You Are More Than Your Ass

You Are More Than Your Ass

How often is it that women are simply reduced to their body parts? We know that men do this. They constantly sexualize women and do not care about women beyond their appearance. Unfortunately, patriarchal society does not only affect the thinking of men. It also causes women to view themselves negatively. Women who otherwise have lots of potential in life, begin to view themselves as nothing more than a collection of body parts. Not only does sexualized advertising and media hurt the self-esteem of women, it also causes them to make fruitless efforts to appeal to the male gaze.

It is disheartening how so many women want to grow the glute muscles without growing their legs. The increase in size of leg muscles is a natural part of getting stronger, and a beneficial effect from training the glute muscles. However, women have begun to internalize the male gaze, prioritizing “ass” above all else.

The disturbing trend of appealing to the male gaze above all else appears in all forms of women’s fitness clothing.

Often, clothing for women does not prioritize comfort or practicality. It’s designed first for men’s interests. The male ass obsession dictates the clothing available for women.

Understandably, in hotter climates, women may want to wear less clothing. However, outfits that sexualize women have nothing to do with helping women be more comfortable in the heat. The paradox is that women choosing clothing purely for comfort are still punished in our society, despite the fact that highly sexualized clothing is marketed. Why is that a teenage girl can be sent home for wearing shorts at school when it is 100 degrees, but all over social media, heavily sexualized outfits are shown?

The advocacy for clothing can be difficult and demands a whole article of its own, because it’s important that we criticize the patriarchal clothing standards for women, without shaming women’s clothing choices. What we have to understand is that we must prioritize what is comfortable for our bodies, and not what appeals to men.

You are much more than your ass. You are more than any body parts that men objectify. Men will not see you as a whole woman. But you can. See yourself fully for what you really are. What are you beyond your outward appearance?

Many women have very important careers, where they can make an impact on so many lives, where they do make an impact on so many lives. Yet, upon going home, many worry that they are not beautiful enough, that they do not appear attractive enough to men. Why do we want this type of noise in our heads, day by day? Men are unsatisfiable. They chase endless novelty. They want to jump from one woman to the next without any sense of care or long-term bonding. There is no amount of surgery you can do, no amount of makeup you can put on, and no amount of glute exercises that you can do that will make them love you.

Know who you really are. You were not put here to appeal to men. You were not even put here to appeal to women who want to appeal to men. Once you drop men’s standards of women, you can see that other women are not competition. There is no man to fight for, there is no woman to be more beautiful than. There is yourself, and there are other women. Women that are your friends, mentors, and students.

I know many women who are much older than me that still spend their days worrying about beauty. They are 70 to 80 years old, and worry constantly about their appearance. They want to get harmful surgeries and they undergo malnutritional diets. They may not outwardly say they are doing it for men, but the standards they have for themselves were pushed on them by the patriarchy, decades ago.

Ask yourself, do we want to teach young girls that this is the future for them? Do you want girls now to worry about beauty over everything else? Do we want them to constantly objectify themselves and to undergo dangers to meet impossible standards?

This does not have to be the future. Girls follow what we do as women. This may be difficult for some women to accept, but our behaviors do not only affect us as an individual. They set the standards for other women in our society, and influence the many younger girls who are watching us. Even if you don’t realize it, there are many girls who look up to you. Many want to be like you. Do you want to show them that life is about appealing to men, or will you show them that women’s comfort and happiness comes first?

You are a person, and your values go beyond beauty. This feels like something all women should know, and would say they know. But too many of us still wear makeup and get harmful surgeries, all while men are not having to go through any of the same beauty rituals. I call for you to truly love yourself. End the self-criticizing and accept yourself for who you are. I won’t say that you’re beautiful already, because it’s not beauty that matters.

What makes you great is the unique person you are. What makes you great is how you help other women. I will see beyond outward appearance to see the women that you truly are, and I want you to do the same for yourselves as well. ♀