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I want to be remembered...
In the (what seems like never ending) endeavour to convince my mum to let me shave my head she said she was worried because hair is symbol femininity and she doesn't want me to lose that. But that got me wondering...pondering if you will over society.
I don't want to be remembered for my hairstyle! I believe that femininity isn't skin deep. Women should be remembered for their ideas, intellect and their creativity. I go out in the evening to the bars and the clubs and I see women flaunting themselves, boobs out and flicking their hair all over the place, trying to attract a man and I'm not jealous, I'm saddened.
Saddened by the idea that women feel that they must use their looks to feel confident and worth something. We live in a vain and shallow society. And it makes me sick.
This is why I think we should embrace our alopecia and stand tall, be unique and feel strong and confident using our intellect NOT our looks. Some may feel beautiful on the outside (I know I do) but this is for all the women that feel their condition holds them back. Beauty isn't skin deep.
And it really upsets me that our society is dictated by appearance.
Does anyone know how Emmeline Pankhurst wore her hair? No.
Because that's not what matters.
Lets all be empowered.
Strong, independent women.
I don't want to be remembered for my hairstyle! I believe that femininity isn't skin deep. Women should be remembered for their ideas, intellect and their creativity. I go out in the evening to the bars and the clubs and I see women flaunting themselves, boobs out and flicking their hair all over the place, trying to attract a man and I'm not jealous, I'm saddened.
Saddened by the idea that women feel that they must use their looks to feel confident and worth something. We live in a vain and shallow society. And it makes me sick.
This is why I think we should embrace our alopecia and stand tall, be unique and feel strong and confident using our intellect NOT our looks. Some may feel beautiful on the outside (I know I do) but this is for all the women that feel their condition holds them back. Beauty isn't skin deep.
And it really upsets me that our society is dictated by appearance.
Does anyone know how Emmeline Pankhurst wore her hair? No.
Because that's not what matters.
Lets all be empowered.
Strong, independent women.
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Comment by Sandra Christianson on April 18, 2010 at 1:36pm
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True lasting beauty is foung in a heart that rests secure in God's love
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Comment by Tiffany P on April 18, 2010 at 8:52pm
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Awesome blog and i stand behind every word :o)
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Comment by Erica on April 19, 2010 at 4:43am
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Hi Keeley - love your thoughts on this and I totally agree. You only need to look at how much press attention in this general election has gone towards what Sarah Brown and Samantha Cameron are wearing etc to see how women are treated in our society.
Susan might be right about you being old enough to shave your heard without your mother's permission but it would nice for her to be with you on this one. I'm 28 but still living at home (gone back to uni, it's the only way to afford it!) and my Mum went in a serious huff with my Dad for helping me shave part of my head. Not even all of it, just the bits underneath. I wanted to wear my hair for sports as if I had a deliberate undershave, not an inadvertent one. I have to say though that I don't love the stubbly feeling and in future will be going for a number one shave rather than the close shave. But it would definitely be nicer though if my Mum offered to do my shave instead of my Dad and I sneaking about when she's not in.
Weirdly my boyfriend (who clearly loves my intellect equally if not more than my looks), didn't like me shaving either. Not because of femininity issues (or so he says) but because he was worried that the remaining hair in my head would think I didn't want it and just fall out also. And he thinks I'm irrational from time to time. Maybe it is because he does think I'm just a few more shaves and a pair of cherry red doc martens away from looking like a Millwall fan.
You're right though - we live in a vain and shallow society and for that fact I am thankful that I also have nice wigs. So when I'm in a location where I will be judged vainly and shallowly (which I reckon is everywhere except home and the hockey pitch), then I can pull on my wig and just get on with being me underneath it all.
Let us know how you get on with the shave decision.
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Comment by Norm on April 19, 2010 at 1:03pm
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Oooo, can of worms time!
The whole "feminism" thing is fraught with undercurrents and feels like a minefield for a single hetero guy... but what the L, I'll risk it - just so long as you all realise that I'm not having a go here!
The thing is, men are very much visual creatures - they're hard-wired to respond to that sort of stimulus. There's nothing anyone can do about that, any more than you can stop alligators eating wildebeest (..well, suppose you could shoot 'em, but it seems a bit extreme even for an ardent feminist!) As such ,there will always be women who seek to advance themselves (find a fella, get a promotion, etc. etc.) by appealing to men's basic instincts. And it works.... sex sells. I honestly can't blame anyone for using their attributes - whatever they are ... big boobs, long legs, long hair, bald head, intelligence - to get what they want (so long as they don't hurt anyone, anyway). No-one complains if someone gets a job or promotion cos they're brainy... you don't hear less clever peeps having a moan. So if someone can advance through their looks, fair 'nuff.
So Keeley, don't be sad about those girls flaunting themselves in pubs and clubs. Use what you've got to your advantage... if you're bald, use that as something unique and sexy.
And Erica.... the "Millwall fan" thing. Don't reinforce the "shaved/bald" stereotype!! (Anyway, how many Millwall fans do you know who could construct an argument as eloquently as you did? ... he said, stereotyping footy fans everywhere....) :)
OK, time to sit back and get the flak....
Norm
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Lol Norm - I was going to go with a member of the BNP but was worried people might think that was due to my political persuasion! But I do think that when decided what to wear of a morn, it is something to consider. I think you've got make the effort to move yourself away from the stereotype in order to diminish its pervasiveness.
Have a look out for Agyness Deyn wearing a shaved look just now. As usual though, the fashion world has been quite narrow minded about it, branding it as a look that won't catch on - http://www.elleuk.com/news/Star-style-News/agy-shows-off-her-new-do/(gid)/539127. Sigh.
As for 'sex sells' - anyone seen the front boardings of a Diesel shop in a town near them? Need to see the company's next quarterly statement to know for sure whether it's true or not.
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