[miss_jane]

As I read through some of the threads about various aspects of beauty (cosmetic surgery, shaving, makeup etc) I noticed that the majority of them were distinctly not about the politics but about hints ands tips. I thought it would be useful and nice for busties to have a place to discuss the politics behind the "beauty myth" and hopefully clear some of our thoughts on it.

The type of topics that have been playing on my mind:

*Cosmetic Surgery
*The Removal of Body Hair
*Diets
*Makeup
*The Media's Attitude

Just to make everything clear I don't want this to become a place to attack busties who chose different ways of expressing their beauty.

So what are your thoughts? Can stereotypical beauty maintenance sit comfortably with feminist politics? Feminism is about a lot about choice for the individual, but is any choice (specifically about beauty) that a woman makes necessarily feminist? How difficult is it to stand up and fight the beauty myth?

As a side note : The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf is the book that stemmed these thoughts in me and a few years own I still haven't cleared in my mind the way I feel about things.

[sybarite]

My first time looking at the politics of, say, wearing lipstick as a feminist was when I was an undergrad looking for waitressing jobs. I was studying feminist theory at the time so questioned my tendency to get done up (lipstick, flattering clothes) before enquiring for jobs. I knew the way I looked would impact on whether or not I got the job. In the end, I decided that I needed the job so would use an advantage if it worked.

More recently I made a conscious decision to lose weight. Everyone I knew had commented (nicely) that I had gained weight. There was no good reason to lose it; I was happy otherwise and the bf had no problem with it (as well he shouldn't). Yet being a little thinner and therefore able to wear some clothes that woulnd't have suited me before makes me happy. I also like being generally fitter and healthier, but vanity is definitely there too.

I don't wear makeup (except for lipstick, and mascara on weekends) because basically I'm too lazy, never got the hang of it and I hate the way foundation feels on my face. But I get occasional pedicures and get bikini waxes regularly--more for the pool or beach than for the mister, who thinks waxing is barbaric.

I don't believe in cosmetic surgery, for me anyway. The idea of paying someone to deliberately cut into me with a scalpel is inherently wrong IMO.

I do think that the societal construction/perception of woman is tightly bound up with what she looks like. I have friends and family in different competitive industries who have all said being thinner/more groomed/wearing good clothes directly influences how seriously they are taken. I think this is wrong but it still applies in way too many situations. I would ideally like to be challenging these stereotypes/tendencies on a daily basis (in conversation for example) but I also still feel how I look (at conferences, for example)has some impact on how seriously I'm taken... and I work in academia.

That's my 2 cents.