Is the Sisterhood dead?

[Roxsie]

I know this has been done in different forms many times however there are almost a completely new crop of debaters now and their views should be interesting.

Kate's hot new "vibrancy" diet! Jade: lonely and comfort eating! Proof that Posh is losing her looks! Geri: post-baby saggy skin! Tyra Banks slim again!

No, I haven't suddenly lost my mind. I've just come back from my local supermarket and noted down some random headlines from the covers of various "celebrity" news-based magazines that were for sale. And now I am depressed. There was me thinking that us women had better things to be thinking about these days, like, oh, I don't know, equal pay for example, or affordable childcare, or perhaps the fact that the conviction rate for rapists is lower today than it was 30 years ago.

But no, I found the shelves full of these glossy mags, each one full of such "stories" which for some reason are considered newsworthy. Amazingly, for I read through each, (which was a struggle; I felt like my brain was being sucked out very slowly and painfully), every publication seemed to be running their version of the same story, this being:

1) Look at any woman in the public eye
2) Judge her based on her weight and appearance
3) Criticise her (if she can be considered fat)
4) Applaud her (if she has lost weight)
5) Discuss the best way to look like her/lose weight

There's not much difference between the magazines; many even feature the same celebrity story: "Wow! Fern - half the woman she was!" (Best) "Fern's shrinking! What's next for her amazing new body?" (Woman)

On and on they go, but the message is always the same: if you are female, know that you will be judged based on what you look like; expect to be objectified; and hope to receive external validation from others about your image, which will give you self-worth.

If magazines like these are geared towards women (and they invariably are) what hope have we got in challenging the so-called "lads'" mags? Of these "mid-shelf" publications, I counted five fully naked women, five half-dressed women and three women in revealing bikinis splashed all over the front covers of the handful I looked at. With women's bodies either being gratuitously displayed, or discussed at length, is it any wonder that women have absorbed the importance of body image?

Women of my mother's generation fought to be respected and valued for what they did, rather than what they looked like; today's women don't seem to have made much progress challenging this, have we? Perhaps this is because, rather than challenging it, we have turned to embrace it instead. Women who I would consider intelligent and educated and perhaps who even call themselves feminists, will also discuss and debate whether Britney looked fat at last week's MTV awards. How have we moved from fighting for the issues that affect us, to fighting among ourselves to see who can criticise another woman the most?

The answer to that perhaps, is that the background to this starts from an early age. A study, launched at Tuesday's event run by Women in Journalism, Am I Bovvered? What are teenage girls really thinking?, into the behaviour and attitudes of young women, showed how the media made them feel under pressure to be thin. In a survey of 3,000 16-25 year-old women, more than half said the media made them feel that "being pretty and thin" was the most important thing, with 95% saying that the most influential role models to them were the super-thin Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss.

Marcelle D'Argy Smith, former editor of Cosmopolitan, speaking to the Independent, voiced her concerns about young women's focus on their image: "boys have always rated women but it's utterly mainstream now, as if nothing else counts but your body. The moment you become aware of boys you want to please them. But whereas before you used to maybe buy a new frock, now girls think about nothing but their bodies."

Surely this comes as no surprise? The idea that if you are a woman you need to be beautiful (read: thin), to be successful (read: obtain a man or earn money through your image), is not a new one. All that's changed over the last three decades is that this propaganda has become acceptable in publications aimed at younger women. But, unlike 30 years ago, few are publicly challenging this - and especially not young women themselves.

No longer can we point an accusatory finger solely at men for the position we currently find ourselves in: women are choosing to maintain their own oppression by buying in, quite literally, to it. Every time a woman purchases one of these magazines, she is helping to undermine another woman. I don't care that some may say that it's just a harmless bit of fun; it isn't. While they are enjoying having a little gawp at another women's body, they are supporting the ideology that it is right to judge women based on how they look. By giving their money to the publications that repeat this, they are contributing to women's oppression everywhere. Without women buying these magazines, the publications would simply go bust.

If women choose to support this misogyny while competing with one another to be the most beautiful, or obtain the better man, or make more money through using their bodies as a commodity, the chance for there to be a more equal society is diminished. How can there be equality while women are still known and valued purely for their appearance?

There's only one choice to be made here. A lifestyle choice, if you will. Women need to realise they do have the power to change things. And by holding onto their money next time they are in the newsagents and not purchasing that pretty cover that's shouting at them offering the latest "celebrity" news, they'll be making the right choice.

originally posted at http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/zoe_margolis/2007/09/buying_into_oppression.html

[killsteel]

I can't debate this yet, because I wholeheartedly agree. Although it doesn't just apply to women.

The human race has chosen ignorance over rational thought once again.

[Zhyl]

I didn't realise a sisterhood existed. Sounds a bit like the chivalry myth to me. People have always been pricks to each other, all throughout history.

