Julia, you may have misunderstood the parallel.
Ardy, I say it's not a parallel because the people you're talking about chose their environment. I'm not concerned here with morality but with power. If I choose a morally questionable path, it is my choice. If I am subject to the effects of a morally questionable choice by others -- if I'm being judged by appearance rather than capability -- I am subject to someone else's power.
Hummm
In that case, I guess what I am saying is that, for the most part, the most frequent and damaging impact of this society's appearance fetish/judgmentalism come from what some women project that others may be making.
Take yourself as an example Julia. From what you have written it sounds like you have pretty much freed yourself from "worrying" about how others may judge you. And I imagine that you have discovered that life for you goes on pretty well without enslaving yourself to this worry. And the situation you are in is a result of life choice that you have made... not because anyone previously had real power over you.
Certainly I acknowledge that appearance based discrimination is very real. What I am saying that such explicit discrimination is much less prevalent than the inner dialog where someone worries about what others will think of them... when the likely reality is that mostly other people are not so much thinking about them much at all.
Do most women buy designer clothes because of real discrimination if they do not? DO they starve themselves anorexic because of real discrimination?
I am saying that there is much stronger enslavement due to this sort of inner dialogue/wants/needs/preference as opposed to actual discrimination. And that enslavement due to an inner dialog is a power within ones self to control... just as you have done so for your own life ... as I understand it.
And, really, I think that is really a fundamental point I guess I am trying to make in these long discussions. That is to say that ... to the extent that there is a beauty industry that enslaves women... mostly women have the free choice to ignore this industry. Even if a woman should choose to wear make-up and nice clothing... there is a lot of cost effective product available that is outside the big expensive brand names. These brand names are definitely MARKETED to women. But women still have the choice of how they act. And... to the degree that statement is true... it does not effectively change the situation to complain about manipulation by the beauty industry when each woman herself retains the ultimate power. It just seems to me that education of girls is the most effective place to begin breaking this cycle. I know that is hard. But, for example, many parents decide not to have television in their house. That is also a "hard " decision... a decision that can have a real impact on isolating children from a lot of the manipulative materials their children might otherwise encounter.
if I'm being judged by appearance rather than capability -- I am subject to someone else's power.
I am just saying that in this society, mostly we are not subject to someone else's power. And to the extent that we are... that reality is mostly independent of the beauty industry and it's impact on people. Mostly you will not get a better job because you wear $500 shoes... or have plastic surgery. These are choices that people make on their own, not decisions foisted upon people by some irresistible external power.
