A good friend of mine posted this about the no makeup picture campaign that is on facebook right now to raise awareness for cancer. She is without a doubt so right in what she wrote. It got me thinking and moved me so much that I wanted to share it with you all! I have been “nominated” to post a no-make-up selfie in the spirit of cancer research. While I strongly support cancer research (Text FIGHT to 45678 to donate $5, Canadian Cancer Society), I am disappointed with the premise of this campaign. Are women really being “brave” when they remove their make-up and thus bear their “real selves?” In addition to reducing women’s bodies to objectified objects over and over again … and making us appear vain and superficial …. For me, this is not what it means to be brave. Am I demonstrating bravery when I remove an object that is a product of my lookist, appearance based culture, and which I can immediately reverse? Being brave …. Fighting for a cause when everyone else walks away. Being brave …. Doing the right thing, even though it is hard. Being brave … to ease someone else’s suffering. Being brave … to help our sisters in the global context who still lack basic human rights. Being brave … living with pain. I wonder if the temporary removal of our make up in anyway helps the community of people who endure a long, arduous battle with cancer and its treatment, a battle that cannot be covered up. Lets raise money for cancer research, please, but not in a way that objectives our bodies and trivializes others’ illnesses.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 13:31:08 +0000
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