tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828823099864315938.post3586198394036622463..comments2023-10-12T16:08:14.017+01:00Comments on Lashings of Ginger Beer Time Blog: The Beauty DebtAnnalyticahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06402598855200483948noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828823099864315938.post-33800986128937897722012-11-23T13:45:49.372+00:002012-11-23T13:45:49.372+00:00"[We] associate either 'paying the debt&#..."[We] associate either 'paying the debt' or visibly rejecting it with being a fully-competent adult female human being."<br /><br />Oh, so much this. And some types of body make it harder - or even impossible - to meet one's "obligations". Trans* and disabled people can probably talk about this more eloquently that I can, but my own personal experience comes from fatness.<br /><br />If I go out in a t-shirt & sweatpants, I'm pitiable; I'm assumed to not care about my appearance at all, which by beauty-debt extension means that I am not a "fully competent adult human being". I deserve hate because I'm barely a person.<br /><br />If I go out in a tiny dress & heels, I'm pitiable; like Jenni says, I'm trying too hard; I've made an effort, so I obviously do care about my appearance, but I've "failed" - I deserve hate because I fancy myself too much, because I think I can be attractive, when as a fat woman I obviously cannot.<br /><br />If I go out as a punky, dykey butch, I fail as well; but I fail on what are clearly *my own terms*. I don't look like someone who's tried-and-failed to meet her "beauty debt"; I may deserve hate because I dare to reject the beauty debt, but at least I'm not pitiable.<br /><br />Hence the hair, and the piercings, and *so much about me*...Sebastiennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14049602363105805106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8828823099864315938.post-45644828151577523092012-11-23T13:40:55.548+00:002012-11-23T13:40:55.548+00:00Really interesting post, and definately a concept ...Really interesting post, and definately a concept I'm going to start using in discussion (probably whilst linking to this useful blog post).<br /><br />With regards to overpaying the debt, it's definately something I've found to be the case - the whole notion of 'too much' makeup, or 'too short' a skirt. It seems to recieve a simiar response - though rather than a 'she's not trying' it's a 'ugh, she's trying to hard'. For instance, my style of makeup is very big, over-the-top and focused around the eyes, and it's often compared to 'drag makeup' when someone intends to insult it - suggesting it's not 'feminine' in the way that they want it to be. So yeah, not only is there a beauty 'debt', it's a debt you have to pay back in a particular manner...Jennihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04269240399839326245noreply@blogger.com