The Feminine Ideal

[PuddleRiver]

Like men would last a week without a piece. The whole "patriarchy oppression" is hardly as cut and dried as women's studies would have everyone believe.

Women dress for other women.

Pretty much. I do, anyway. The competition is with each other, not with the male.

[JivinJeffJones]

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[KMCE]

I can see why you say this, but it's a pretty blatant generalization. Women are all different, just as men are, and the sincere smart people are looking at individuals as they make their mating choices, not just stereotypes. (And the ones that do usually end up having a failed relationship, eventually, when they realize what they've done.)

I agree with you. I am generalizing. But the reason is that I don’t want to get into the specific.

My opinion of the female is in an all time low. And it’s not because I fail with women; It’s because I’m getting more and more successful with them that I come to realize a lot of their flaws, and of course, it’s my own mistakes of idealizing them in the first place.

It still amazes me how easy they are not that I'm complaining!

<crosses legs painfully, tries to avoid falling on floor>

There is probably good reason I've never heard of the latter before. *groan*

LOL.

Um. I heard about the metal ball thing from a Japanese friend. It has something to do with the gangs in Japan.

[Powehi]

Like men would last a week without a piece. The whole "patriarchy oppression" is hardly as cut and dried as women's studies would have everyone believe.

Women dress for other women.

I agree that social issues are more complex than they appear on the surface. That would imply your last sentence is also an oversimplification of the issue. Also, dressing is a different issue than physically altering features to cause potential self harm. Competing with other women can also have the longer term goal of getting a mate. Confidence and social power in women attract the same qualities in men. It is also worth noting that breast implants make a bigger impression directly on men than other women, so that is quite different from wearing designer clothes. It is also important not to project the dynamics that result in modern society in which the ideals of freedom and equality for women exist, onto other cultures in which women were/are considered property. It is interesting that female body mutilation does continue to occur in modern society. It is worth noting that male mutilation is more prevalent as well in that context.

It was not my purpose in starting this thread to imply that it is all the men's fault, or to assign blame. The persistence of artificially distorting the female form throughout history and culture is an important topic to explore imo. The natural female form is beautiful, and considered so in many contexts. That inability to appreciate what is, expressed through destructive means, seems to drive this.

[Totenkindly]

Again, my personal body-hair experience still leads me to conclude otherwise, despite the consensus brewing here. Evidently though, I am a medical anomaly.

Yes, someone must collect you immediately and suspend you in a large vat of formaldehyde, before the medical treasure that is you is lost forever to humanity.

The "shaving stimulates coarse growth" idea is similar to another myth -- that nails and hair continue to grow after death. Actually, the skin is retracting and dehydrating, so the hair and nails only look as if they were growing.

As far as hair grows, each hair only grows as long as its "growth" phase lasts, and eventually falls out on its own. (THe length of time of each of these depends on the type of hair it is / the location on the body.) Shaving it only impacts the dead part on the surface, not the follicle underneath. I'm not sure what exactly triggers the end of a particular hair's growth phase.

I probably wouldn't find them quite so repugnant if small girls weren't lining up to get small fucking holes punched into their ears.

It's funny why one thing becomes socially acceptable, whereas routine puncturing of other body parts in general is frowned upon.

[Powehi]

I probably wouldn't find them quite so repugnant if small girls weren't lining up to get small fucking holes punched into their ears.

Seeing infants with pierced ears makes me kinda sick.

I just recently had my ears pierced - in my 30's. It is disturbing and kind of hurts, but I love little things and enjoy working with beads. I don't wear other jewelry because it's more in the way. The reason I chose to do it is because I'm more tired now and don't have the energy to put on make-up. I wear earrings that bring out the color of my eyes and/or cheeks. It's just intended to brighten up my face a little and to look dressier even when I'm tired. It is artificial, unnecessary, and all that, but I don't regret it.

I'll mention that I don't judge women who get breast implants or anything else. I wouldn't do it because it requires a second surgery in 20 years when your are older with more health problems. They can also cause a great deal of tissue damage. I want to be taken seriously professionally and am not dating, etc. There is no advantage for me, and I like my Dillybars just as they are. I do have a friend who was raised in the foster system, who has had a really rough start in life. She made more of herself than her environment. She has breast implants, bleached hair, teeth done, etc. It has contributed to her success. I admire her as a whole person, including all her choices.

[JivinJeffJones]

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[outmywindow]

Um. I heard about the metal ball thing from a Japanese friend. It has something to do with the gangs in Japan.

When this practice is mentioned in reference to the Yakuza (the Japanese mafia), the "balls" are usually actually pearls which have been inserted under the skin. It's a sign of loyalty to the organization and prestige in terms of being able to off people really well.

When this is done outside the Yakuza circle, it's usually hard medical grade silicone which is inserted under the skin to form patterns. The primary motivations in this case are either aesthetic, sexual, or both.

/me showing off my knowledge of unusual body modification practices...

[Carebear]

As for breast implants, there are plenty of guys out there who think less is more. They just aren't so vocal.

LESS IS MORE!

[Totenkindly]

...When this is done outside the Yakuza circle, it's usually hard medical grade silicone which is inserted under the skin to form patterns. The primary motivations in this case are either aesthetic, sexual, or both.

...and for those with a shoestring budget or habitually non-committal, Junior Mints make a nice substitute and disappear on their own after a few weeks.

<feels a little queasy>

me showing off my knowledge of unusual body modification practices...

Oh, I don't even really want to know.