From the cloud of romanticism and mystic figures in art history, the idea of the “muse” emerged and manifested itself in many ways in different modes of art. From the groupies of the 70s who inspired classic rock-and-roll songs, all the way back to the ancient characters of Greek mythology who demonstrate contemporary life lessons, it is often women who are relegated to the role of “muse,” a label that feminists have begun to deconstruct and ratify. I want to explore how one film, in particular, does just this and its incredible consequences. What first introduced me to the concept of the muse was the 2019 film Portrait of a Lady on Fire . A love story between two women in 18th century France, a painter named Marianne, and her “client” Héloïse. In the film, Marianne is asked by Héloïse’s mother to paint her daughter in secret, so her portrait can be sent to a potential husband, a decision Héloïse does not support. Through this conflict, writ...
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I think the issue at hand is not the shoes themselves. They are merely things. The fact that women need a "leg up" to be seen as powerful or need to wear them to feel sexy is the real problem. I can't find flat, professional dress shoes, so heals are almost required. If you are walking a lot at work, this can cause all sorts of painful problems.
When you think about it, the reason for this can be taken a few ways. The media, which sets standards of beauty, tells women to wear heals for the reasons above. So women wouldn't buy flats, so therefore there is no market. Also, men want women to be sexy, so again, no designers saying that flats are stylish. For a more radical take on it, one could argue that heals are oppressive because they limit a woman's movement. By limiting our movement (think feet-binding in China), it helps to keep women out of powerful positions, keep us vulnerable, and ultimately simply sexual objects.
Ani- Why are women forced to be sexy? Why is it that beautiful girls sell everything because that is what grabs male’s attention? I actually had a friend tell me this week how her friend hired her for a few hours to sit at a desk and look like a receptionist for a business meeting he had just so he had a beautiful girl...sad! If a male is doing the hiring process do you think he is more likely to hire a more qualified woman or a beautiful woman?