Surly Girly

Opening her mouth and removing doubt
Dragging up
February 18, 2005
 

Last night I watched "Connie and Carla" which I think may have been pretty well panned in the reviews. I enjoyed it immensely - but then I've always loved drag queens - the campier the better.

When I went to bed last night I got to thinking about drag queens and what the appeal was. I'm pretty liberal-minded, even for most, so I've no problem with men who want to dress as women, and even men who want to dress as divas 'round the clock. But what's the stigma exactly? It's just makeup and clothing. It's not threatening.. It's not like these folks are dressed up wearing armour or some sort of war-garb.

But anyway it got me to thinking about society generally - how lucky I am to be a woman. As a woman, I can play sports, I can behave anyway I like, I can cry, I can take an interest in arts and fashion, I can play with dolls or footballs, I can scratch my behind and hog the remote. I can take an interest in automechanics or carpentry. I can be aggressive in my career path, or I can stay at home and nurture my family. I can do all of these things in any degree I choose - and nobody questions my femininity or my psychological well-being. Being able to do all of these things at once makes me a "SUPER MOM" or some nonsense - sort've a rennaissance lady.

But for a man? A man that does all of those things is definitely going to have his masculinity questioned. A man that cries is considered weak. A man that plays with dolls - well forget about it. A man that pays attention to fashion and beauty is called a metrosexual. Think about that one - a label with "sexual" right there in it. As if his drive/sexual preference/y chromosome is in any way different than another man's. When all it is is attention to trends, fabrics, colors, and grooming.

Take it one step further, and I completely don't blame the men that dress as ladies. The ones that do it "socially" - its a chance to be the yin and the yang. A chance to be all of the things that a woman can be. A chance to be fabulous and funny and bold and brave and sexual - AND wear great fabrics and colors and textures. A chance to play the coquette and benefit from chivalry.

When I go to my job wearing a suit and with my hair slicked back, I'm not considered a freak.. So how come a man that goes out in a frock and some glittery lipstick is considered one? We're both just using fashion to tell the world how to treat us. My suit says "I'm talented and I want to be treated as an equal to men", and the Divine Ms. Didi over there just wants to be treated as an equal to .. well maybe as an equal to Esther Williams or Liza Minelli - but really, what's wrong with that?


posted by LoneStarCupcake  @ 12:27 PM

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