Objectifying women

[VoiceOfReason]

And what exactly does a toddler beauty pageant have to do with our subject? Do most women who choose to "objectify" themselves have a childhood filled with exploitation or something?

My point is that some woman who choose to objectify themselves in adulthood were objectified in childhood before they had a choice. To them its normal.
I won't deny for a second that some of them are just attention-seekers. But the whole 'hate the players' thing would make more sense if it was only adults. In my opinion, child pageants are as much of a form of indoctrination as churches.

I don't want to be an asshole, but saying you're a supermodel or something wouldn't change the fact that you could very well be a 35 year old bald dude living in his mom's basement talking shit.

True, this is the internet. However I never claimed to be a supermodel. I merely said attractive.

In what industry do you work?

I work at a DMV. Hence the lack of a human resources department. Where I am, the DMVs are privately owned and operated, but audited by the government.

You've built up a defense mechanism, which is understandable. Personally, I've become pretty apathetic to those that request my help in my field, because they usually expect me to work my ass off for free. I dismiss them and go on my way as best I can. It seems like you've done the same, but are still complaining for some odd reason.

Personally, I think there should be a line drawn by common sense. I am working, and there are probably a lot of others behind you in line. I am not here to look pretty, I am here to help you register a vehicle or whatever the case may be.

Yes, just like we grow up seeing attractive, successful men in the spotlight. You seem to forget that there was also G.I. Joe, Ken, and the A-Team to paint a portrait of what men should be in society. What exactly is the point here?

Male role models are a hell of a lot more varied. There are male role models celebrated for their intelligence (James Bond, Batman- World's Greatest Detective, Bruce Banner is a scientist, Tony Stark is a genius). Some are even physically deformed (Jonah Hex, Sin City's Marv, Heroes' Peter Petrelli gets a facial scar, Avatar's Jake Sully saves a whole planet despite being confined to a wheelchair).
The vast majority of female role models are just good-looking bimbos with no real talent. Female superhero movies tank. When an intelligent female does appear in movies, it's typically a secondary or love interest role. And when was the last time you saw a scarred/deformed woman in the media?
My point is that we are largely stuck with one ideal, and that doesn't bode well for impressionable young girls.

Actually one of the primary functions of society is to establish norms.

So normal is unintelligent but good-looking girls with no self-restraint and a drug problem? (Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Anna Nicole Smith) Or spending your life on reality shows or making fashion lines between plastic surgeries? (Heidi Montag, Tori Spelling, Victoria Beckham, Donatella Versace) Seriously?

There will always be people who haven't developed psychologically and retain complexes. I don't know enough about your friend or her situation, but it seems like she really takes the opinions of people far too seriously. She needs professional help if she allows what she interpret as social pressures to have a dramatic negative impact on her health.

Seriously missing the point. Society is put an unnecessary amount of importance on appearance and it is affecting a lot of girls/young women. Granted, it isn't the only contributing factor. But would it be less of problem if there were more female CEOs, doctors, or soldiers in the media? I think that would help.

I don't want to invalidate any experience you may have had, but not all rape cases are the same, and if the circumstances don't apply to you, then the conversation doesn't apply to your situation.

My point was that saying a woman 'contributed' to her attack is ignorant. Most rapists know their victims and choose them for vulnerability and ease of scaring them to not tell, not sit on a street corner picking out which woman is most attractive to him.

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Also, here's a Halloween photo of me. Just so you know I am not a 45-year old bald man.