Girl stuff

Tuesday I was at the bookstore in line to buy Z a cool Nancy Drew book (in the style of Dragonology) and as I waited I noticed that Ricki Lake is on the cover of one magazine understandably proud to have lost weight. But, as I scan the other magazines, I see that all of the magazines that have women on the cover have the women on the cover because they are beautiful or thin and all the magazines with men on the cover are there because they are a CEO, or a politician, or they have accomplished something other than looking good.

It made me really sad. I know things have mostly changed but I do feel like the media is still telling women that the most important thing we have to offer to the world is our bodies (and they better be hot). And the small percentage of women who aren't beautiful and who do succeed often have to deal with a lot of ridicule for daring to be unattractive in public.

Not that I am in any way against being attractive. I think it is natural that people are drawn to those that are attractive. I think being attractive is a boon and I think people should take care of their physical form and display it appropriately.

But I am tired of the message women (and young girls) are getting from the media that seems to tell them that most important thing about a woman is her looks. Our girls are still getting the message that their main goal in life is to be attractive to men.

Men get to wear servicable clothes and have short managable hair. Women have aisles and aisles of ridiculous shoes, finger nail polish and many opportunities for painful waxing or laser surgery.

Again I am not saying women shouldn't dress up and be pretty, if it makes them feel good. But there is so much more that we can accomplish. And I don't want my daughter to get sidetracked from her dreams because society hasn't yet gotten past the idea that women really are more than just objects of desire.