazy glutton.
I'm a woman so I'm can't really be a gamer.
I'm over 40 so I can't have have blue hair.
I *gasp* have many visible tattoos so I must be a degenerate.
Put all these together and i'm probably unemployed trash sucking up all your tax dollars.
Truth? I work hard and make great money in a corporate job where they look at what you bring to the table and not how you look. I love to game (XB1) and prefer RPGs and puzzles but really get into FPSs and have a deep passion for tabletop. I prefer blue hair and will until the day I die though it is currently not dyed because I have been too busy. I put a more personal spin on morality and charity as I do not subscribe to any established religion but I quietly and joyfully spend a great deal of my disposable income on improving the quality of life for other people because I like them and want to see them happy or because their story touched me and I want to help.
So maybe we are all not super sexy like Emily, but we are all seen in single dimensions by people who can and do affect our lives. It hurts to have your opinions dismissed for something superficial. Why can't we see something like this and think, "Huh. I wonder how many people I assumed things about based on looks...I should probably work on that some. She sounds pretty driven; I really hope she gets some more interesting roles with better depth." instead of tearing her down for saying something very true.
The bit that bugs me the most is this one piece (and I hope every mother instills this confidence in their little girls)
. . . . . . . . . .
Moreover, why are so many WOMEN attacking her?
The headlines are all "Model whines about being too hot" when this article is about her views and some frustrations about feminism and equality. It is a light, slightly fluffy article but she makes some solid points. Yes, she does also state that she is pigeonholed as a "sexy girl" and it is hard to get more intelligent and desirable roles or be taken seriously when that is all people think she is - a body. She also wrote a more in depth essay for Lenny Letter that I highly recommend.
Why can't people look at their lives and say, "You know, I feel that, too, and it sucks."
I'll start! People think:
I'm fat so I must be a lazy glutton.
I'm a woman so I'm can't really be a gamer.
I'm over 40 so I can't have have blue hair.
I *gasp* have many visible tattoos so I must be a degenerate.
Put all these together and i'm probably unemployed trash sucking up all your tax dollars.
Truth? I work hard and make great money in a corporate job where they look at what you bring to the table and not how you look. I love to game (XB1) and prefer RPGs and puzzles but really get into FPSs and have a deep passion for tabletop. I prefer blue hair and will until the day I die though it is currently not dyed because I have been too busy. I put a more personal spin on morality and charity as I do not subscribe to any established religion but I quietly and joyfully spend a great deal of my disposable income on improving the quality of life for other people because I like them and want to see them happy or because their story touched me and I want to help.
So maybe we are all not super sexy like Emily, but we are all seen in single dimensions by people who can and do affect our lives. It hurts to have your opinions dismissed for something superficial. Why can't we see something like this and think, "Huh. I wonder how many people I assumed things about based on looks...I should probably work on that some. She sounds pretty driven; I really hope she gets some more interesting roles with better depth." instead of tearing her down for saying something very true.
The bit that bugs me the most is this one piece (and I hope every mother instills this confidence in their little girls)
She says she went through puberty aged 11 or 12: ‘I started to realise that I was being perceived differently. It was confusing,’ she says. ‘Basically it was more about the way that people had a problem with a girl looking like a woman because it confused them, it made them feel uncomfortable and I think there was a lot of guilt that they wanted to induce.'
When people remarked that she could have a career in modelling: ‘My mum said “no, she’ll be a brain surgeon,” because she didn’t like the idea that I would think that [my appearance] was the only thing that I was going to be valued for.’ At the same time, ‘She always told me never to feel sorry or apologetic or embarrassed by my body, to never apologise for my sexuality.’
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