Why is it that there’s such stigma about being able to wear swim briefs, I just don’t get it. Well like most things humans illogically create out of fashion and narrow mindedness it’s hard to fathom but easily argued using just a bit of common sense and the ability to think outside of a commoner’s prejudiced perspective.
It’s ok for women to go around almost naked when it comes to swim wear. It’s alright for women to wear skimpy skirts or tight garments in most western cultures and it’s completely ingrained into society so as not to be vulgar or unappealing. Bar the few conservative and judgmental types who gripe about certain dress styles. Even though their view is again irrational considering the clout of human acceptabilities concerning modesty.
In certain parts of the world, the way western women dress on a daily basis is seen as vulgar by some standards, if not highly fetishist or improper. I’m not trying to argue that the more modest cultures merit any respect in terms of their dress code, just using the varying acceptabilities to argue that what’s right by any one culture is just their own perception. It’s not right by any iteration of the word. It’s just what’s been done and has come to be accepted as right.
In that case, the way women dress in the west, the most conservative, average fit jeans and a T-shirt would be improper in another part of the world. So much so that it would elicit ridicule, taunts and unwarranted attention from both sexes. That’s just a simple example.
On another level, the way most young women dress would be highly controversial in such places or even in bit more unreserved places. An interesting note, in most countries where women are clearly over cloaked, the men are blatant in their abuse and eve’s teasing. As much as men are similar around the world in terms of respecting women, in these countries the level that they’d do this with is overtly so. For example, even though men would comment about women wearing provocative clothing in a western country amongst other men, they would be somewhat demure and exercise restraint in public or when amongst members of the opposite sex. It’s more common place and women are daring and free to wear whatever they choose; there’s a history of sexual and fashion evolution that’s laid a foundation and layering of events up to the moment where these women are comfortable enough and accepted by society that it’s tolerated even without a second thought. Albeit sometimes it’s begrudgingly so, but in every evolution there are change resistors. In a country where women have less liberties and freedom of choice/expression, any deviation from the prescribed norms would be met with high levels of intolerance and sometimes even physical violence. So the irony is the cultures that claim to be protecting women and respecting them tend to be hypocritical.
Therefore the clothing worn be it, casual, lounging, formal, swim wear etc. so common, innocent, unscandalized owing to the history that preceded to its inception would be improper, scandalous and inadequate in non-western countries.
So that would be the supporting construct I am going to use to raise the question – why is it a big deal when men wear briefs or anything else that is deemed unattractive or non-masculine defined by standards that are from just one biased perspective. I’m sure if the women in western countries had to live in non-western conservative countries where they would victimized and ridiculed they would see how a taste of their own medicine would be. But they would have the luxury of not going to such countries or only being in them for a brief period. And it’s only swim wear, it’s not like clothing in every other sphere is called into question. Men don’t go around short shorts, or tight and uncomfortable fashion dictates, wear ‘formal’ attire that accentuates the appeal of its wearer to the opposite sex or highlights the differences. Bare leg from mid thigh to sometimes even higher constructs that again would be highly impractical and highly improper in any other culture. Necklines and cleavages that would be vulgar in most countries (albeit the way western women do so is tasteful, something about genetic makeup or something else unexplainable).
No, it’s only when it comes to one part of the wardrobe, nothing else. And all this hub bub, it’s frustratingly unfair. When it comes to living through parts of history that you know is wrong and that in the future it would be looked upon as another period of pointless debacle and ignorance, It’s painful to have to share a time period with morons and bigots. It would be fair to be able to choose something to wear without being ridiculed, judged or made to feel high self conscious. Worse still, to being made to feel like your body isn’t beautiful enough or that it should be seen as unappealing, unattractive to you and everyone else around you. So much so that it should not be allowed to be looked at it. Very healthy and open minded I’d say. To be able to wear something that makes you feel good and would be appropriate for certain instances isn’t too much to ask. Or being able to wear it for the same reason women do, whether that be fetishist, comfort, being made to feel body beautiful or any other reason is up to the wearer.
For the arguments that men who don’t compete in swimming or other swimming related sport shouldn’t wear such skimpy or revealing attire, I don’t see women do the same. Women who don’t compete or even swim wear completely skimpy swimsuits or competition suits and it’s alright for them. And yet these same women complain about speedos or inequality towards women or salaries extra. Maybe like yields like, if you taunt and herd all men into one camp, the ones who are good, loyal, respectful, would have no recourse but to join the rest who are sexist and ignorant. So you’re not really furthering women’s rights by turning any supporters you might have to become passive to your cause or worse still against it.
Maybe my quest for equality and sexual freedom might lead to closure in formulating plausible arguments and making sense of the nonsensical.
Why is the prudery, ignorance and bigotry of one culture be allowed to torment and ridicule a certain group? Why all the jokes, stigma and general disapproval.
All a part of the conundrum that permeates almost every aspect of humanity. In most parts of the world, in varying degrees of development, the brash, insensitive, illogical, fascist members dominate and try to maintain their mislead grip of control in how everyone else should live.
In the end, bar the varying levels of sexual freedom and in turn the freedom to live and dress the way you want, humanity is homogeneous in its narrow mindedness. The only hope is the pockets of few who are beyond it, they live by the rule of using common sense to come to their own conclusions, a better way of thinking and living and not judging others or consciously influence or torment other beings.
Tags: briefs, expression of freedom, freedom, freedom of expression, liberty, sexism, sexuality, swim
