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THe March Feminist non-fiction book club is SHeila Jeffries Beauty and Misogyny.

Book Club is Wednesday March 28 at 9 pm. Everyone is welcome,

reading it but cant be online at that time. tis children bedtime

I'll be late to the party but I'm definitely going to be there! I just finished reading it yesterday.

I'm here!

I've not read it, but going to read the thread to see if I can cope with reading it. I feel like it would be interesting, and I ought to read it, but not sure if i want to . . .

It's actually a pretty easy read considering the subject matter. It's an academic text but lots of pointed sentences like: I argue that, X argues this and I argued this here. It's not stilted or repetitious though; just really well-laid out so that you had time to think. It's also pretty short but packed without being dense.

She's naturally a very good writer which, in and of itself, is a gift.

oh is that tonight? I read it a year or so ago so will attend based on what I can remember.
Fab book <strokes hairy legs happily>

Mine aren't quite long enough to braid. I have plans though.

I'm here, not quite half way through yet though! I put off starting it a bit as it seemed slightly dry at the start, but now I'm finding it really interesting.

I liked the postmodern critique at the beginning but I quite like theory summed up in bite-size nuggets.

It was probably fine, maybe I was just not in the mood that day! weill re-read the beginning once I've finished!

weill = I will

I found it a life-changing book, in that it changed the way I see beauty, and that is something that (like it or not) we have all been conditioned into thinking is important.

Her phrase 'different and deferent' stuck with me. When I see a woman in high heels and very groomed I don't think 'How empowered!' so much as 'Yes, she's fulfilling patriarchal beauty standards very effectively!'

I liked how she described in terms of chinese foot-binding because whilst I have known that the damage was similar, I don't think I quite put it in those terms with permanent bunions and removal of toes.

The phrase different/ deferent was quite powerful too.

yeah I literally chucked out my old high heels after reading it.

I think a lot of people have a 'don't be so ridiculous!' response to the idea that there are similarities between footbinding and high heels but she is very good on what the similarities are.

I am up to the part where she mentions women's clothes not having functional pockets. I remember being very annoyed by this in my late teens (as I was railing against 'the handbag', which seemed so crucial to my mother's life) and took to wearing an old suit jacket of my dad's - it was so practical and easy for e.g. cycling!

But I do remember male friends asking why I didn't just buy clothes with pockets then - they did not seem to get that it wasn't a choice open to me, none were available.

I now carry a handbag but have been inspired by this to see if there are any alternatives out there. I do feel that handbags are another part of 'vulnerability' - lose them , have them snatched, have them 'pickpocketed' etc that is much reduced for men who have inner pockets etc - still vulnerable to the professional thief, I suppose, but less to the opportunist.

Definitely.

Although I didn't chuck out my high heels. I can't wear them anyways but I do like to look at them. I suspect there is a whole chapter there

Ok, so can you suggest to me reasons why should I read this book, please?
My make-up etc is my armour against the world - I'd like to be a strong enough confident enough person to go without, but I'm not yet (and I'm in the happiest place in my life so far) so it's likely I won't ever be. Sad as it is, I quite like conforming to patriarchal standards, and it's not that I'm particularly proud of that.
I'm worried that reading this book will make me feel bad for doing so. Can I read it without guilt do you think?

Eek, you chucked out heels?!
I can't quite contemplate that.
And this is from someone who quite literally tortured herself with the damn things ten days ago. It hurt. Really quite a lot. (But I hadn't taken enough sensible alternatives on holiday with me).

My 'instinctive' (patriarchal?) response to her describing lipstick wearing and FGM as both harmful to women was "That doesn't seem reasonable" but when she drew in the other steps on the scale e.g. high heels, breast reduction and labiaplasty, it did seem a fair to see it as a spectrum of practices.

I think so.

Jeffries is pretty clear that using makeup as armor is part of women's response to the patriarchy and one that the patriarchy positively encourages but I don't think she would critique an individual woman for responding that way.

I certainly wear makeup for those reasons and the tattoo I have, whilst a stupid design, represents the end point of a difficult point in my life. It might not be transgressive at a political level but personally it does demonstrate transgression.

Hi FromGirders

I don't think it is a particularly 'comfortable' read. I don't wear make up much but do undertake other beauty practices that are described. I think it's useful to prompt thinking about these things but the author doesn't (at least so far) exhort everyone to give them up - just to be aware of the cultural context.

x-posted with SGM!

My piercings represent similar things to my tattoo for my personally as well [although i have none of the more sexualised piercings or, at least, I found myself saying that when reading it]