Response to Megan's "anti-feminine women as freaks"

I fully agree with Megan's post and love that she made the connection between anti-feminine women being considered freaks in our modern society. Women who may choose to not "primp" themselves by doing their hair and makeup, don't wear "girly" style clothes, and overall have more masculine features and tendencies are usually not as well received as traditionally feminine women. Strong, independent, and/or "tom boy" women are even sometimes questioned on their sexuality. It's really a shame that someone may portray their gender in a non-traditional way and it causes people to make questions about their personal life.

Some women who choose not to marry, choose to not have children, feminists, and lesbians are even considered freaks (or deviants) to some extent because they go against the "norm." People get threatened by this and don't know how to perceive them, therefore don't know how to treat them if these individuals don't fit neatly into a box or category. Our society is obsessed with everyone being labeled, and we very quickly decide who is the "other". This fear and ignorance causes people to ignore others, or even discriminate against them.

Although this isn't quite the same as the freaks in circus shows, it is definitely a form of deviance in our society. And similar to how circus freaks were pictured in ways to exaggerate their differences, I think many forms of media these days portray various women in stereotypical ways that can exaggerate the extremes. Feminists and lesbians are constantly being shown in stereotypical ways, and this can make people  assume things about others based on these portrayals. Various magazines and advertisements, like the Cosmo we saw in class, can reinforce these ideas by exaggerating what is considered "normal" for people to do. If women don't adhere to these practices of policing the body (eating healthy, working out, wearing makeup, smoothing hair, treating blemishes and wrinkles, etc.) they are not normal and therefore not as well liked. This can be very damaging and problematic for women and girls, as well as  for men who think that "normal" women have to act or look a certain way.

-Kayla Fraser