We wake up every morning, tired, with drooping eyelids, and sore muscles from faking the day before. The mirror screams out truths and our reflection turns away. Conditioned criticism from societal expectations sinks through our skulls from mass-marketed brands. Promises shoved down our throats of losing weight quickly, tightening our skin, stapling our mouths and eyelids shut, quick and easily. Complexion could be better if you buy this. Your body could be better if you buy this. Your hair and nails could be better if you buy this. Your clothing could be better if you buy this. Wishing for this image drilled into our brains of femininity to just go away. Longer eyelashes, bigger lips, straighter teeth, softer skin, bigger butt…the building blocks of femininity essentially, right? But what about the voice behind the hips, behind the chest and the legs; the voice that creates these sexualized body parts into a human being…remember that it is not just flesh, muscles, and meat, but a human being.
I decided to leave this morning without makeup because I decided I did not want to wear makeup, NOT because I had a long night, a rough night, a rough morning, or just mistakenly slept in. I’m assumed of being irresponsible and lazy for the missing mascara and foundation.
I decided to wear this skirt not because I knew you would look at my thighs and my a** but because of I generally like this skirt, the fabric and the way it feels on me. But because it is above my fingertips I’m assumed of being a wh**e or an sl*t.
I decided to ignore catcalls and I’m assumed as a b**** because of it.
I decided you weren’t the partner for me and then I’m apparently a tease.
My decisions all have labels by the patriarchy, it’s having one foot in cleats on glass and the other on a banana peel. No matter the way you move, dress, speak, and think, there is always a name for it. But do not get me wrong patriarchy does not only affect the woman. All identities are restricted with labels that oppress them in different ways as well. ALL Women, in this case, are oppressed by societal views on beauty, on personality, on actions, and on truth.
“Lie to her and say she doesn’t look fat” why is that? Why is that a common joke? Does anyone want to be called fat? Or lied too? why not just smile and not say anything? Why do we entitle certain folks and give them the spotlight to share only their opinions? Commonly straight white men will be the first heard in a courtroom, the first story to be believed, the first few rules to be drafted, like the declaration of “independence.” All white men right? So the rules are still being written, through news and social media. Thinner waist, bigger muscles, tanner skin, and smooth skin. Just a standard human being template created by patriarchal views. The most popular body part is the first to be altered and changed.
Isn’t it crazy how thin ice can get, and yet we still walk along with it every single day as it melts? Every day and every night is a new story to tell whether a story of accomplishment, a story of resentment, anger, or wrong judgments in the mix is always a story of sexual harassment and sexual assault. It all starts with a decision, right? A decision was made to uncomfortably scream, unwanted names, comments, and touching. A decision was made between which humans are superior to others by the color of their skin. Decisions turn into opinions that split sides. As audience members do we watch with knowledge and curiosity, or watch with refusal and hate of change?
A decision was made to read what I wrote. You decided to listen to stories that will never be told but seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing as they say. You decide what you see and how you interpret it. Whether you think these women with thin clothes are wh**es, ones who don’t smile as bi*****, ones who tell a story are liars and invalid, the choice is yours to believe what you want. But I think every one of those examples was negatively altered to give comfort and assurance to a certain group.
And with that being said, Stay Royal!