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From: moiram@tektronix.UUCP (Moira Mallison )
Newsgroups: net.singles
Subject: indoctrination.
Message-ID: <4011@tektronix.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Oct-84 17:18:02 EST
Article-I.D.: tektroni.4011
Posted: Mon Oct 29 17:18:02 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Nov-84 02:26:54 EST
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 59


{  attractive != interesting;
   interesting = sexy;
   therefore, attractive != sexy ???}

**********
>>>...here's another issue.  Young women
>>>are indoctrinated to want to be attractive (included in this are looks,
>>>clothing, and charm), and yet are discouraged from facing their sexuality.
>>>We're all supposed to be pretty and get the attention of men, but sex is a 
>>>Bad Thing, and sometimes the unmentionability of S** is so much that one 
>>>doesn't know what do when It looms (causing a panic reaction).

>> I would describe it a bit differently, but I think that we're saying the 
>> same basic thing.  The words "attractive" and "charming" don't sound quite
>> right to me.  Maybe "interesting" would be better.  

>Are you kidding?  *Where* have you been?  The Manhattanization of America
>has one message for all women, that we must be young and thin and beautiful.
>And if advertising isn't the most influencing force on young people growing
>up, then what is?

I think that you're nit-picking.  If you'd rather argue semantics than the
subject in question ("Why are some people Teases" in case you forgot) then
why didn't you say so before?

Anyway, since you brought it up why not just say "sexy"?  "Charming" and
"attractive" are nice words, but "sexy" seems to me to be more to the point.  
I'd even agree with you.

********** 

In case it has escaped your attention, I am not the author of the '>>>'
quote.  I WAS more interested in the indoctrination digression than the 
original subject, and I acknowledged it as a digression by changing the
subject line.  

But this goes far beyond a question of semantics...the choice of words 
directly reflects a point of view.  And the choices of words are not even 
close here!

"Attractive & charming" are fairly subjective terms, but the intent was
fairly clear.  "Interesting" is even more subjective, and those things
about interesting that could be agreed upon probably fall under the
category of charming (if you stretch it).  In my article, I got down
to specifics: thin & young & beautiful.  Still somewhat subjective,
but I also defined what we are judged relative to  (Cheryl Tiegs, et al).  

VERY few women in the US have not, at one time or another, had doubts and/
or negative feelings about her body.  I can easily accept myself as an
interesting  and sometimes charming person.  Most of the time I can 
accept that I'm attractive.  Sexy and beautiful come a bit harder (more
because of said indoctrination than anything else).  And thin: I'm not.

So it may seem like nit-picking to you, but the words carry very different
meanings for me.

Moira Mallison
tektronix!moiram