The Price of Caitlyn Jenner's Heroism

As I slowly shed my white male privilege, I'm increasingly aware of the narratives of feminism that are approached in this opinion piece.  There is lots to think about here, not just about transgender issues, but also about women's representation and other broader themes of gender. I think it certainly rounds out the debate surrounding Caitlyn's appearance on Vanity Fair and made me think about all the related themes that are hinted at as this dominates the news cycle. Your thoughts?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/opinion/the-price-of-jenners-heroism.html?_r=

New York Times/by Rhonda Garflick  06/03/2015

" A new goddess has emerged from the sea like Botticelli's Venus rising from the sea. Caitlyn Jenner gazes out from Annie Leiboviz's July Vanity Fair cover."

Although I consider myself a feminist, I tend not to agree with them on insidiousness of selling beauty. Yes beauty is just one facet of a woman, but it is a facet. The choice to emphasize and capitalize on their beauty is no less valid than the choice of a woman to emphasize and capitalize on her intelligence, singing ability, business savvy, or any other skill or quality.

Even though I do not like cosmetic surgery and consumerism, another point here is that exercise can make you look far younger, regardless of gender. Beauty means health.

barbie~~

I read and agree with the NYT article and share this excerpt;  "While the fanfare around the emergence of Caitlyn may advance our acceptance of transgender individuals, it does so, in this case, at a price: the perpetuation, even celebration, of narrow and dehumanizing strictures of womanhood sustained by the fashion and entertainment industries. True liberation of gender's vast spectrum should ask more of us than that we simply exchange one uncomfortable, oppressive identity for another."  They also mention the straightjackets without referring to what we call a binary identity and the contrast between those with privilege and not.

Caitlyn is 2 years older then me , so I feel good that she looks so good. She is also worth 100 million which I'm not. Our lives are so totally different other than the fact of transition. I can only fantasize about the life she going to live. I'm realistically poor ,but happy as far as I can be. There really is no link between her life and mine except we both take the same hormones. The transgender world she represents is not mine.

Quote from: stephaniec on June 04, 2015, 04:45:46 PM
The transgender world she represents is not mine.

Everybody is unique, and we cherish it.

barbie~~

Quote from: suzifrommdThe choice to emphasize and capitalize on their beauty is no less valid than the choice of a woman to emphasize and capitalize on her intelligence, singing ability, business savvy, or any other skill or quality.

I'm not sure I agree with this, Suzi. The problem is that there's so much social pressure for women -- cis or trans -- to conform to (mostly unrealistic) standards of beauty that one could argue whether it's actually a "choice" at all. It is clear that women who choose not to invest in their beauty are at a disadvantage compared to those who do, whether in the workplace or in seeking partners and friends. It's a message girls get when they're very young: no one in junior high wants to hang out with "the ugly girl," no matter how talented or intelligent she is.

Most women don't have the money to enhance their looks much, whether by surgery, spending hours at the gym and employing personal trainers and dieticians, or by buying expensive clothing or grooming items. Lacking these advantages, many women still feel obliged to spend two or three hours each morning on their makeup and grooming before they head out the door. I'm sure some enjoy the process, but when it's a job requirement, for instance, there's no element of choice involved.

Quote from: Tysilio on June 04, 2015, 06:53:23 PM
I'm not sure I agree with this, Suzi. The problem is that there's so much social pressure for women -- cis or trans -- to conform to (mostly unrealistic) standards of beauty that one could argue whether it's actually a "choice" at all. It is clear that women who choose not to invest in their beauty are at a disadvantage compared to those who do, whether in the workplace or in seeking partners and friends. It's a message girls get when they're very young: no one in junior high wants to hang out with "the ugly girl," no matter how talented or intelligent she is.

Most women don't have the money to enhance their looks much, whether by surgery, spending hours at the gym and employing personal trainers and dieticians, or by buying expensive clothing or grooming items. Lacking these advantages, many women still feel obliged to spend two or three hours each morning on their makeup and grooming before they head out the door. I'm sure some enjoy the process, but when it's a job requirement, for instance, there's no element of choice involved.

Yeah, I agree with you that our culture creates a very unrealistic standard for female beauty. There are women who feel they "must" be beautiful.

But most well adjusted women I know in real life are aware of their limitations but it doesn't prevent them from being proud of working hard at their jobs, taking care of their families, expressing themselves artistically, or distinguishing themselves in whatever way feels truest to them.