tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post6899136173132840503..comments2023-10-10T10:50:56.735+02:00Comments on Inanities: If I told you that you've got a lovely bosom, would you hold it against me?Sarah Carrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02146943046266549277noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-14860421515442966312006-12-07T17:34:00.000+02:002006-12-07T17:34:00.000+02:00Forsooth - Well the views he expressed to you afte...Forsooth - Well the views he expressed to you afterwards should have been shared with us during the discussion - he did not at all make it clear that his 'get over it' meant empowers yourselves.<br />I think there were two problems with his approach: <br /><br />1. He was trying to promote a postmodern clever-clever short skirt as feminism philosophy, but ended up sounding like an arrogant chavinist twat.<br /><br />2. He possibly is just a twat, although he has a strong reputation as a lawyer. Shame really.<br /><br />Everything - Yes I'm all for women doing what the hell they want in defiance of silly and pointless rules. <br />Without meaning to be obstinate, I really do think that Egyptian society's gender roles weigh as heavily on men as they do on women. The burden just feels lighter because they have greater freedom to e.g. stay out late and have sexual relations etc. But consider a trivial example such as men in Egypt who grow their hair long and the response and stares it provokes. At the other end of the spectrum is the situation of gay men, who flout every 'rule' of what it means to be a man and are cast out of society as a result. Yes they are a minority, but their treatment is symptomatic of society's refusal to tolerate any and all deviations from its definition of masculinity.Scarrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000921519899599070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-88063732935289087122006-12-07T10:22:00.000+02:002006-12-07T10:22:00.000+02:00Totally agree with you amnesiac that that such ima...Totally agree with you amnesiac that that such images do not necessarily condition men into sexually objectifying women, but it's a part (even if small) of the problem because it encourages the men prone to sexually harass to actually do so - because in their own sick little minds they see the media telling them that that's what women are like and it's ok.<br /><br />As you said men are indeed trapped in definitions of sexuality, but not to the same extent as women. Also men can have the freedom of overriding these definitions if they choose to. So women, too, should start overriding these definitions.Eventualityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01462468168665719164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-41288656628388825662006-12-07T00:42:00.000+02:002006-12-07T00:42:00.000+02:00you know, shalakany later redeemed himself somewha...you know, shalakany later redeemed himself somewhat in private conversation. he didn't mean 'get over it' as stop being upset about sexual harassment; he meant, get over your victimhood and do something about it, and made some interesting suggestions. similarly, it appears that he meant that sexuality can be empowering in the workplace only - which i suppose is true, although i would certainly have very little respect for a woman who employed such methods. he did, however, say "i would very much like to work in a place where all the women wear sexy dresses" or similar. he is clearly rather an unpleasant man.Forsoothsayerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02765993032234113659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-27302656025459319472006-12-06T17:36:00.000+02:002006-12-06T17:36:00.000+02:00Doctor anonymous: I am just glad that the evolutio...Doctor anonymous: I am just glad that the evolutionary experiment has not resulted in us all being genetically programmed to wear too tight trousers and be mosstafezz :-PScarrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000921519899599070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-9643128118113242352006-12-06T17:34:00.000+02:002006-12-06T17:34:00.000+02:00I agree of course that the media and advertising i...I agree of course that the media and advertising industries are obsessed with their version of the (unattainable for most of us) ideal female form, and that this plays a part in some women’s unhappiness with their own bodies (as does the equivalent male version of the perfect body in men’s dissatisfaction with their bodies.)<br /><br />I am not sure however, that such images inevitably and necessarily condition men into sexually objectifying women – I think this happens independently of the media, and that the process begins long before boys are conscious of such images, e.g. at home and at school. A good test of this would be (assuming this was possible) to compare the extent of the sexual objectification of women before the rise of the modern mass media, e.g. in the 19th century etc. <br /><br />Also note that sexual objectification of women can exist alongside a situation where women are (relatively) empowered and enjoy (virtual) equality with men. Take for example the UK, where of course gender discrimination still exists, but where the situation is on the whole OK for women in the job market. There you can’t move for women’s bums, boobs, legs etc in the media and in adverts; but it is balanced by other images of women as politicians, lawyers, scientists, bus drivers, soldiers, builders, artists, writers…etc, i.e. anything that a man can do. It is where alternative visions of women are lacking that sexual images become dangerous, and it is this which explains why some women (J-Lo, Madonna etc) choose to exploit and profit from their sexuality. They are doing it in a context where it is but one aspect of the myriad female identity. If young boys in Egypt were socialised into seeing women as more than mothers and wives, I wouldn't see any objection to raunchy video clips etc other than on the grounds that they are largely stupid, and tasteless. <br /><br />And you know men are also trapped in definitions of sexuality; I have often thought that it must be incredibly hard to be a father and husband in Egypt where they are regarded as 100 percent responsible for the family’s welfare, and where demonstrations of weakness are perceived as unmanly and therefore taboo. The pressure! <br /><br />Bloody hell, I’ve just written another post :-)Scarrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08000921519899599070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-25244143248377806652006-12-06T15:40:00.000+02:002006-12-06T15:40:00.000+02:00I agree with you, some comments do make me laugh. ...I agree with you, some comments do make me laugh. But as you said its the sinister behaviour behind some comments that really sickens me. And as you know sometimes it doesn't even stop at comments. But I think that women are partly responsible by constantly putting emphasis and playing up on their physical appearances. The media is also hugely responsible by turning women into stereotypical beings that have to be specific shapes and sizes. Objectifying women in the media and society contributes greatly to sexual harassment in my opinion.Eventualityhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01462468168665719164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-6732966656739425762006-12-05T23:49:00.000+02:002006-12-05T23:49:00.000+02:00mafeesh 7ad mas2ool 3an the so called" 7alawa" , i...mafeesh 7ad mas2ool 3an the so called" 7alawa" , it is the result of pointless unsupervised evolution!that is why you turned out to be like this...:)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35137734.post-88948271521416719062006-12-05T12:03:00.000+02:002006-12-05T12:03:00.000+02:00i wont disown you, i will actually agree with you!...i wont disown you, i will actually agree with you! some of them are cute.<br /><br />once in Sharm i was still in shorts at night and walking through the bazar and this guy said "allahoma la objectian" in the cutest way, i had to laugh!<br /><br />of course the other 99% of these remarks are most unwelcome.Nhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11785953855854960970noreply@blogger.com