Can we start an anti "nail" campaign?

[2rebecca]

As a GP who frequently washes her hands, allotment owner and instrument player I really hate the trend for women to have immaculate nails that cost a fortune, scratch people and mean women can't do anything useful. Where t f did this horrible trend come from and how do we give women back the use of their wonderful hands?

If anyone is interested in a feminist perspective on the beauty industry, The Beauty Myth is available to download;

tinyurl.com/Fembooks1

hold lots of people have come back with those comments. And no I’m not going through 13 pages to quote them for you before you ask, it’s all there to be read
I do remember one poster stating she didn’t play piano so it wasn’t a problem for her, and another saying she wasn’t a surgeon so it didn’t matter. The accusations of misogyny are to numerous to miss

Long nails give me the creeps, heebie jeebies. I cannot stand to look at them.

For those that say it's not harming anyone.

plastic is a huge environmental problem
unwashed nails can cause death in a health care setting
slave labour in nail bars

www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/jun/01/online-beauty-schemes-selling-social-media-younique-arbonne

Cultish grip just about sums it up.

Slacks are a kind of trouser beloved of suburban mums in the west in the 80s. The kind of trousers places like Bin Marche still sell. Sorry I thought people would understand what slacks are, but obviously not. I guess that ages me.
It was not lesbians per se, it was a lesbian group. I THINK it was the Daughters of Bilitis. Plenty of lesbians were wearing men's trousers at the time. It was generally impossible to buy trousers designed for women. Yes you may turn up photos of models wearing particular trousers for women, or a designer selling them, but the average lesbian could only buy men's trousers.
The lesbian group was trying to push acceptance of lesbians. And they thought, wrongly, that encouraging lesbians to wear more feminised versions of what they wore would encourage greater acceptance. So they held a fashion show taking commonly worn types of men's clothes lesbians wore at the time, and feminised them slightly. They were unsuccessful in their aim for lesbians.

People here claiming that it's simply a "choice" to do you nails, so shut up feminists talking about this - do you ever look at the environment the choices were made in or ask why it's only women ever making these choices, David Bowie nearly fifty years ago and Zac Efron with his one painted fingernail for charity aside?

AuntieMarys
Ah the old porn and pubic hair comments. I have waxed for decades..I am nearly 60. And no I don't look like a 9 year old.

For decades. Waxing has been common for decades, although most older women do not. But when you were a young adult, women in Britain did not usually wax their pubic hair. Older midwives and nurses doing smears all say this, they see a lot of women every day, so I trust what they say.

Those arguing choice - do you think feminism is about giving women choices then?

And I'm not being critical of those who do buy into this.

I despise statements such as 'the rise in human population needs to stop', usually, almost exclusively said by woke lefty males, who would run a mile if you suggested that they get themselves sorted re vasectomy. That phrase is always angled to women.

Women! Sort yourselves out!

Yes. I agree that the current continued growth in population is terrible for the environment. But totally wrong to tell women they should not have kids.

do you ever look at the environment the choices were made in or ask why it's only women ever making these choices

We have more choice in that we can either wear acrylics in the style of our choice, grow our own nails long, paint our nails or equally leave them short, unpainted or bitten

See the comments above in which women tell you they enjoy getting their nails done. Sometimes it is actually nice to be a woman.

and was astonished to be asked for £40 for mani pedi with gel or shellac or something. I'm going to have to pay half as much again to have it removed apparently

You think a manicure and pedicure with gel, should be less than £40? Do you not think the people who are doing deserve paying for their time and products and make a bit of profit?

holdlots of people have come back with those comments. And no I’m not going through 13 pages to quote them for you before you ask, it’s all there to be read

No they judging womens intelligence and values based on their nails was misogyny. Which it is. Instantly disliking a woman who chooses to have her nails done is. Judging women for doing something they want to is.

And yes, if you have no ambition to be a heart surgeon or pianist, how you manage it with nails isnt relevant. I mentioned kick boxing......and I dont get my nails done. Maybe you should read the thread because the point was I have my nails how suits my lifestyle. Other women are free to do the same and no woman would miss out in doing something she loved for her nails.

