Is it just me, or do girls not wear clothes anymore? On my way to the School of Communications, where I was to meet with several friends of mine, I encountered what had to be a record-breaking nine girls who were wearing spandex while on their way to class, seven of whom should certainly not, I repeat, not have been wearing spandex. The others, however, had the bodies for it, which brings us to the topic of this article: Was their wearing spandex appropriate?
Let me make it clear that spandex is not the sole issue here, rather, provocative clothing in general; spandex merely serves as an example.
I recently had a conversation with a female friend of mine in which we discussed what it is that girls want with respect to relationships and even basic male-female interaction, to which she replied, “To be appreciated for who we are and not what we look like.”
Maybe my friend’s opinion is not representative of the female populace, though I imagine that a vast majority can appreciate her response; but regardless, perhaps we should analyze her response and how it correlates or, should I say, fails to correlate with the way in which girls present themselves.
Daisy dukes, skin-tight jeans, belly shirts, thongs in the Wellness Center, spandex and tight fitting tank tops are all classic examples of what not to wear should one truly desire to be respected for (let me make sure I got this right), “who we are and not what we look like.”
The overwhelming majority of the girls here on campus wear, on any given day, all that was stated above – and they want to be respected for who they are and not what they look like? Yeah, I’ll buy that one.
Let’s be real for a second, ladies. Of course you want to be appreciated for what you look like! That’s why you wear the provocative clothing; that’s why you put on the mascara in the morning and paint your faces before you go out to the club. Your appearance seems to be all that you care about. I would go so far as to say that your appearance and how you are viewed by your peers (not just males) is deemed more important to you than your academic performance.
You see, ladies, you are the ultimate paradox: you desire to be respected and appreciated for who you are, yet you don’t even respect yourselves. You exploit and degrade yourselves by flaunting your flesh and then are surprised or disappointed when all a guy looks at when talking to you is your chest.
Mind you, I’m not saying that women should wear baggy sweatpants and ski jackets, but if they truly desire respect from men (and people in general), they should present themselves with class. What ever happened to class? What happened to dresses, moderate blouses and natural beauty. . . what happened to clothes?
The purpose of this article is not to offend those whom it reaches; it is to bring to the social forum the reality of a social condition. I feel obligated to add that if this article does offend anyone, deal with it – and while you’re at it, put some clothes on.
Cameron Browne is a junior majoring in international studies and political science. He can be reached at hurricanecam82@aol.com