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Can of Worms: Should young women stop dressing so 'slutty'?
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Post by
Squishalot
Hi guys!
This poll series is inspired by a new TV series being aired in Australia called "Can Of Worms". In fact, it's not just inspired by, it's blatantly ripping it off, to some extent.
The premise of the show is that it's a comedy panel that discusses ethical issues (i.e. opening up a can of worms, figuratively). Each week, it brings up two 'big worms' for discussion. There's only one rule - no fence sitting!
This is question 4 in the series - should young women stop dressing so 'slutty'?
For context if necessary - go to most major cities late on a Friday / Saturday night, or Google 'slutwalk' to see more about the recent related protest events.
(Note: apologies if 'slut' is blocked by the profanity filter! Feel free to replace with 'scantily' instead.)(##RESPBREAK##)8##DELIM##Squishalot##DELIM##
Post by
Thror
What can I say. If they like being dressed that way and they are happy with themselves, that is absolutely fine. But that style of clothing does not look attractive to me. If people clothed by my standards, women would not wear what I consider as "^&*!ty". I do not feel the need to impose my standards upon anyone though. On the contrary, I hate when anyone bothers other people with his clothing standards. Old people tend to &*!@# when girls walk past them in anything they consider inappropriate (and their tolerance for inappropriateness is much more stern than mine). I don't like that. The only thing I am doing with this matter is paying more attention to girls that dress as I like, and that is about as much as I rightfully should do about this.
I can see this to be an issue for parents with daughters though. Luckilly, haven't been in that situation yet, and I can not comment on it from that perspective.
Post by
Skreeran
Doesn't particularly happen to me. Do I think fashion trends should lead away from "%^&*ty" looks? Certainly. Do I think I should be able to tell a girl how to dress? No.
I think you should be able to dress how you like, but I sincerely wish society would stop putting pressure on girls to dress that way. I voted "No" because girls should be able to dress "#$%^tily" if they like, but if they're just dressing @#$%tily because they want the approval of boys or their friends, they shouldn't have to do that.
Post by
Squishalot
Just to note - the question isn't about whether you should be able to tell a girl how to dress, or anything like that. Just whether they ought to or not, in your opinion, noting that they can still do whatever they want if they feel like it.
Post by
Azazel
Wear what you want to wear.
Post by
Skreeran
Just to note - the question isn't about whether you should be able to tell a girl how to dress, or anything like that. Just whether they ought to or not, in your opinion, noting that they can still do whatever they want if they feel like it.Whether they ought to or not? Doesn't particularly matter to me. I don't really care how people dress, so long as they take a shower at least every other day... :P
Post by
Thror
Ah. In that case, I change my vote. I voted yes because I took the question more as whether I like/mind women that are dressed that way and I simply do not like that way of clothing too much. Changing to "No" because I think people should wear whatever they like. My personal preference doesn't matter.
Post by
ElhonnaDS
Well, I think the definition of what is sexy vs. what is ^&*!ty varies from person to person. There are laws on indecent exposure that draw a hard line in the sand, and beyond that people make the choice for themselves.
There are certain levels of skin exposure that I would consider to be in poor taste, and look tacky. There are also certain colors, fabric patterns, styles of clothing, etc. that I would also consider in poor taste and tacky. There was a time when my father would wear neon orange and green MC-hammer pants to the grocery store on Sundays because they were comfortable. Did I wish he would stop wearing them- yes. Was it something I felt that someone should be able to tell him not to do-no.
In regards to the !@#$walk, though, I agree with their movement entirely. The cop was out of line. Wearing sexy clothing is absolutely not a reason to excuse or lesson offenses like rape, sexual assault and harassment. It might make you a more likely target, but being dressed in expensive clother might make you a more likely target for being mugged and no one ever tells someone "Maybe you shouldn't wear nice jewelry- you're bound to get mugged sooner or later."
The only thing I will add is I think that children and young teenagers shouldn't be dressing in a sexual manner, and that parents should be responsible for keeping them in check on this. They're too young to make those kinds of decisions responsibly.
Post by
Patty
Depends... how 'young' are we talking? :/
Post by
Atik
I'm not complaining. So no.
Post by
Squishalot
Depends... how 'young' are we talking? :/
I recall one person complaining that it's hard to buy anything for kids under 8 that doesn't involve mini skirts or crop tops.
Having said that, I would generally classify any females under the age of 25-30 to be a 'young woman'. Feel free to classify it however you want though. Arguably, why should age matter?
no one ever tells someone "Maybe you shouldn't wear nice jewelry- you're bound to get mugged sooner or later."
Don't they tell you that when you're travelling in third world countries? I know I've told people not to attract attention to themselves when walking through dodgy parts of town - it's never justifiable for guys to rape women, of course, but you can always try to minimise the risk of unsavoury attention. That's the message that people missed in universally slamming the cop's comments.(##RESPBREAK##)8##DELIM##Squishalot##DELIM##
Post by
Patty
Depends... how 'young' are we talking? :/
I recall one person complaining that it's hard to buy anything for kids under 8 that doesn't involve mini skirts or crop tops.
