Oh, of course both of us come across as full of ourselves. CJR has the best breasts on the planet, and clearly I'm on the cutting edge of psychology, right?
No, really; I've been around these boards for a WHILE, and I think generally all I DO is play devil's advocate. In this particular situation the "That's nasty. Just sayin'" and "...Ew" sort of mentalities struck me as very middle school. There are people who say that about role playing in general, there are people who say that about homosexuality, there are people who say that about interracial relationships, there are people who say that about any behavior deviating from norms (especially sexually), and you know what? They all think they are the most open-minded people on the planet. It's just human nature to try to see oneself as that, but the person who really is that open-minded won't have to proclaim it to justify her stance on something. And it is SO easy to dismiss and then justify something that's a little out there. I was just trying to raise the question about why the particular concept that started the discussion was necessarily any crazier than any other kind of role-playing. Just tryin' to ask--is it REALLY that big of a deal? And if you DO think so, say WHY, not just "well, I'm open to role playing but this...COME ON." THAT is getting on one's high horse. No point in going back THERE again, now, but you see what I'm saying here?
Then, I admittedly got way too personal with playing devil's advocate, but I think the reaction was interesting. It was okay when CJR said that the particular kind of role-playing could be due to "deep-seeded issues," but when I said that wearing Hooters shirts, Naughty shirts, and having your breasts as your avatar could ALSO come from some sort of psychological issues, suddenly I was out of line. Personally, as I alluded to, I think it has to do with social norms.
And yes, I do think there's a reason for young women to be upset by women who represent themselves like that. That's not devil's advocate, that's how I feel. I think when women fish for that kind of attention and objectify themselves, it's a step back for all of us. And the whole "it's their problem" mentality, frankly, sickens me a little, because it's a bigger issue than just tee-shirts. I think it's just a piece of evidence of a common mentality across the board in America today. But I digress.
Anyway, while I think that kind of representation of oneself is harmful, I have friends who do it (on less extreme levels). I still like them. They're good people at heart. But I don't agree with everything they do, and I'm sure I do plenty to aggravate them. Obviously one part we see of people that comes out on the internet is NOT the whole picture.
Lastly, usually when one is playing devil's advocate, she's trying to make HERSELF think as well, or have other people throw ideas out there that do that. It's not some sort of course I'm trying to teach people. God knows my perspective shifts constantly.
Updated On: 8/5/07 at 11:19 PM
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