The Relationship Thread

[goldendoodle]

Originally Posted by WWWP

It starts from birth for girls! Before birth even, if you consider "gender reveal" parties. Before we're taught explicitly around puberty about how our young bodies are distracting to men and that the male gaze is a prize worth winning, we get the unspoken lessons, we pick up on the nuances of how Women are supposed to be through media and observation of the people in our worlds. It goes deep, and it all goes back to the church and the literal Patriarchy UGH.

ALL THIS (bolded) ESPECIALLY UGH

It always makes me especially sad to see young women who haven't broken out of the spell yet (like they're Ella in Ella Enchanted or something) and absolutely require constant male validation in order to have a shred of self-esteem. And then there's the endlessly deep & swampy quicksand that is compulsory heterosexuality.



AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA *leaps off a cliff while on fire*

..the above quote is always booming in my head in Margaret Atwood's voice when I catch myself almost unconsciously doing the whole "body check" thing in every reflective surface 35434543 times per day. Or the micro-adjustments one does when existing in any public space, be it the DMV or a party. SO stupid. The literal brainwashing we go through.