A Woman's Right To Contradict Herself
Seems feminists think women should have "the right to choose" -- but only to choose some things: Abortion, yes; breast implants, no. Steve Chapman writes, in the Chicago Tribune, about where feminists draw the line (at the male eyeline, apparently). Be sure to check out the comments on Reason's blog, where I spotted the link.
Since people are still allowed to poison themselves slowly with cigarettes it seems a moot point to question breast implants should be 'allowed'. Although Steve Chapman did not reference his quote from the Feminist Majority Foundation, on their website it states that they only want them to be off the market until further studies have been done to prove the implants safety to women. http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=8103
So they are not saying choice is bad...they are saying choice should be informed...
On another issue, Amy i was so disappointed by your post on reason.com about this topic. "If you want a man, you'll want to look kind of like what men like!" ohmigod! Do all men want big boobs? I don't think people need to change themselves to impress men. Men should be impressed with the current package! Do you really believe that ALL men are that shallow, Amy?
And what ever happened to LOVE in partner-hunting???? Or am I just being naive?
rowena at October 19, 2003 10:42 AM
It's not shallowness, Rowena, it's how men are wired. Same as women are wired to want men of status and power. Women don't care less about looks because they're superior; simply because they got different biology. And you can say what men "should" want - but it's not going to change the biology behind what they DO want: young, beautiful women with a .7 waist-to-hip ratio (an hourglass figure). For more on this, read David Buss' "Evolution Of Desire" -- on my book links page. The above isn't sexism, but a stating of the facts.
Amy Alkon at October 19, 2003 7:21 PM
Think about the ways in which abortion, breast implants, and cigarettes DIFFER. I would, but I'm too tired and drunk right now.
Lena at October 19, 2003 8:11 PM
They are different -- but if silicone breast implants do not cause harm, women shouldn't be prohibited from having them by feminists with mustaches. Cigarettes have a public health cost -- and if people smoke them, they should pay extra for their own (likely) future care. If silicone breast implants have a risk, that should be borne by the implantees, not the rest of us. The same goes for people who don't want to wear helmets on motorcycles. Yes, it would be hard to parse this out across the board-- building a surcharge into every Big Mac would be impossible -- and unfair, considering that my once-a-year Big Mac (if I even eat one that often) doesn't cost the health care system because I am not overweight, and I maintain my health.
Amy Alkon at October 19, 2003 10:52 PM