Do unrealistic body images oppress women?

According to Naomi Wolf and other "I feel so demeaned by men" pop feminist types, images of women as objects of beauty, innocence, purity, and the sexually desirable sex do considerable harm to women.

Meanwhile, they ignore both how they insist on perpetuating "acceptable" images of women, like "Earth Mother" and "primary caregiver," and dismiss the equally demanding images of men, such as "walking wallet," "always ready," and "protector." Or they promote the pervasive negative images of men, such "rapist," "abuser," and "exploiter."

Women and men have one simple, fundamental characteristic in common -- we are all members of the human race. (With the possible exception of Bill Gates.) Most of us are subjected to onerous expectations and unrealistic demands, and have a multitude of excuses for being ticked off at the opposite sex.

The easy thing is to focus only on what affects us. Like egocentric, petulant children who can't see past the end of our gonads. Anybody can do that. What separates the liberated from the low is the ability to embrace our shared humanity without losing sight of how things ought to be, or what we need to do to get there.

Regards,

Rod Van Mechelen

Rod Van Mechelen is the author of What Everyone Should Know about Feminist Issues: The Male-Positive Perspective (the page now includes several articles by other authors), and the publisher of The Backlash! @ Backlash.com and Cowlitz Country News. He is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and served for 9-1/2 years on the Cowlitz Indian Tribal Council.