The "Other-ization" of Women

I thought bell hooks' article, and our discussion of it, was really enlightening in its exploration of how the black female body has been presented as "other," its features simultaneously desired and degraded. 

Clearly, this is a valid argument and well-supported by evidence from hundreds of years of cultural representation. And I think hooks is right that black women have experienced this kind of treatment in a more noticeable and extreme way than other groups. But I would also argue that all women, regardless of race or ethnicity, experience this kind of "other-ization." 

Think about how grossed out people get when women talk about their periods, or when women breast-feed their babies in public. Think about the fact that men are allowed to be shirtless in public, but women have to cover their chests (and our breasts can't appear on TV, either). Or the fact that if we don't shave our legs and armpits, it's "gross." Women spend crazy amounts of money on upkeep - nails, hair, eyebrows, plus all kinds of products to keep us clean and fresh and feminine, because that's what women are supposed to be. If we're not, people get uncomfortable. 

Listen, I buy into all this stuff too. I get my eyebrows done, I love getting manicures, and I can't stand going 3 days without shaving my legs. I kind of accept these things as a given, but the fact is, I've been conditioned to think that way. We are an "other" in society (still) and because of that, we can't transgress when it comes to our looks. When we do, we're condemned as "ugly" or "fat" or whatever. 

So while I totally agree with bell hooks that black women have been the victims of this kind of thing in a much more pronounced way, I think it affects all women. Our bodies are objects of desire, but feared at the same time.  It's a sad state of affairs.