Blaglash.com

“Therein, lies the rub”- Shakespeare, I think?

Wherein lies the rub?  For women, it lies in stereotypes.  Women are not allowed to be smart and pretty.  They’re not allowed to think about their appearance and about politics.  They can’t be funny and smart and pretty.  People are surprised when pretty women also happen to be smart.  Natalie Portman, for example, gets a lot of credit for being super smart just because she’s also pretty.  It’s unexpected. 

This makes women feel like they have to choose: Do I care about being pretty, or do I care about being smart?

Has anyone ever seen that House episode where House tells Cameron he choose her for his team because she’s pretty?  She gets pissed off, because she worked so hard to be a good doctor then is choosen for her position based on her genetic code- which made her face and tits and ass look nice.  This stuff happens IRL too.  Women face these opinions everyday, even self proclaimed feminists harbor certain stereotypes about pretty girls, as if being pretty automatically detracts from someone’s brain power. 

I mean, the magazine W is having an “Intelligent Women” issue, as if an intelligent woman is special, or hard to find.  Natalie Portman is on the cover, and I’m pretty sure she isn’t the smartest woman they could have found.  The editor’s were like “Hey let’s have an intelligent women issue so we can placate some of those feminists!  But hmm we have to sell copies too, and only pretty girls sell copies.  Let’s put a smart and pretty person on the cover!  The famousest one is Natalie Portman.”

UGH I guess I am biased on this one.  I’ve seen so many smart girls act stupid, heard so many jokes about dumb blondes, seen so many smart women wearing glasses in movies.  Fashion magazines are so repetitive, the people reading them must have something wrong with them to keep buying them.  Magazines like “Elle” ”Cosmopolitan” and “Glamour” are doing their fair share of perpetuating this stereotype.  Stories about smart women in any of these magazines usually ignores their accomplishments  and focus on their favorite beauty product.

I am sick of being underestimated because I’m not forlorn looking.  Any girls who like purses and shoes are waved off as frivolous.  HEY I LIKE SHOES BUT I ALSO LIKE TO READ BOOKS.