Having said that, I would generally classify any females under the age of 25-30 to be a 'young woman'. Feel free to classify it however you want though. Arguably, why should age matter?
Well, yeah. I don't think many people appreciate mutton dressed as lamb, on the flip side of the age spectrum.
To be honest, I think although women have a right to dress like a hooker if they want - I have a right to go out for a drink without seeing vagina. It's a difficult one, really, and I'm quite on the fence. I think there's a borderline between $%^&ty and sexy, but of course that's different for most people. With kids, it's definitely not right to sexualise young children. I think that as a teenager, it's fine to show a bit... but still leaving more concealed than revealed. I'm answering quite cryptically, because I really don't know where I stand. :|
Post by
xaratherus
I voted that no, they shouldn't stop - not necessarily because I agree with the way that they dress, but because it's none of my business how they dress.
That being said, the term "^&*!ty" is somewhat of a subjective term. My late maternal grandmother, for instance, considered dresses or skirts that showed skin above the knee to be "scanty" (she wouldn't have said "^&*!ty"). :P
Post by
Adamsm
Depends on the age; do I want to see some 10 year old running around in a Lady Gaga outfit....or some 50 year old either? Not really. Beyond that, you'd think common sense would come into play and all, but guess that's too much to expect from the sheep of the fashion industry.
Post by
Jubilee
Are we talking legally or morally? Legally we run into the whole issue of public property and what that concept means. I'm of the personal opinion that when it comes to social codes and norms, it should be up to the community in the specific area, and not legislated on a broad scale by the state or federal government.
Morally I think there is a certain standard that is required based on our current culture, and it would be wrong to break that standard out of spite or laziness.
So I think it all depends on where you're drawing the line of "%^&*" and if you're talking about here and now in our culture, not some universal principle.
Post by
OverZealous
Personally, I don't really have an opinion on the matter. You dress how you want to dress. If someone wants to dress in a "scantily" manner, that's fine. It's their lives and they make their own decisions. You should never try to tell someone how to dress. It's stupid, to say the least.
That isn't saying I approve of girls under the age of say, 13, wandering around with extremely short skirts - I think they might be making a mistake doing so - but nevertheless, it's up to them and their parents, not anyone else.
Post by
Jubilee
Just to be sure, everyone who says no, are you throwing the line out all together? Like you would be fine with people walking around naked, including the creepy guy at the park? Or are you drawing the line at some other point beyond "^&*!tiness"?
Post by
pezz
Just to be sure, everyone who says no, are you throwing the line out all together? Like you would be fine with people walking around naked, including the creepy guy at the park? Or are you drawing the line at some other point beyond "^&*!tiness"?
Well to be fair, if he's naked he's not
dressed
inappropriately, is he?
I voted no. If you can't find clothes that don't involve mini-skirts for 8 year olds you're shopping in the wrong place, or you're just making stuff up to help your point of view. Because I found
this
within about 20 seconds of opening a new browser tab.
I also reject the notion that public nudity* is a terrifying, socially eroding sort of thing. I'm
pretty
sure seeing a nipple or two out on the street is not going to scar a small child for life, especially since he already has a reasonably good chance of seeing male nipples in most warm climates.
*Note that I say nudity as opposed to sexual conduct.
Post by
Murrdurr
Just to be sure, everyone who says no, are you throwing the line out all together? Like you would be fine with people walking around naked, including the creepy guy at the park? Or are you drawing the line at some other point beyond "^&*!tiness"?
Not a very good way to put it. And I voted no, if a girl wants to look like a *!@# then so be it. Sometimes it can be hot, sometimes it can be a god awful sight (like the fat chicks who wear clothes way too small for them.) Is that a perverted statement? yes, yes it is but hey thats me. But after thinking about it, if a hot chick wants to walk around naked, hey thats fine with me...but only hot chicks.
Post by
Skreeran
I also reject the notion that public nudity* is a terrifying, socially eroding sort of thing. I'm
pretty
sure seeing a nipple or two out on the street is not going to scar a small child for life, especially since he already has a reasonably good chance of seeing male nipples in most warm climates.
*Note that I say nudity as opposed to sexual conduct.It's funny actually. Well, funny and interesting from a psychologicaly perspective. Female breasts, for example, are extremely taboo in our culture. They have been entirely sexualized, and have been associated with sex to the point that breasts alone can sexually arose most men. This is not entirely natural. Yes, breasts are somewhat related to sex, but they are not sex organs themselves. There are some cultures in which it's entirely normal for women to walk around in public with their breasts exposed, and I imagine men in those cultures would giggle at us getting aroused by breasts just as we giggle about Victorian men getting excited by an exposed ankle. It's a sexual association that's been constructed almost entirely by culture, rather than nature.
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