There are many slogans on the streets of Taipei, such as "To save your life, you must fight desperately," "Secrecy and counter-espionage are everyone's responsibility," or "Those who dump garbage here are beasts," etc., and I can understand all of these. But there's one slogan that's everywhere, even on television, that really confuses me: Wearing revealing clothing attracts attention and invites humiliation.
In winter, I like to wear a padded coat with a thick sweater underneath, making me look like an overly bulging rice dumpling on the street. In summer, I prefer backless and shoulder-baring dresses for simple reasons: first, it's too hot; second, I consider my shoulders to be the most attractive part of my body. Besides, my back is smooth and clean, without any acne or scars, and I'm not ashamed of it.
On a hot summer day, holding a parasol, with my long, black hair flowing down my back, and my smooth arms exposed, letting my embroidered skirt sway in the wind, I walk gracefully through the crowd, feeling happy because I feel beautiful.
But you glare at my bare shoulders, spit, and call me "despicable"! If
someone bullies me, you say I "bring shame upon myself"!
Why?
I like men, and I hope men like me. Before leaving in the morning, I apply lipstick in front of the mirror so that men will think my lips are healthy and soft; I comb my hair so that men will think my hair is like a cloud. It's a pity I have thick thighs, otherwise I would wear a slit, tight skirt to show off my beautiful leg lines. Fortunately, I have full, shapely shoulders, so I wear off-the-shoulder, low-back tops, hoping that both men and women will think I'm charming and alluring.
Before leaving in the morning, you look in the mirror, and even if there are only three stray hairs, you still carefully groom them for a long time, perhaps even applying oil to keep them in place and prevent them from being blown around by the wind. You shave your beard clean and even sprinkle a few drops of perfume. After putting on a shirt, you stretch your neck, desperately wrap a long strip of cloth around your neck, tie it in a strange knot, and then let the cloth hang oddly in front of your chest. What is the purpose of all this hard work every day? What
I don't understand is, since I don't say you have a "problem," why do you call me "despicable"?
Let's explain this slogan: "Wearing revealing clothes attracts attention and brings shame upon oneself." It means that a woman exposing her shoulders, back, or legs arouses a man's sexual desire, leading to violent assault on her body; the person who created this slogan believes that in this situation, the woman is at fault—she shouldn't arouse a man's sexual desire.
This logic reveals three mindsets: First, women's bodies are dirty, so the person who created the slogan cannot, is unwilling, and dares not look directly at a woman's exposed skin; second, he believes that men's "aggression" is an inherent divine right, so assaulting women is a natural phenomenon; third, women are destined to be inferior animals, and being raped is like someone getting caught in the rain—who told you not to bring an umbrella, the rain is fate! It's considered natural for men to rape women; you just have to be careful. If you're not careful, it's your own fault, not the heavens.
What kind of absurd logic is that?
My uncle has an orchard. He fertilizes and cares for it day and night, keeping it dry and protected from the rain. When the autumn wind blows, the apples are laden with fruit, each one a vibrant, plump red. Everyone who passes by stops to admire them, their mouths watering. If someone succumbs to temptation and sneaks into the orchard to steal the fruit, would you criticize the orchard for cultivating such luscious fruit? Would you say he "brought shame upon himself"? Should fruit growers produce withered, unattractive fruit just to prevent theft? Should I cut my hair short and wear a Lenin suit just to avoid being assaulted by men? Is the fruit thief truly despicable, or is the orchard owner just unlucky? Is the rapist against all reason, or am I "bringing shame upon myself"? My
love of beauty is my own business. My legs are beautiful, so I'm happy to wear miniskirts; my shoulders are lovely, so I'm delighted to wear backless dresses. I dress myself up alluringly to please you; it's a sign of respect and admiration. If you find me beautiful, you can pursue me with all your might. If you find me unattractive, you can shake your head, scoff, and call me "ugly and pretentious" or "unconscious," but you have no right to call me "despicable." If a wicked man violates me, he is a despicable criminal, a murderer, and it has nothing to do with whether I expose myself or not. If you still think I've "brought shame upon myself," then you should let every woman in the world slap you to wake you up.
No matter how sweet or beautiful the apples in the orchard are, if they aren't yours, you can't pick them. I am a woman; I have the right to tempt you, and you have the freedom to resist temptation, but also the obligation to exercise self-control. This summer, if you see me walking past you in a cool, backless dress, all dolled up, I hope you'll glance at me a couple of times and feel your heart flutter for me. But remember, I won't say you have a "problem," so please don't call me "vulgar"—I have the right to be beautiful.
Comments
Post a Comment