Please watch this first: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJVHRJbgLz8
I would just like to take a second to applaud Jessica Rey. The topic of women's modesty is a touchy one, and has troubled many. I normally would have watched the video, shared it with a select few, and moved on. However, I found some of the comments in the video to be ignorant and rather disturbing, and wanted to pen down some thoughts.
We would never wear a bikini to a formal function, so why should we wear one to the beach? To tan? If mobility is an issue and you don't want to get held back by fabric, why not wear a wet suit?
The crux of this issue comes down to power and nature. There are many arguments in favor of exposing skin. The number one reason for exposing skin, that I have found, is that exposing skin supposedly gives women power over men. Women's subconscious mentality is of "you can see but can't touch", which supposed to give women a sense of power over men (when they say no). However, the truth is that in men's minds, this is the exact opposite. If women expose themselves, men's instinct is that the women is an automatic "yes". When women say no to this, they feel better about themselves. The process behind that is so disconcerting. Do women have such low self-confidence that they feel that the only way to make a statement and be powerful is to expose their body?
I really do believe that by exposing their bodies, women limit their own rights. Specifically, their right to say no.
This image says it all:
Of course, these are two extreme cases. I'm not in favor of either. But a middle ground, where women still look like women, is definitely the way to go in my opinion.
I look forward to hearing your opinions on the matter. Why do women wear bikinis? Please do watch Jessica Rey's talk.
