Whoopee. I got my first two comments today.
One of them I don't quite understand though.
In response to "da-da-da-danger", someone posted,
"well, you're only considering your point of view that seems to omit beauty as a reason for those heels. if you actually do, you will find that heels are more of a psychological art and the reasons to wear it are infinite."
I have a few questions...
Heels = beauty? Granted, to each his or her own, but I would personally hesitate to use the word beauty here. To me, it really cheapens the word. I have read poems about beautiful sunsets and heard songs about the beauty of love or of God, and to relate shoes to beauty...well, it just seems somewhat misplaced. But then again, to each his/her own?
Is it worth it? Are the aesthetic benefits of heels worth the discomfort, the inconcenience, and even the risks?
"psychological art": what is a psychological art? is there a non-psychological art? what kind of expression is wearing high-heels? Honestly here, do you wear heels because you consider it an art form and an expression of some sort?
"and the reasons to wear it are infinite": I really would like to hear some of these reasons and I am genuinely open to convincing with regards to their necessity in modern society. Off the top of my head, I would be inclined towards listing consumerism, advertising, and parochial sentiments behind heels and many other modern consumer goods - especially fashion wear.
Okay now. Enough talking about women's shoes for now (or a life time really...).
4 comments:
Heels though can be beauty on its own, it actually suppose to enhance beauty or rather the difference between the man and woman. Femininity, I guess? Heels sort of make the feet look smaller, the legs longer, arches the back of a woman more (as men have straight backs) and enhance the movement of the hips while walking. (Marilyn Monroe cut of one side of her heels by and inch or so to cause more hip swaying). Though, the pain and dangers are present, vanity will still spur women to wear heels, the higher the better. It is like why in olden times women wore tight corsets even though they cause them to be giddy, short of breath, pass out or even end up in hospitals!
-clarise-
thank you clarise, those are words of general knowledge. i assume the owner of this blog is male.
to the owner of this blog, you are absolutely right. beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.(sunrise, sunset or god's love for you)
however, i dont think it is rational to price beauty(because you talk about how it is cheapened.
its weird how you attempt to open your mind to new ideas yet seem to be a staunch believer of your own thoughts and reject others. i say this because you say you can be convinced yet seemingly sub-consciously you refuse to see it from a different perspective.(defensive of your thoughts it seems)
i am sorry if i have offended you in anyway. its quite funny how i'm commenting when i dont know you. just sharing since i stumbled upon your blog.
Hi Clarise,
What you mentioned is exactly what I meant in the earlier post. It seems like the 'beauty' of heels is very much a socially constructed entity. (Of course, arguing from a constructivist point of view, everything is constructed...but let's not go there now...)
You know what I mean?
To continue along this tangent, we could ask, why women have to wear make-up in office while men don't. Why women must prioritise more time and effort to her appearance in comparison to men.
It seems to me that "heels" might possibily just be the inheritance of a tradition of a male-dominated society.
Hi anonymous friend =),
Yes, the owner of this blog is male. Otherwise, naming him Simon would have been a cruel joke by his parents.
Can I just start off by adressing two important things you mentioned in your comment...
Firstly, there is no need for apologies. =) There is no offence taken. I'm glad and thankful for the healthy exchange of opinions.
Secondly, I am puzzled about your comment about the apparent conflict between an open mind and staunch beliefs. I have to disagree with you here. I believe that to be open minded is not to say that everything is possible and every other perspective is equally valid. An open mind is the willingness to be convinced through rigourous arguments. Until I am convinced regarding a particular issue, I cannot flippantly endorse it. Otherwise I would be of "no-mind" at all.
To illustrate...if I were to tell you now that the world would end in 3 days time, you would probably not run off trying to convince everyone of it right? You would most likely be sceptical of it, wouldn't you? Yet, I could not say that you are close-minded, because I have just not convinced you. However, if I told you that there would be an earthquake in 3 days and presented sufficient evidence to back-up my claims, you would likely be more inclined towards preparing for it, wouldn't you?
In comparing both scenarios, the difference lies not in the extent of an open mind, but the credibility and the strength of the arguments.
As such, I maintain that I am open to convincing. And furthermore, the lack of any change in opinion on my part regarding "heels" cannot be linked with any shortfall of "open-mindedness" in the absence of a superior and convincing argument.
(I do however add that a closed-mind can in both scenarios dampen the success of any conversion of opinion. And I do concede that I, personally, can never be (nor would I want to be) entirely free from value-laden assessments. Which is why I value your contrasting opinions. =) Though disagreeing with them.)
With regards to quantifying beauty. I am inclined once again to disagree. I suspect that beauty is not as subjective as we may believe it to be. Of course a person's poison may be another's prize, but I think that there are particular "universals" when it comes to beauty. Of course, I cannot back this up with any scientific empirical evidences (which I do attribute to the shortcomings and limitations of science =)), and it is a value-laden assessment on my part. Yet, it seems to me that some things...golden sunsets, the symphony of the seas, a baby's laughter, one person giving his/her life for another...are of a universal beauty. This is regardless of the social environment, the cultural or ethnic flavour of any given society.
Let me say again that I offer this opinion as that. Just an opinion. I do not presume that it is a hard fact that should be imposed on others and I do see very well the subjectivity of such an intangible as beauty.
However, personally, I would rather much sing/write/gaze about the beauty of nature and of life, than of shoes. =) but that's just me.
Post a Comment