Pretty girls
It’s easier to be pretty than you’d think
MELISSA HIEBERT STAFF
I recall an article that ran not too long ago entitled “Sausage girl” (the Manitoban, Nov. 1), that essentially reprimanded girls around the university campus that dressed in scant clothing and too much makeup, in an unnecessarily harsh and demeaning way.
Though the article does pose an interesting question. For starters, why do girls/women around campus dress like that?
Sometimes we blame the guys for drooling over the impossibly proportioned, airbrushed models in magazines, knowing full out that we can never come close to the computer-generated playboy images that we mistakenly take as real people. However, the larger problem, it seems, lies in the insatiable desire of most females to engage in a neverending competition to see who can “out-hot” whom.
Perhaps based off of some primal instinct to beat out all of the other females in hopes of attracting a mate, female competition has spiralled out of control. If you’re wondering why women around campus dress excessively provocatively or spend more time doing their makeup for first year bio class than actually in the class itself, the answer is simply a disconcerting struggle to see who can be crowned U of M’s next “top model” (at least in their own minds).
As tired a topic as it is, body image is a serious problem among girls and women. I can remember times when I would catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror before I went out, promptly turn around, and go back to bed and cry. I have slathered my face in makeup and worn ridiculously short skirts in the dead of winter in a pathetic attempt to look as pretty as all of the other girls, failing miserably in the process. I’ve relentlessly cursed myself for not having a cute figure, perfect hair, or a nice tan. And I’m sure I’m not alone.
It’s no wonder girls dress to the nines for school, work, and even to go to the post office: girls feel horribly inadequate pretty much all of the time. And what is the natural human response to feeling inadequate or not up to par with the rest of the world? Trying to keep up, while beating out the “competition.” Girls are constantly trying to one-up each other, not to mention keep up with the impossible standards dictated by magazines and MTV.
Which brings me to the second question that the article “Sausage girl” raises: why do girls have the unremitting need to call down other girls, just because they are trying vainly to up their self-esteem and feeling of self-worth by dressing that way? Sure, it’s shallow to try to boost your self-esteem by purely superficial means, but insulting other girls or shaming them because of it is horribly counterproductive.
Ladies, look at what we’ve become. We combat our self-esteem issues by primping and grooming and shopping, all to still be left feeling unsatisfied. We tear each other to shreds and call each other down when all we’re really frustrated at is this weird competitive game we all play, and not really with each other. Jealousy and resentment do nothing to boost any of our self-images. Maybe if girls stopped to think that most every other girl is in the same spot as they are, they might be a little less quick to throw around terms like “slut” and “skank.” Maybe if we all supported one another, told each other how beautiful we thought they looked instead of calling each other down, and were truly happy about other’s successes, we could then begin to feel better about ourselves.
The times I walk the proudest and stand the tallest are the days that I am dressed in pyjama pants, beat-up running shoes, and an old sweater that I managed to swipe from a friend’s father. For some reason, it is only on those days when I can look at the “pretty girls,” with their perfectly highlighted hair and blemish-free skin, and smile, from the inside out.
I smile because I am no longer in competition with them. I win by refusing to play the game.
