Putting The “Pro” In Provocative!
It’s not a new sentiment, but it bears repeating: some pre-journalism students are more “pre” than others. Here‘s Susan Goodwin in the ODE, who after a column’s worth of confusion over the difference between choosing to wear a burqua (or not) and being forced to wear one, offers this rallying cry:
To women who already do not wear provocative clothing, tell others why you don’t! To women who do wear provocative clothing, evaluate why you do and what tells you to. Then decide if you still want to participate in the overt sexuality of our culture.
Well, that’s the point, isn’t it? You have a choice. And please, women of the world: refrain from explaining your reasons for not wearing provocative clothing to me. To the very limited extent that I care, I can probably figure it out. That goes for the guys, too.
Subverted only if it’s dominant!
Oh, Olly. Don’t you know that “choice” means “abortion”? I notice that she uses one variant of that verb once in the column, but I’m sure if she thought about it again she’d reword that sentence. One doesn’t “choose” burqas, nor does one “choose” bikinis. Everyone knows they are forced on the fairer sex by the oppressive patriarchal capitalist heterosexist paradigm, which must be subverted.
P.S. I apologize for the locution “fairer sex.” I will now go watch “Claire of the Moon” as repentance.
P.P.S. Yeah, repentance.