“This is what I was wearing today when two women saw fit to laugh at me in a restaurant while I sat and ordered food with my partner.
It started with one pointing me out to the other.
I watched while the friend “casually” stretched and turned to face me, her head whipping back around to confirm her shared opinion of what I as wearing. They both began to laugh.
I sighed, willing to let it go… but it didn’t stop.
Finally when the friend pulled out her phone to take my photo over her shoulder (disguising it as a selfie) I had had enough.
I got up from my table approached them both and simply asked “I’m sorry but are you both laughing at me?”
They responded that it wasn’t the case, but the obviousness of whole façade made the bullshit buzzer go off in my head.
“Oh good! I was starting to feel really self conscious!” (I finished) and went back to my seat.
What these two women subjected me too today is a symptom of Internalised Misogyny:
“involuntary internalization by women of the sexist messages that are present in their societies and culture.” (for further reading http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/07/choice-feminism-internalized-misogyny/)
I haven’t mentioned the women’s age or what they were wearing because it’s not relevant.
How they present themselves does not affect me.
It doesn’t change my life in any way.
Women are constantly judged for everything. It’s inescapable.
Let me get one thing straight.
I am fully aware that I dress like I’ve been fucked by a unicorn.
I know because I dress myself every morning… and would you believe? It’s deliberate!!!
I don’t wake up and think “Gee, I wonder how I can appeal to strangers today?”
Our patriarchal society makes strangers -of any gender- think it acceptable to humiliate a woman based on how she woke up that morning and got dressed to please herself.
So next time you catch yourself critiquing someone’s appearance negatively (In particular, how women dress) maybe try to think instead of why you feel the need to make that horrible assessment?
Are you intimidated by them? Are you sexualising them? Are you repulsed because they don’t adhere to your standards of beauty?
Then ask yourself why any of those things bother you in the first place.”
#feminism #feminist #internalisedmisogyny #patriarchalsociety
Zomg yes.
Also that is the most fabulous dress in the history of dresses. Srlsy. Hard core hands down.
I might have laughed, too, but it wouldn’t have been derisive laughter, it would have been a “THAT IS SO CUTE!” laugh. And I probably would have gotten up, came over and said how cute that dress was. Because I do that.
Yeah—if I don’t care for something someone is wearing, I don’t feel a need to share, BUT, if I think something’s cute? I’ll tell the person, as long as it’s not in a “I went out of my way to get close enough to speak to you” way, because that’s creepy. BUT THE THING IS I know that my opinion on their appearance ultimately doesn’t matter at all, so if they don’t act grateful, that’s OK =)