Myhre: One Bad Hair Day Too Many

In her essay, Jennifer Myhre, delves deeply into the complicated universe of gender and sexual identity and norms. Myhre is a woman whose identity as a woman is not determined in any way, shape, or form about her appearance. She makes numerous strong points about gender roles in our society. As she says, “ Some of us come to feminism because of abuse, harassment, eating disorders. I came to feminism because I hated shaving my legs.” (Listen Up, p. 85) Here, Myhre is acknowledging the astronomical amount of time and money that many women, and men as well, spend on grooming themselves for the sole purpose of appearing in a socially acceptable manner. She argues that these resources could be spent in far more productive ways. Particularly poignant is her discussion of how easy it is for men to fool other people into believing they are women merely by having long hair and wearing dresses, lipstick, and high heels. Myhre is highlighting the fact that our society simply defines femininity as a set of clothing, accessories, and cosmetics that create the portrait of what a woman ought to look like. Further, Myhre points out that woman gain nothing substantial from their constant attention to their appearance. All they are rewarded with is the acceptance and approval of those in power, who want to perpetuate the stereotypes and prejudices that trap so many women. Myhre concludes her essay by talking about she and other supposedly masculine/butch women are radically unfairly judged and labeled because they have short hair or don’t shave their legs. These women are seen as feminazis by society. They are labeled as butch and masculine because other women are threatened by their independence and courage, and men are upset that these women are challenging the traditional power structure they have created; a structure that is maintained by women’s compliance to gender stereotypes and societal expectations. As Myhre explains, we need “a world in which people are attracted to me not because of what sex I am (or appear to be) but rather because they find me fascinating. I imagine a world in which I am at home.” (Listen Up, p. 88)