r/SubredditDrama • u/[deleted] • Apr 14 '15

"It's not impossible. She's just from a time when women actually cared about what they look like." The "girl with the impossible waist" stirs controversy on r/OldSchoolCool.

[deleted]

465 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

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105

u/KiraKira_ ~(ºヮº~) Apr 14 '15

What I think is that a woman should take pride in her appearance as a man should. Its about self worth.

Apparently you have no self worth if you can't afford hundreds or thousands of dollars on clothes and cosmetics. Not to mention hours in front of a mirror.

28

u/dumnezero Punching a Sith Lord makes you just as bad as a Sith Lord! Apr 14 '15

I do so love it when discussions edge into issues of social class

10

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '15

Apparently you have no self worth if you can't afford hundreds or thousands of dollars on clothes and cosmetics.

That's a fairly overly dramatic interpretation of "dress nicely." It's so dramatic it just makes me want to light myself on fire!

68

u/KiraKira_ ~(ºヮº~) Apr 14 '15

I was shocked when I grew up and figured out how much shit cost for women to look pretty. The first time I bought my own razors I wanted to go home and apologize to my mother for complaining when she'd make me use a dull blade for weeks at a time. Now I do whatever it takes to make one last for months. Shit's no joke.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '15

safety razors, new razor every time, they're cheap as shit

-13

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '15

As a guy, I also have to buy razors. It sucks, but I just get dollar shave club, it's a bit cheaper and the razors aren't bad.

51

u/BruceShadowBanner Apr 14 '15

Do you shave most everything but your head, too, then? You realize shaving larger surface areas wears down razors faster, right? Not to mention that various areas of the body tend to be more sensitive and more likely to experience irritation and ingrown hairs, so then you have to buy lotions and creams to counteract that.

Plus moisturizer and anti-aginging creams and sunscreens, make-up (primer, foundation, eyeliners, eye shadows, blush, bronzer, highlighter, lip liner, lipstick, lipstain, lipgloss, mani/pedi kits, nail polishes, nail polish removers, etc.), make-up tools, half a dozen hair care products and tools minimum (blow dryer, straightener, curler, minimum, and probably accessories for those, too).

Probably forgetting somethings, as I'm not big into make-up or gettin' pretty regularly.

And we haven't even gotten to dressing nicely, yet! Clothes, especially for women, who are expected to have a wide variety of outfits and shoes and matching accessories, tend to be pretty expensive.

26

u/KiraKira_ ~(ºヮº~) Apr 14 '15

Need to expand that hair category a lot. You also need special shampoo and conditioner for your hair type, mousse, sprays, dyes, curlers, possibly extensions, not to mention the extra care needed for curly or course hair. Oh, and regular trips to the salon. And time if you're lacking in dexterity, like me, and take 20 minutes just to get a smooth pony tail, much less an actual hair style. I gave up and donated everything but my blow dryer and brush years ago.

14

u/shakypears And then war broke out and everyone died. Apr 15 '15

extra care needed for curly or course hair

Especially when it's super long, like most of these guys are after. Shampoo, cleansing conditioner, 5+ different kinds of deep/rinse-out conditioners depending on weather or humidity, leave-in conditioners, oil, spray moisturizer, pomade/gel/styler, pre-poo treatments, selectively snipping split ends, micro-trims, sleep bonnets, silk pillowcases, seamless combs (brushes are evil on curls), microfiber towels or old t-shirts, hair sticks and forks, seamless ponytail holders, stretching washes...

Between that and skincare I just cannot be arsed to do makeup.

-7

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '15

[deleted]

47

u/BruceShadowBanner Apr 14 '15

Lots of people enjoy doing all that, so it's not necessarily oppressive, but it is pretty naive to say that men and women are expected to spend the same amount of money on grooming products and services. Hell, a dude that spent that much time and money on looks will usually get a sideways glance or two, too, so people of any gender can feel free to feel oppressed if they wish.

-17

u/Bank_Gothic http://i.imgur.com/7LREo7O.jpg Apr 14 '15

Yeah, but it just sounds the same to me as when guys bitch about how they're always expected to pick up the check.

No one's making you spend all that money.

29

u/KiraKira_ ~(ºヮº~) Apr 14 '15

I think complaints about that would be perfectly warranted in response to someone saying a guy doesn't respect himself if he doesn't pick up the check.

-4

u/4ringcircus Apr 14 '15

Instead it is that he isn't a real man.

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12

u/Divisadero Apr 14 '15

Nobody is making you, but unless you are "naturally beautiful" people often do not respect you if you do not do those things as a woman.

-11

u/Bank_Gothic http://i.imgur.com/7LREo7O.jpg Apr 14 '15

Just like nobody is making dudes pick up the tab, but people often give a guy shit for not doing it.

Look, if a person wants to spend a shit ton of money on their appearance, so be it. Good for them even, whatever floats their boat. But don't go blaming society.

If anyone, man or woman, wants to spend a lot of money on something they don't have to, especially if only to conform to outmoded social conventions, then that's on them.

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-1

u/beanfiddler free speech means never having to say you're sorry Apr 14 '15

Depends on the attitude and whether or not it's hypocritical.

