Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00654)

>Kym:
And, worse, many of the women who are considered to "have
made it" betray girls by sending the message that sexuality is the ticket to
freedom.  The world still evolves around men.  Around age 12, girls begin a
downhill slide in self-esteem and body image.  The reasons why are obvious.
Girls begin to become acutely aware of how little genuine influence they
really have.

Thoa:
There is another side to women and sexuality.  There are cultures in which
girls are taught to be ashamed of their body, that they should downplay
their sexuality as much as possible.  In the Middle East, women are forced
to cover their bodies.  My ex-roommate, a traditional Vietnamese woman,
would note whether the young women were dancing with too many different men.
As I was growing up, I constantly received this "Nice girls shouldn't ..."
Also, in some cultures, after a woman is married, she has to look as plain
as possible so as not to do the improper thing of attracting another man's
attention.  I think women who have made it, such as Madonna, are saying, "I
love my body.  I am not ashamed of it.  I am sexy, I am lusty, and I am
powerful.  Deal with it."

TTT