stereotypes

Bitching about Singaporean women

- Sheylara 48 Comments

I suppose the men will be really happy.

This week in Star Blog, we were told to write about the best of Singaporean men and the worst of Singaporean women. Which is probably a one-way-ticket to flame wars.

I think the male Star Bloggers probably had an easier time writing this.

It was tough for me because stereotyping is very much against my nature, unless it’s meant as joke, in which case I’ll laugh about it but won’t really buy it seriously.

Oh, well.

Come read what I wrote and observe how wars are started!

On scantily-clad women and prostitutes

- Sheylara 23 Comments

Before you read any further, please note that it is not my intention to pass judgement on anyone. I am merely musing aloud and considering the different sides of a coin. Kthx.

Recently, a blogger received flak from the blogging community for posting a picture of a sexily-dressed woman and calling her a prostitute. The blogger has since removed the post.

For background, you can read the following posts:
A prostitute takes the bus (cached page)
Cowboy Caleb Killed A Sex Blog Yesterday
Sex blogging can ruin your offline reputation

Okay, my thoughts on this.

First side of the coin:

I applaud people for stepping out and defending the integrity of sexily-dressed women. The general consensus is that you can’t assume a woman is a prostitute just because she’s scantily clad. I couldn’t agree more.

Women should be able to dress however they like without having people pass judgement on them. In fact, I have so many readers requesting that I stop wearing cutesy outfits and start wearing more sexy outfits. Will they call me a prostitute if I did that? I don’t think so.

Other side of the coin:

Do you people realise that, by defending the sexy woman taking the bus, we are dissing prostitutes? We are saying that prostitution is such an unsavory profession that you’re insulting a woman by calling her a prostitute. But, by saying that, aren’t we insulting prostitutes?

Admittedly, prostitution has always had a negative aura around it, but that isn’t really the point. I just find it amusing that, by trying not to stereotype sexily-dressed women, we end up stereotyping prostitutes.

Consider this statement: “Just because a woman dresses sexily, it doesn’t mean she’s a prostitute!”

By displaying a tolerance towards sexily-dressed women, you are in fact negating the very same tolerance by offhandedly condeming prostitutes.

Hilarious, right?

If the blogger had posted a picture of a woman in a suit taking a bus and said, “A lawyer takes the bus”, nobody will raise any hell over it because lawyers are respectable and being called a lawyer could even be a compliment.

Why the rubbish is that?

Sure, I have on occasion stereotyped and made jokes about prostitutes, but I bear them no malice and, really, when I think about it, they’re just doing a job. If anyone should be condemned, it should be the people who create the demand for prostitutes in the first place.

So… let’s not stereotype sexily-dressed women. Let’s not stereotype prostitutes. Let’s love your neighbours and promote world peace and live happily forever more.

Riiiight.