Yes. I agree that the current continued growth in population is terrible for the environment. But totally wrong to tell women they should not have kids

But ok to tell her not to have her nails done?

I think even the most staunch feminist would struggle to make feminist choices all the time. Most things in our lives come from years and years of societal pressure , patriarchal and misogynistic rules. What we wear,how we look,what we say,how we think ,our names,our careers,our homes,our lives etc. Some will be difficult to fight against, some we recognise them for what they are but choose to do it anyways, some get rejected from the start.

However I do sometimes wonder if not doing or doing something purely because it's against the "feminist code" and "letting the side down" and "setting back feminism 50 years" is really a choice as well.

Of course there used to be an expectation that women would have their nails done, wear dresses, not do anything not regarded feminine.

However, that doesnt translate into this thread.

As many of us, who dont wear them can confirm. No one makes us feel we should get them done. No one else actually cares that we dont.

It's not the same society.

On the this thread there has been clear misogyny against women who choose to have their nails done.

I would be concerned if any woman felt they HAD to get their nails done. Or they felt they couldnt do something because they had to keep their nails long and doing that activity would mean they could have long nails.

But that's not the case.

I'm a feminist and I've got my nails done 2 weeks ago for the first time in my life in my 30s. I love them. My husband hates them so I'm not doing it for a man.

What's wrong with being a feminist and taking pride in your appearance. Do we really perpetuate the stereotypes feminists are hairy and unkempt. It's 2019. A feminist can be whatever she wants and paint her nails and wear make up for herself.

I do it because I enjoy it. No other reason. And it makes my hands look slimmer

Those arguing choice - do you think feminism is about giving women choices then?

Ultimately, yes. It's about women being equal to men and so they can make their own choices about their own lives without judgment. Unfortunately, it seems slot if women like judge other women and label it feminism.

Do you think it's not about giving women choices?

hold there was one post suggesting women with talons were shallow (not by me)
It’s be quoted many times in this thread but still only counts as one post.
And I specifically wasn’t quoting anyone with my other points because I’ve got more to do than trawl through a thread to work out exactly who said what. I’m sure you get the gist of what I was saying but continue to ignore the point I’m making

holdthedamndoor I am not telling anyone they should not have acrylic nails.
I posted links to research showing in healthcare they were less safe because of bacteria, and that with very long ones you do have to figure out how to do ordinary things as they do make it more difficult.

If I had acrylic nails I would also be concerned about the long term health implications of the chemicals ingested into the body through the nail bed.

All the people speaking about misogyny were talking about judging women in what their nails look like.

And attempting to tell women what they can and cant do. Which the OP is trying to do by wanting to start a campaign, is misogyny.

I didnt say you made misogynistic quotes.

I simply said they your brief over view of the thread was entirely misleading to fit you own agenda.

There was a post on the first page directed at OP that was so awful its been deleted. It was the first nasty post on the thread.

In a world where we are trying to use less plastic and chemicals, nails make no sense. Nail bars are also used as fronts for human trafficking and money laundering so anyone using them has a responsibility to inform themselves of how to spot human slavery and report it.

I posted links to research showing in healthcare they were less safe because of bacteria, and that with very long ones you do have to figure out how to do ordinary things as they do make it more difficult.

Yes. But the women who have them dont work in healthcare and if women want to change how they do tasks so they can have nails how they want them, that's no business of yours.

Nail bars are also used as fronts for human trafficking and money laundering so anyone using them has a responsibility to inform themselves of how to spot human slavery and report it.
This is a very real issue. Probably made worse by people who think paying £40 for a mani/pedi with gel is expensive

Its definitely worth a discussion, but that's not what this thread is about unfortunately. Discussing this is very much worthwhile.

There was a post on the first page directed at OP that was so awful its been deleted. It was the first nasty post on the thread

It was deleted before I saw it. The opening post was boastful and supercilious.

It was mostly lots of swearing.