Is this really Feminism?
Are we really as free as we think we are?

NOTE: I want to make it clear right now that I love
being American, and I love my freedom. I just want to take a look
at us as a culture with a more critical eye.

As people of American culture, we tend to look upon women from
Muslim and other cultures with a critical eye because we feel that they
do not have “freedom” to choose what they want. However, I want
take a closer look into our culture and our society.

Do we really have as much freedom as we think we do?

Sure, there are no laws prohibiting us from wearing what we want,
doing what we want. However, isn’t this country by nature still
somewhat of a patriarchy? So while we dance around
self-righteously about our freedom, I think there are some things that
we need to look at.

For example, let’s go back to the idea that we can wear whatever we
want. If you’re a woman: how many times have you worn a pair of
shoes that cuts into your foot so badly that it begins to bleed?
If you’re a man: how many times have you seen this happen?

Aside from sadistics, is this really what we want for ourselves? Or
is it the image of what we are attaining using the clothes we wear that
is reigning supreme in our mind?

A normal woman who wears no make-up, wears comfortable clothes like
sweats, and doesn’t get her hair styled and dyed is probably considered
a slob.

The same woman who wears make-up, impossible to wear clothing,
and has impeccable hair at first glance will be called beautiful. — or
at the very least, “hot”.

This is what we have come to. A society in which the fake
outdoes the natural. A society in which you’re judged by your
outside.

So tell me now, are we really free?

Women who always have to be covered may not be free to wear what
they want — but they’re not being judged by strangers on their
physical features.

I think that we’re all bound by the labels of this society.

I used to be the kind of person that could go to the mall in a
pair of sweats, with no make-up and a raggedy pony tail. Perhaps
it’s the Orange County air, but I can’t anymore.

My sense of being trapped probably started when I saw little girls,
no older than 10 done up more expensively and stylishly that I ever
was, have been since, or ever will be. There’s just something
wrong, when a 10 year old looks more attractive [in an adult way!] than
you do. It’s something that as much as you rant about how wrong it is,
makes you feel self conscious. And this self consciousness makes
you dye your hair, put on make up and wear clothes you wouldn’t
naturally choose to wear.

Are we really as free as we think we are?

By popular vote: Brent

And by Kim’s Choice: Larry