tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14478906.post113786378288099727..comments2023-08-29T04:28:03.701-04:00Comments on where the revolution's gonna begin: responding to a response to a response to my postJenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06390625088274888392noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14478906.post-1138116225977772092006-01-24T10:23:00.000-05:002006-01-24T10:23:00.000-05:00sophonisba:Honestly, I'm not really sure if I was ...sophonisba:<BR/><BR/>Honestly, I'm not really sure if I was disagreeing with you, either...I think I was just trying to clarify my own position. I was worried that you were trying to make anorexia into solely an individual issue, but I'm glad to hear your clarification that it was not your intention.<BR/><BR/>And I do absolutely and entirely agree with this part of your comment:<BR/><BR/><I>The reason I wrote what I did was, every time I see this issue discussed, passing commenters appear to be bewildered that girls would choose to self-destructively pursue an ideal of feminine beauty that 'men don't even find all that attractive' - as if motivations other than aspiring to sexual attractiveness are inexplicable, and <B>as if anorexia would be more comprehensible and even acceptable if it made you "hot."</B></I>Jenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06390625088274888392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14478906.post-1138078927418391232006-01-24T00:02:00.000-05:002006-01-24T00:02:00.000-05:00I hope it was clear from my quoted comment that an...I hope it was clear from my quoted comment that anorexia does, of course, have very much to do with social factors.(Well, it's clear anyway - I hope it was clear that I understand that, rather.) My point was only that when girls believe that they have to choose between sexiness and prettiness, or sexiness and being left alone, choosing against sexiness is not an irrational choice <I>in itself.</I> Fucking up your body as a consequence of that choice is, of course, considerably less rational. And of course the false choice is societally-constructed bs, but that goes without saying. <BR/><BR/>The reason I wrote what I did was, every time I see this issue discussed, passing commenters appear to be bewildered that girls would choose to self-destructively pursue an ideal of feminine beauty that 'men don't even find all that attractive' - as if motivations other than aspiring to sexual attractiveness are inexplicable, and as if anorexia would be more comprehensible and even acceptable if it made you "hot." <BR/><BR/>I'm a bit confused about whether you're disagreeing with my comment when you talk about everything that can be traced back to the patriarchy, because that was what I was talking about as well. The patriarchy doesn't just tell women that thinness is virtue and respectability and control, though it does do that - it also tells us that big breasts and hips are sexy and what men like. Hurting and harming the body out of a desire not to give men what they like, a canvas to paint abuse on, is a miserable and misguided response to the false dichotomy, conditioned by patriarchy even as it defies it. Right? <BR/><BR/>But I was not and am not attempting to speak for or about all anorexics, only the few I've known and my own feelings as a girl. <BR/><BR/>[sorry if this posts twice - I hit a button by accident.]Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14478906.post-1138078340833235362006-01-23T23:52:00.000-05:002006-01-23T23:52:00.000-05:00I hope it was clear from my quoted comment that an...I hope it was clear from my quoted comment that anorexia does, of course, have very much to do with social factors.(Well, it's clear anyway - I hope it was clear that I understand that, rather.) My point was only that when girls believe that they have to choose between sexiness and prettiness, or sexiness and being left alone, choosing against sexiness is not an irrational choice <I>in itself.</I> Fucking up your body as a consequence of that choice is, of course, considerably less rational. And of course the false dichotomy is societally-constructed bs, but that goes without saying. <BR/><BR/>The reason I wrote what I did was, every time I see this issue discussed, passing commenters appear to be bewildered that girls would choose to self-destructively pursue an ideal of feminine beauty that 'men don't even find all that attractive' - as if motivations other than aspiring to sexual attractiveness are inexplicable, and as if anorexia would be more comprehensible and even acceptable if it made you "hot." <BR/><BR/>I'm a bit confused about whether you're disagreeing with my comment when you talk about everything that can be traced back to the patriarchy, because that was what I was talking about as well. Oppression and humiliation makes people angry. I think people often overlook the anger in anorexics.<BR/><BR/>I do think I was careful not to imply that my remarks applied to all anorexics, only to some people I've known and to my own feelings as a girl, which were absolutely and indubitably a response to sexism and misogyny in the culture around me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com