I, like many women, buy into patriarchal standards of beauty every day. I very rarely leave the house without make-up. I dye my hair. I wear clothes that I choose carefully for how they make me look to the outside world.
Stella YoungRead
It is a truth universally acknowledged that from puberty onwards, the female body is disgusting and unruly and must be tamed, trimmed and tinted to within an inch of its life before it can be allowed to roam freely in the public eye.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques societal expectations placed on women's bodies as they mature.
Stella Young's quote highlights the pervasive societal belief that women must contend with unrealistic standards of beauty and behavior imposed on their bodies from adolescence. It emphasizes the pressure to conform to an ideal that often leads to feelings of disgust and the need for constant self-modification, ultimately questioning the fairness of these expectations in public life.
Themes
SocietyBody ImageFemininityBeauty StandardsSelf-Acceptance
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about body positivity, this quote can be used to highlight the struggle many women face.
More from Stella Young
All quotes →We often hear that people mean well: that so many just don't how to interact with people with disabilities. They're unsure of the 'right' reaction, so they default to condescension that makes them feel better in the face of their discomfort.
Stella YoungRead
In my own home, where I've been able to create an environment that works for me, I'm hardly disabled at all. I still have an impairment, and there are obviously some very restrictive things about that, but the impact of disability is less.
Stella YoungRead
We fill our lives with all sorts of things that make it easier for us to get along in the world: wheelchairs, crutches, grabber sticks, hearing aids, canes, guide dogs, modified vehicles, ramps, as well as other kinds of services and supports. Disability does not necessarily mean dependence on other people.
Stella YoungRead
For me, disability is a physical experience, but it's also a cultural experience and a social experience, and for me, the word 'crip' is the one that best encapsulated all of that.
Stella YoungRead
We are a society that treats people with disabilities with condescension and pity, not dignity and respect.
Stella YoungRead
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