Letter to the Editor: Column reinforces sexist stereotypes

As a free-thinking woman living in the 21st century, I am deeply offended by the slut-shaming portrayed by Mayfield’s article reinforcing sexist stereotypes published on Monday. Finally, A Feminism 101 Blog defines slut-shaming as shaming and/or attacking a woman or a girl for being sexual, having one or more sexual partners, acknowledging/acting on sexual feelings. This message implies that sexuality is bad, and as a society we have the right to objectify women based on their clothing (or lack thereof.) The hate portrayed in the article is something I would usually expect from the conservative medium, not from a fellow woman.

Now this article does not depict the more common form of slut-shaming that we see when women are seen as “asking for it.” Instead it highlights the underlying psychological problem that a woman is only worth what we see at face value. It suggests that the more of our body we cover the better – can you think of any other society that holds these beliefs? I can and I know the implications it can have on a society. See: “My Forbidden Face” by Latifa.

Halloween gives people the opportunity to dress however they want to either assume another’s role for a night, or just to have fun. Men can dress like women without ridicule; people can dress as nuns and missionaries without being shunned; and women can be a sexy nurse, a sexy apple, a sexy fork for all I care; and the only one that has a problem with this are those that hold this prejudice. To correct a quote you paraphrased: You have got to stop referring to women as sluts and whores because of how they look. It just makes it OK for the whole world to call us sluts and whores.

P.S. If you’re looking for me, I’ll be the girl wearing whatever I want.

Amanda Schulze is a Junior from Wichita majoring in Spanish.

Contact at editor@kansan.com .
  • Updated Oct. 31, 2012 at 7:53 pm
  • http://twitter.com/AnneElise Anne

    Hell yeah, Well said.

  • fiddleback

    Amusingly misguided umbrage. Whether such costumes are poor taste is entirely subjective, but I agree with Mayfield that the high amount of women’s costumes that are sexualized would suggest a distinctly non-feminist agenda on the part of costume makers. They are the ones who really traffic in stereotypes, also making racist Mexican, Indian, and black pimp costumes. Mayfield also suggested that students should be mindful of their online reputations since racy photos can often come back to haunt them. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, though I did find her references to binge drinking culture and cornrows distasteful. Overall, though, if Mayfield has a bit less “racy” and more quirky DIY taste in costumes, and wants to promote that taste, I hardly find that to be “slut-shaming.” I find it to be rejecting the sexual objectification so successfully encouraged by costume makers.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/CTNH4XST5OR52QQCWS7VK6A4BU Calvin O

    I don’t understand the comment about nuns and missionaries being shunned. Since when have the two been put in the same category as child molesters? I don’t think it helps your argument when you keep using the same langauge that you object to. The English langauge is so full of descriptive terms without falling back on vulgarity. There is a way to get the costume makers to change their ways….stop buying them. Use some imagination and ingenuity. Create an orginal costume that says whatever you want it to say. Just how many Captain Jack Sparrow, zombies, and Snookies do we need?

  • Justin Timberlake

    After reading Mayfield’s article, and this letter to the editor, I

    think that the twitter activity that occurred on November 1st of this

    year only proves Mayfield’s point further. She begins the article by

    talking about what her and her friends discussed on that same day last

    year. Any Ku student that checked their twitter yesterday couldn’t

    miss the pictures of the #boomboomcouple. This picture of a girl

    dressed like Britney Spears in the hit me baby one more time video

    straddling a guy whose pants are down and ready to go created an open

    forum for any Ku student to give their opinions much like Mayfield’s

    article. Tweets were being fired off by the second about how easy the

    girl must be, with many people finishing them of with

    #keepitclassyjayhawks. Lindsey’s point about how the famous mean girls

    quote of being able to dress like a prostitute without anyone saying

    anything on Halloween needs to be looked at again. Obviously people

    can still say whatever they want. The guy in the boom boom picture had

    a 15 minute spot on 96.5 the buzz this morning explaining what

    happened. If you want to dress like a prostitute, be prepared for the

    negative implications of that decision the next day.

    I think complaining about Mayfield using sexist language in this day

    of 21st century free thinking shows a lack of awareness of your

    surroundings. I’m glad you wore what you wanted and didn’t think of

    yourself as a slut, but don’t be blinded by thinking that most people

    share your opinion.

  • Cloebowst

    Beautiful! Your opinion is right after my own heart!!