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From: muffy@remarque.berkeley.edu (Muffy Barkocy)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Female human aesthetics
Message-ID: <MUFFY.90Nov10202353@remarque.berkeley.edu>
Date: 12 Nov 90 16:58:23 GMT
References: <9011012313.AA11775@rpp386.Cactus.ORG> <8654@darkstar.ucsc.edu>
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In article <8654@darkstar.ucsc.edu> carioca@ucscb.ucsc.edu (fOoDFoOdfOoDiTYfooD!) writes:

   In article <9011012313.AA11775@rpp386.Cactus.ORG> jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) writes:
   >Feminine beauty is something which women wish to attain - it has
   >nothing to do with men, just as the "Bronze Adonis" male form is
   >something which men pursue and which equally has nothing to do
   >with women.  These forms are desirable simply because they are
   >unattainable to the average person.  Precious gemstones are precious

   I disagree completely.  Women are expected to be beautiful so that
   they can win the attention of men.  We are taught that being as
   beautiful as possible is the only chance we have to get a boyfriend/
   husband. [...]

I was thinking about this the other day, in a roundabout way.  First,
I was thinking, what do I find attractive in a woman.  As I thought
about it, I realized that I had a lot of the features I am attracted
to.  Then I realized that I dressed in a way that I would find
attractive on a woman.  So, my conclusion was that, in fact, I dress
to be attractive to myself.  I have actually thought this in the past,
too...not only attractive, but interesting...for example, I have a
*very* strange collection of socks.  I don't like wearing socks, but
it does get kind of cold, even in California, so I have to wear
them...so, I get these great socks, so I smile when I look down at
them.  I guess the way I see it, I'm the one who has to see the stuff
I'm wearing all the time, so I want it to be comfortable and
attractive to me.  However, it is also true that a lot of the features
of the way I dress are also attractive to men, and I like that, too.
Also, once I *am* seeing someone, I will tend to wear things that they
like more...but I have never dressed some way for the specific purpose
of attracting a man.

Muffy
muffy@mica.berkeley.edu