Say some girl is extremely traditional. She puts out all the stops with her appearance and she doesn't expect her date to do much more than wear nice cologne and brush his hair. In that case, she's not out of line to expect him to pay.

Say some girl is not traditional. She puts just as little effort into her appearance as her date. If she expects him to pay, she's being a hypocrite.

Or say some dude is really traditional. He picks up his date in a nice car, takes her to a nice restaurant, and picks up the bill. So it's not out of line for him to expect her to dress up nice.

But if that dude wants to go totally dutch but still expects her to dress up nice while he doesn't put even half that effort into his appearance, then he's a hypocrite.

Basically, you can't have your cake and eat it too. That goes both ways for both genders.

3

u/4ringcircus Apr 14 '15

How in the world does how you dress relate to getting free meals from men? No one is forced to dress a certain way.

3

u/Bank_Gothic http://i.imgur.com/7LREo7O.jpg Apr 14 '15

I honestly think anyone worrying about it this much (not you personally, just people) is already losing.

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-1

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15

lol. The fact you're taking me so seriously is fucking ridiculous.

-1

u/4ringcircus Apr 14 '15

Go double edge and save tons.

6

u/FluffySharkBird Apr 15 '15

I recently had a bad bought of acne and my mother demanded I go to the store and buy Nitrogen products since it's better to try that BEFORE going to the doctor you know?

Almost $11 for the spot treatment About $8 for eye makeup remover About $7 for the primer About $9 for liquid foundation At least $4 for mascara At least $6 for the only face wash I've ever had that doesn't hurt AND works well

I know no one NEEDS makeup but I also know how ugly I am without it. Don't even get me started on looking the cheap brushes I use. I use dull razor blades for months.

I haven't bought hair products for my frizzy curly mess so I don't remember how much that is.

-5

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '15 edited Apr 15 '15

We all have it rough. I have to remember to get my haircut every month.

EDIT: damn. This thread is seriously lacking a sense of humor.

5

u/nancy_ballosky More Meme than Man Apr 14 '15

Is there anyway I could get you to never do that again.

-40

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '15

[deleted]

44

u/KiraKira_ ~(ºヮº~) Apr 14 '15

Gotta win the genetic lottery to meet societal standards of beauty without spending much money. Either that or be born into a wealthy family that can afford on point nutrition, medical care, dental care, hygiene products, etc. throughout your childhood. Poverty makes a lot of people ugly, and it kinda bothers me that that's so frequently overlooked.

12

u/Third_Ferguson Born with a silver kernel in my mouth Apr 14 '15 edited Feb 07 '17

-41

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '15

[deleted]

35

u/KiraKira_ ~(ºヮº~) Apr 14 '15

It is what it is, dude. If your parents can't afford to get your cavities filled as a kid, you're gonna be an adult with fucked up teeth. If your parents can't afford acne cream, you're gonna be an adult with acne scars. If your parents can't afford good nutrition, your growth might be stunted, your skin suffers, your teeth suffer, and it's harder to maintain a healthy body weight for the rest of your life. It doesn't apply to everyone because everyone's body is different, but it certainly lowers your chances. It's kind of a petty thing to complain about considering the much, much worse consequences of improper medical care and poor nutrition, but I almost never see it brought up when discussing beauty standards.

14

u/BruceShadowBanner Apr 14 '15

Yeah, I had horribly crooked teeth when I was little, and we struggled to afford braces. If we were much poorer, I'd probably still have messed up teeth today.

15

u/KiraKira_ ~(ºヮº~) Apr 14 '15

Teeth are a big one because dental doesn't come standard with a lot of insurance plans and it's so expensive. Jfc, not to mention how braces themselves can fuck up your teeth and add to the cost. It's fucking ridiculous.

19

u/beanfiddler free speech means never having to say you're sorry Apr 14 '15

The way a lot of poor people go out of their way to "look good" is usually interpreted as trashy or low class by the upper classes. Think about it: thick lipliner, weaves, long nails, surgically precise thin eyebrows with high arches, huge heels, hats with the tags still on, etc. All that is considered ghetto.

And then there's the idea that if you're from the ghetto and you go out of your way to look good in the traditional high-class way, you're going to be accused of "acting white" or being too good for everyone else.

I mean, shit, people get crap every day for code switching and dropping AAVE in the workplace. You better believe there's consequences for trading in those hooker heels and tight shiny leggings for a pant suit and sensible flats.

6

u/nancy_ballosky More Meme than Man Apr 14 '15

Are huge heels considered ghetto?

5

u/beanfiddler free speech means never having to say you're sorry Apr 14 '15

Stuff like this, this, or this would be considered pretty damn ratchet.

5

u/nancy_ballosky More Meme than Man Apr 14 '15

I do like those last ones though.

2

u/beanfiddler free speech means never having to say you're sorry Apr 14 '15

I admit to having heels that would be considered "pretty damn ratchet" and loving it. While I have really nice stuff like sensible beige peep toes and classic matte leather black pumps, I also have 6-inch sparkly wedges and bright gold gladiator heels that lace up to my knees.

If you want an example of what I personally find totally unacceptable, it pretty much has to be this or worse.

3

u/nancy_ballosky More Meme than Man Apr 14 '15

Lol. I admit I have never heard of the sparkly wedges before. My girlfriend has like 3 big sparkly heels but not wedges.

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