What Does Loving Your Body Mean Under Patriarchy?
Decentering the Male Gaze
When most people admonish us to love our bodies, they are usually talking about loving the way our bodies look.
But who decided that was the most interesting thing about my body? It certainly wasn’t me.
Everywhere we look, we are bombarded with both subtle and brutal signals of how we should strive to look.
Skinny. But toned. Flat stomach, but giant breasts and round butt. Always youthful, well-groomed, petite, and smiling. The list goes on and on. And on…
But we’re also supposed to love these bodies that will never quite match up- no matter how hard we try, how little we eat, or how much Pilates and Zumba we do.
How we’re supposed to look is in stark contrast with how we’re supposed to feel about how we look. Beat your body into submission day after day to reach an impossible standard or completely ignore it since you know you’ll never reach it. But either way, love your bodies, ladies!
As if we don’t have enough other expectations to overcome. Be a boss at work, but also a mother, and an amzing one at that. And don’t forget hubby’s needs, especially in the bedroom! Be assertive, but not too bitchy! And still be feminine and sweet.
