Jan 16, 2013

Get your tits out girls

Read this article then weep. And weep some more. For feminism. For women.

My favourite bit?
"And when it comes to the workplace, despite the fight for equal pay and equal rights, some women (many women) know that a good push-up bra is a better investment than any PhD."
Thanks Sammy B. So you're saying I should have spent a few hundred dollars on lingerie instead of spending so many years, thousands of dollars and so much time on my education? Wow, I sure have my sense of achievement all mixed up.

The general response to the article has no doubt been outrage.  Yet, on Twitter I have seen so many women say things to the effect of: "What's the big deal" or "It's ridiculous...but it's true. Ladies should use what their mama gave them". To those women, I say THANK YOU for taking women (everywhere) further back into the dark ages and for furthering the cause for sexism. Now please, shut up.

I'm not naive. Getting your tits out to get up the proverbial ladder is the oldest trick in the book. And it happens everywhere, I know that. Sexist pigs who don't think women have brains obviously only pay attention when you rock a bit of cleavage. Unfortunately, there are women who simply pander to this archaic sexist way of thinking and use their umm..."assets" to..how do they say it.. "to their advantage" (vomit).

In other words, they're saying to men "Ok, I get you like to objectify women. So let's just not worry about the fact that I have a Master's degree and am probably smarter than you because you know, I have boobs. So here's my cleavage. Oh and I'll throw in my sexy bum and my long, toned legs too. Now how about that promotion? I've earned it on my own merit right?"

Your merit drank itself to a depressing death the moment you started thinking about "using your assets to your advantage". I know it's a man's world and a woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do. But you know what a woman's gotta do? Stand up and say it's not okay. Say, "Hey douchebag I ain't got no cleavage for you. But hey guess what, I do have the qualifications and the experience. NOW how about that promotion?"

If you think you're doing the SMART thing for your career by giving in to sexist pigs, you've probably looked up the wrong dictionary for the meaning of smart. If you are moving up that workplace ladder thanks to your boob-baring skills, you're a sexism enabler. It fails to be an achievement then. It fails because if it were you vs a man, it wasn't a fair fight. It was your ta-tas vs his brains.  I'd say it'd be a fair fight when it was brains vs brains and you get picked over the man, because of your smarts. Because you're equal. Then we have a real case of achievement in our (what often seems like) never-ending fight for equality in the workplace, at home, in the world.

So my titty-flaunting sisters, the next time you high five yourself for your win over a man and doing your bit for women's equality, please, STOP. We'll take it from here.


4 comments:

Psych Babbler said...

6 years of education...and I apparently should have just spent that money on a boob job...

Sigh...it's such a pathetic article Radhika...I found myself shaking my head with disbelief throughout the article. For the author's information, at my work place, if we show boobs, we are actually violating the dress code.

Loved your response to the whole thing!

R.Bit said...

Thank you :) I was so angry & shocked too. Just horrifying that some women think this way!

Mrs A said...

That was the phrase that incensed me the most - favouring push up bras to Phds. Is that really how we women should aim to see ourselves? This bit... "Whether fake or real, it undeniably empowers a woman, gives her a great sense of self-esteem, a colossal confidence boost and often gets her ahead of the men she's long been trying to compete with...." I mean... seriously??? Is this the kind of thinking we want young girls these days to have? It's bad enough that men with their sanctimonious diatribe against high achieving women spout this crap - now women are doing it too?

R.Bit said...

It's so bizarre it beggars belief. Still shaking my head...