Today, a friend of mine liked this LinkedIn post:
I’m sceptical about the bias described here. This is just one individual’s experience (not a study, or an analysis of existing data, or the result of carefully aggregating lots of experiences) — and a very subjective one, to that matter.
In any case, if OP truly wants to fight the bias that associates the female with looks and “pretty”, and the male with actions and “strong”, here go a few more effective strategies:
Do not care so much about your own looks in a video denouncing the automatic link between girls/women and their looks. Record this (supposedly spontaneous) statement with no make-up and wearing a sweatshirt instead. Hint: the vast majority of men would not apply make-up before recording and impromptu video with their phone, sitting inside their car.
“Have you dreamt about standing on that stage, holding hands with another girl, and hearing your name as the NEW titleholder?”
If you purport to be an “influencer” (whatever that is supposed to mean), use your web site to share your sporting accomplishments, academic titles, or artistic output — and encourage others to do those things. Do not turn your page into a stream of gorgeous-looking portraits or yourself. I clicked the link “personal adventures” at the bottom of the page, which looked so promising… but it took me to a placeholder section featuring a full-cover photo of OP, lying on the floor, wearing lingerie, and looking very sexy at the camera.
Ditto about your social media. I see a lot of “pretty” (everything’s very pretty) and very, very little of “strong” there.
Your “coaching” (whatever that is) is focused on beauty pageants; that’s the only thing I see when I visit that section (“have you dreamt about standing on that stage, holding hands with another girl, and hearing your name as the NEW titleholder?”). Hardly a feminist cause, or an activity where girls and boys are equally represented, gather the same attention or earn the same. Better to advise clients about choosing the right contact sport, gaining access to a good PhD programme, or picking the best stocks and bonds, right? Also: why “holding hands with another girl”, and why are there photos of girls only? Shouldn’t you, at the very least, boost male pageants, and offer your services to hopeful boys who dream of “holding hands with another boy” and win that beauty “crown”, too?
When the media run a story about you “done with trying to be pageant skinny” and now “being a body-positivity activist”, remember to ask them not to illustrate the article with six portraits (six) of you, posing as the attractive young woman that you are, with the enviable body of a beauty pageant, carefully dressed and made up, and looking all seductive. (Unless it’s an ironic statement, in which case: ace!)
