Today my family and I spent the first 6+ hours of our day at the VGRA pool (the local pool in Karen's parent's neighborhood that Karen is the Pool Board President for). It is a fun community pool but it has been poorly managed and facilitated by prior board leaders, etc. That's all fine and well because this current board (and it's super talented President) did an AMAZING job of setting up, planning for, and running the annual 4th of July pool party! Kudos Pretty Lady on the best 4th of July Party we've ever been to at the pool!
Amidst the various activities of the day, I was reminded of a topic I haven't blogged about before but that has often been on my mind to blog about (every time we're at the pool).
Here it is in a nutshell:
At the pool, many women and teenage girls are dressed relatively immodestly (i.e. in clothes that barely cover the "things" you're not supposed to see in public). My issue is this ... how is it "acceptable" to be virtually naked at a pool or while swimming, but it is an outrage if a woman shows too much leg at a formal dinner or wears a low-cut blouse to work, school, or any public place ?!
Let me be perfectly clear on this part ... I am NOT advocating women to dress more scantily-clad in more areas than the swimming pool! I am simply questioning whether or not there is a double standard here. I sure think so!
The fact that I can see so much "skin" at the pool is a big deterrent to my happy, family pool experience. I don't think women need to be showing so much "stuff" and I think it doesn't help them in the quest to not be "objectified" or "treated like a piece of meat" and "ogled at by men."
Tell me you didn't think about how guys would be "checking you out" and how good you look in that swimsuit you recently bought. Tell me you weren't excited that it accentuates the positive in your physical form. You're lying!
You DO want us to look at you and you're hypocrites if you get upset that a man cannot avoid looking! It is virtually impossible NOT to look when everywhere around you there "it" is!
I know it must be difficult to find swimsuits that are modest but also flattering. No one wants to wear a dress while swimming. But your willingness to buy those swimsuits that are available supports the industry that continues to teach women to use their bodies to attract men. But I'm off topic ... I just wanted to point out that I think almost every woman concedes that it is okay to show more of themselves than they want to at the pool, even if they are normally a "prude" in other public situations.
What do you think?
Post a comment below or on my Facebook page. I am interested in other perspectives on this. Maybe I'm just getting old and curmudgeonly!
...
Some girls really don't know what they are doing/dressing. Some of the Young Women in our ward sometimes wear clothing that I personally think is a little out of line. And they really don't have a clue how it can come across.
ReplyDeleteBut the older ladies? Yeah, they totally know what they are doing.
I've actually been thinking about this topic lately too... As a mother of three future women I worry about how they will someday feel about their bodies. On one hand I see girls (tweens) of probably above healthy weight wearing two piece suits that I would've never even dreamed of wearing at their age and I'm torn between "Yay for her, she is not ashamed of herself!" and "Really, do you know what you are saying to the boys and everyone else around you?"
ReplyDeleteGreat topic! I agree that there is a huge double standard when it comes to appropriate attire at the swimming pool/beach versus everywhere else. And it is true that many women do not realize that what they wear is questionable. It bothers me when younger children wear immodest clothing, even more than when adults wear immodest clothing.
ReplyDelete