[killsteel]

Well, once upon a time there was a thing called feminism. I suppose it is a bit of a fairy tale these days. Hard to imagine anyway.

[katt]

I think that today's general society (well I speak for the united states because it is the one i am most familiar with) has discarded some of the more respectful attitudes towards women that used to exist.

There is a culture out there that suggests women should freely give their bodies for the sake of merely having a good time without any expectation of marriage or anything serious in return from men. I do believe that most women cannot do this as guiltlessly as men although i realize there are exceptions (ie some women enjoy this lifestyle). I really think alot of people are not demanding the respect they deserve and truly do want these days

you can even see symptoms of such attitudes in the clothes on the shelves. It is hard to buy a pair of jeans that does not reveal a great deal of skin if you sit down due to the very low waist.

On the other hand women have a great deal of independence these days. and i would rather live in a free society than one that is modelled after the puritans. So maybe it is balanced out some? I'd like to think that there is no need for a sisterhood so much as choosing to be around people who have some standards

and those magazines referred to are easy to ignore or write off as garbage. and the people who produce them know they are garbage

[Feawen]

See the problem is is that if a woman tries to stand up for something involving womens issues, men (and women) will say "Look at this feminazi trying to burn the bras, have some cop on." Or it's thought that it's another crazy mother trying to take down the 'system'.

What happens is that most do nothing while a few do too much, and so the few get berated for the insane stunts they're trying to do.

Respect has disappeared and magazines just leech off people's insecurities. It makes money so they'll never stop. We need to instill in the future generations that it's all bullshit and there's no point buying it.

[katt]

I think if you buy gossip mags you get what you are asking for (and deserve): mindless gossip. And I have noticed that while they do pick on women a lot men also are targets. And usually hollywood type stuff is the main target...and perhaps that is fitting for a culture that is largely based on shallow things. i really think vaguely sensible people can read them without being influenced by it

also I don't think it could be stopped without censorship. So maybe parents should just try and get their kids to have hobbies that would lead them on a life-long course of buying reading materials that are more substantial. :)

i know that probably sounds cheesy but if kids grow up next to a huge pile of gossip mags and a television set with no parental input they are likely to be overly influenced by the wrong things. probably be better served being raised by wolves

[Smokey]

It's society. You can't change an entire culture overnight.

[Discodoris]

Sadly, I feel that the story reflects the complacency held by many people - that they take for granted so many things that were hard-won in the past.

I see people moaning about the NHS, before ever having to pay into National Insurance. I see censureship of education, boasting about disrupting teachers. I see general apathy about engaging with politics, voting, understanding how local services are provided. I see public libraries seriously underutilised.

It's becoming a seriously shallow culture. I have hope for the future, since in this forum I've come across so many intelligent thoughtful people - my personal credo is don't ever settle for being mediocre, every single person can make a difference if they choose to engage and do something for society, rather than just take and don't sell short by buying into "dumbing down" - the lowest common denominator.

And yes, I abhor being judged solely on my external appearance, despite acknowledging that it influences opinion.

[killsteel]

I would agree with you Discodoris, but with a slight amendment. I would say that no individual can accomplish anything on their own. Real action requires coordination and cooperation.

I would also say that acceptance of reality should never be seen negatively. Acknowledging that there is a problem is, after all, the first step on the road to solving that problem. In this case we need to realize that sexism is still alive in our culture, and that we need to act in order to change it.

[katt]

I think the idea of sexism as described in the original post article will always be around. it is just one of those facts of life that comes from the nature of humanity

People will always think in certain ways generally speaking and the more affluent the culture gets the more the quirks can be lavished upon. I am not endorsing sexism as described in the OP I just accept it. And these huge campaigns to change human nature/thought...i just see it as a waste of time :P who cares what people you don't care about/know think about the women in a tabloid magazine?

vote with your feet i say. you only are in control of your own feet.

the important thing is it stays out of the workplace. I think women should be on equal footing with men in that environment and that is worth fighting for. but the other stuff... who cares?

maybe the two have some links but i think the workplace culture can be changed without bothering with the other. i hope this post made some sense it feels like nonsense

[happy-go-lucky]

I never buy the gossip magazines, because they're boring and pointless. Who cares if Victoria Beckham's lost a pound or so? I'm not really interested in celebritys who are famous for nothing, or for something they did ages ago.
On the other hand, I do wear short skirts (in summer) and low cut jeans, because I like my body, I like it when people compliment me, but I don't care a whole lot about people who don't like the way I look/dress/whatever. I don't get all stressed over a minor spot or something like that as some people seem to do though.
I think it's a bit stupid caring about what some magazine says everyone should look like, but people are always going to be influenced by celebritys wether they want to or not.