Long ago, in a century not unlike this one, except that women wore more clothes and you hardly heard the f-word and people were better drivers and they wrote letters. On paper. With ink. And their very own hands. Without the aid of machines! Mind-boggling, no?
Where was I? Oh yes, my rant. It’s about the heights to which consciousness has been and is being raised. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, women met together for consciousness-raising. They were tired of being second-class citizens and wanted equal pay for equal work. Also, they wanted to be viewed as something more than sex objects. When I was in college, I attended some of these sessions. And while I admit that along with the rest of my body, my consciousness may be sagging a bit, there are a lot of consciousnesses out there that needed to be winched up. (WARNING: cane is raised!)
Every time I see young women call themselves whores while wearing their 90%-off clothing (and I don’t mean the price), or hear about a poll in which a majority of young teenaged girls would rather be sexy than smart, my consciousness gets a headache. This is not the road to equal pay for equal work. (What? We’re still on that road? Sadly, yes.)
Now, for the rant: Why,when I was your age, my consciousness was this high (points to head). Yours looks like it’s stuck right there (points to lower body).
year-struck 
Okay, you just hit my soapbox with your rant…dead on! I work at a high school under the Dean of Students. I am requested to go the Homecoming Dance in order to address any dress (or lack of) issues. I went this year armed with XL black t-shirts ready to dress down the dress up look which normally show the three “B’s (butts, bellies and boobs). It was not t-shirts that was needed, but a glue gun and lots and lots of fabric! Alas, the new look is two inches below the crotch with saran wrap type of fabric. But, hey, the boobs, belly and butts (the top part) were covered….as I recently read, “the hooker has now gone mainstream” (“Girls gone Wise”)
Mothers’ response? But,,,,Ms…. there is just nothing else out there to buy!” I guess not if you only shop at Fredericks of Hollywood. ( who????)…….or similar!
Hi there friend,
Thank you for your comments. I think we should keep on ranting about it. Maybe it will raise somebody’s consciousness up a little.
I’m a 33 year old mother of three children. Luckily only one is a girl. I find that our girls are becoming entirely too old, too young. She’s ten and we have had numerous discussions resulting in arguments, stomping feet, and slamming doors regarding ‘skinny jeans’. I, for one, cannot stand the idea of wearing a jean so tight it looks painted on, but I am appalled at the age at which these mothers will allow their too young daughters to where them!
Yes, please do continue ranting, surely someone will hear the message and begin dressing these children like…oh, I don’t know….children!
#endrant
Thanks for your comments. It’s great that you are concerned and trying to help your daughter make better choices. Children are being sexualized for the benefit of adults, and the two groups I see that benefit the most are merchants and pedophiles. I think that there are some smart women out there who could start their own clothing lines and sell clothes that are cute and kid-appropriate. Parents and grandparents could also refuse to buy toys that are inappropriate. Why should they fatten the wallets of those who are actively trying to turn our children into sex objects?
Below are just a few links to articles that discuss the problem and one website that is trying to start a petition:
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/women_girls.cfm
http://thenewamerican.com/culture/family/7491-study-finds-retailers-marketing-inappropriate-clothing-for-pre-teen-girls
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/stop-clothing-stores-from-selling-inappropriate-clothing-to-young-girls/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/family/4575062/Young-girls-sexualised-by-clothing-and-toy-manufacturers.html
Perhaps we can raise consciousness back up a little by lowering a thigh-high hemline or two a little . . . . 🙂
One thing that scares me quite often in this vein is that we not only don’t learn from our history how to be smarter about making social, political, ethical and other sorts of decisions but we don’t learn from our history that it’s even stupider of us to swing like outsized pendulums (penduli?) from one extreme to another instead of merely moderating ourselves. So while it will be wonderful if/when we get away from this premature-maturation and hyper-cheapening of self and sexuality obsession, I hope we don’t veer off into the Victorian era again where we’ll see everybody bundled up in 140 pounds of clothing and the same excessive attitudes still around, just driven underground and behind the multi-layered facade of politesse in public moments.
All that said, I appreciate that you do your thoughtful ranting with your sense of humor fully intact–ultimately, it’s *that* that I really think will save us from extremism. Thanks!
Kathryn
It’s an old story – women are either saints (covered head to foot) or whores (uncovered heat to foot). We must try to change the narrative.
So I guess I’m not the only one who sees how the young ‘uns dress, speak and act these days and thinks, “For you I burned my bra?”
It can be disheartening at times. And, of course, the media doesn’t help by promoting the idea that being sexy is all that matters.