
The subtext of the lesson was this - ladies, people on the internet cannot be trusted to make any kind of judgement that involves respecting your privacy, therefore when you send anyone a nude photo you relinquish all rights to privacy, kthxbye.
They owe it to themselves but most of all to us. Particularly if the woman has, through her profession, put herself in the public eye. If she gets a haircut that we, the people/People Magazine doesn't like we know our duty is to let her know. If she puts on weight or loses weight it is necessary that we express concern or congratulations.
Whether or not we have the right to gossip about the fashion and physical women who earn huge amounts of money from acting or singing or being photographed is a difficult one. However the free for all attitude regarding comment on famous women's appearance has leaked in to the belief that we/men have the right to comment on all women's appearance. A rule that should apply to all women however is to stop equating her morals with her dress sense, or lack of dress.
It is not kind or helpful to tell women they look better without make up or in more modest attire. The message from that is not 'you are beautiful just as you are' but that 'it matters that you are beautiful and that you are appealing to me'. | they are actually not nearly as empowering as they think they are |
These projects headed up by boys and/or parents aren't intended to be cruel, I realise that. But they are actually not nearly as empowering as they think they are and I don't think any woman is waiting for your permission to take off her make up. These projects, these messages perpetuate the virgin/whore dichotomy, that's what makes them cruel - you don't want to be mistaken for those girls do you?
Your dress might signal what music you like, or colour, or y'know, just that you like that outfit. But people need to realise it does not indicate whether or not you volunteer at a soup kitchen (that's virtuous) or whether you sleep around (that has little to do with being virtuous) and really...who cares?
Squeamish Kate