This is from a dutch site, and the column was dutch too. I quickly translated it for you guys, it might be interesting to you.
I had some difficulty translating it because there were some purely dutch sayings used :P
Here is the original article (http://frontpage.fok.nl/column/479440/1/1/50/een-echte-vent-durft-een-jurk-aan.html), which I suggest reading if you can read Dutch.
It was written because HEMA started a new campaign to show off their new mega push-up bra, and a man (Andrej Pejic) is modelling for it. There was a lot of commotion about it, this is a response to that :P
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A real man dares to wear a dress
A man in a dress, wearing a push up bra underneath, what a shock! Especially when he is placed in an advertisement of our trusted HEMA (store).
Formerly of the old-fashioned salty smoked sausages, now also of frivolous underwear. Note the giant photographs at the bus stops, especially the one with the black dress is stunning.
Andrej Pejic, is his name. Occupation: Catwalk model for men and women's fashion. Not only would you say 'that's not a man' judging the pictures, but dressed as a woman he looks amazing.
That confused some people. So confused that some called him hermaphrodite, transsexual or transgender. As if they checked his underwear or looked in his head.
If there really has to be a label, let it please be androgynous. For lovers of kicking in open doors.
The only thing Andrei said about himself is that he would consider a 'sex change operation'. But only if he then qualifies as a model in the Victoria's Secret lingerie show.
Without surgery, it's just a little bit tricky, he added, not without reason. Conclusion: there's really a penis between Andrej's legs.
And he does not mention any other than professional motives for considering something to be done. He has a great job, forgive him for having some sort of ambition.
Andrei is 100 percent man, even if the supporters of Mars/Venus have difficulty to accept it. The absence of certain secondary male characteristics can easily be fixed by Andrej.
Muscles grow through fitness and a beer belly comes as you lay on the couch watching TV.
But who would, in their right mind, do something like that to his body if he already looks this great? Andrei would be crazy.
He doesn't pass as a beautiful woman because of his breasts, because he doesn't have breasts. And certainly not because of his male genitals, because that's what he does have.
But where does his femininity come from? In that slender body with small waist and cute face with the full sensual lips? In that dress, the lipstick, nail polish, push up bra, stiletto heels and the long blond hair?
The combination? Apparently! But is it exclusive to women?
Do women, by definition, have a slender body, narrow waist, a pretty face and full sensual lips?
And what makes a dress, lipstick, nail polish, a push up bra (that shows what is not there), heels and long blonde hair feminine?
Just because we happen to have agreed on that! Like we once had a 'social contract' that said pants were for men only. Everything can definitely change.
Andrei has a lot, except for the characteristics that all women naturally have in common. What does his femininity ehm, well, um, have to do with femininity?
Even so, he complies fully with the feminine beauty ideal. That ideal of feminine beauty is more of an ideal than feminine beauty.
No wonder some men meet it better than most women. Beauty itself is androgynous, that's basically an open door.
Quote from: Nezhi on December 23, 2011, 11:45:52 AM
Beauty itself is androgynous, that's basically an open door.
I absolutely love it!
Edit: I want to get in a catwalk fight with Andrej and lose.
Andrej's certainly blessed with good looks, and I'm all for challenging gender barriers... but essentially, he looks very good being feminine. He's a good model of ordinary womens' fashion who happens to be male; I'm not sure he is representing androgyny per se. He's more of a pretty crossdresser.
I wouldn't mind looking like him; that's for sure. But I think Tilda Swinton has more of an androgynous look about her than he does.
That said, male fashion is generally so dull and conservative that the only time it gets interesting is when they try to convince people men look good in skirts.
I WANT TO SEE EMMA AND ANDREJ HAVE A CATWALK FIGHT.
Also, I find androgyny to be wonderful, and I was under the impression that it wasn't unfashionable, so I'm a little surprised at the commotion.
And foosnark, I agree he doesn't look androgynous in those photos. He presents in them more feminine than I ever managed when I tried to pass as a girl.
I think that androgynous appearances are usually fashionable, provided that the person wearing the clothing can still be placed solidly in the gender category that others want them in (i.e., birth sex). People seem to get weirded out when someone like Andrej can pass as something that is not their birth sex ('course sex isn't binary either but that's another story), or when androgyny crosses into the land of "confusing."
Quote from: Caseyyy on December 23, 2011, 05:49:00 PM
I think that androgynous appearances are usually fashionable, provided that the person wearing the clothing can still be placed solidly in the gender category that others want them in (i.e., birth sex). People seem to get weirded out when someone like Andrej can pass as something that is not their birth sex ('course sex isn't binary either but that's another story), or when androgyny crosses into the land of "confusing."
Right. That does explain it pretty well. Actual ambiguity bothers people.
It's a shame too, because I think ambiguity has a certain appeal of its own. Provided it's what the person wants and is comfortable with.
FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT
For some reason that just got "FUN FUN FUN FUN looking forward to the weekeeeend" stuck in my head. :|
All I have to say is rarrrr
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It would be epic, one way or another. Walk, spin, clotheschangerightinthemiddleofthespin*BLUESTEEL* - walk off.
There would have to be men's and women's fashions involved.
SO, are we saying Andrej isn't being androgynous right there? Because I agree. He's being femme and if he's trying to change what that means then okay. Interesting.
Andrej is not being Androgynous He is just a very passable crossdresser who fits into the Female beauty as defined by media& fashion designers) better then most females. There has been an acceptance of a particular sort of Androgynous appearance in the fashion world but there are many ways to appear androgynous, but only the media approved version is seen as acceptable by most people.
Just wanted to say that someone else wrote the column, so Andrej isn't trying to change anything.
It's handy, having a model for both men and women's wear... :D