It isn’t easy to be a woman. We are under constant societal pressure to be pretty, but not too pretty. We are meant to be successful in our chosen careers, but suffer from an ever-widening pay gap. We are supposed to be equal to men, but suffer from restrictive medical care.
Like America Ferrera’s character said in Barbie, “it is literally impossible to be a woman.”
Add being objectified to that list. Recently, the Instagram account mths_hottakes (which has since been deleted) ranked girls in the school based on their appearance, without their consent.
This is not okay.
Women are more than their appearances. It is never okay to rank them based on how attractive someone believes them to be. It degrades them to nothing more than an object, which neglects to recognize the other qualities many women possess. Many women are driven and hard-working, and we are all more than our face-value appearance. By ranking girls solely based on how they appeal to (what was most likely) a male running an account, it not only degrades and objectifies them, but neglects to recognize the other traits women possess.
Senior Natalie Woleab believes it’s harmful for women to be ranked.
“It was objectifying and degrading for the female students that go there,” she said.
Beauty is an amorphous concept, not one-size-fits-all. Sure, plastic surgeons have tried to contradict this claim, but beauty is subjective, and cannot be determined by measuring someone’s face to see if they fit the “golden ratio.” Everyone has their own traits that make them beautiful, and beauty does not simply fit into a “top 10” list. Additionally, ranking people solely based on their attractiveness is a shallow way to perceive others. Why only look at girls based on how they look? What if we looked deeper, and examined the other traits they possess? By only looking at girls with the intention of ranking them, it is direct objectification, which is entirely disrespectful and unfair.
To be clear, it’s the system’s fault, not the women’s. The girls who were ranked are, of course, beautiful, but it leaves the vast majority of the school feeling left out. Some may be wondering why they aren’t on that list, and if they are still beautiful.
A person sitting behind a screen does not have the power to dictate and categorize one’s beauty (even if they think otherwise). As women, we are so much more than someone’s shallow and narrow view of what they believe is beautiful. We cannot forget that.
The account is indicative of a larger culture of being demeaning toward women at Township. It seems that Township’s spirit of competitiveness has transferred to ranking girls, which is ultimately harmful to women. Instead of celebrating women’s achievements, harmful Instagram posts are being made doing precisely the opposite. I’m not saying we need to banish Township’s culture of competition entirely; instead, we need to redirect toward things that don’t degrade women.
Junior Wyatte Lyons echoes this, saying, “I also feel that this account was so typical of students at Township. We never really seem to build each other up, instead we just do the opposite.”
As women at Township, it is our job to support each other. We can’t fight this alone. We also need to find our male allies who will support us along the way. Compliment each other in the halls, and help cultivate a welcoming atmosphere for everyone, but especially women. Help me in making Township a kinder, more positive place for women.
