Victoria Pendleton

Do you really see the world like this? It's not the 70s. Surely nobody in modern Britain thinks that strong successful women are in any way a threat to the status quo. The're part the status quo and have been for decades. Men are attracted to strong powerful and successful women - there's no struggle between this and femininity.

I've thought long and hard about whether I actually mean this. It's maybe not as straightforward as it sounds, because of course there's far more than just one status quo. People see the world in different ways. And don't be so quickly to assume that the problem lies with men. The examples I've thought of all seem to be of women comforting their own insecurities. (Or at least that's my reading of it.)

The interview that accompanied VP's last naked photoshoot (last year sometime - the Observer?) also had her slagging off her 'unfeminine' competitors, and dwelt on the fact that she's really into baking and sewing. I gave her the benefit of the doubt then (I'm really into baking myself, so it would have been a bit hypocritical not to), but this most recent feature just confirms my doubts. (But of course - VP may have been misportrayed, or may feel that her enactment of femininity is very empowering, or something else entirely. I just don't like the way she comes across.)

Another example: I've seen loads and loads of women who, shortly after coming out as gay, rather than doing the stereotypical head-shaving thing, actually become more conventionally feminine, as if to prove that being a lesbian hasn't turned them into a raging bulldyke. I did it myself.

Another example: Some article I read in the last couple of weeks (would have been either the Times or the Guardian) about employment, glass ceilings and women's management style. Apparently women are less likely to be promoted if they're single or childless, because they're seen as being not so good with people, and lacking empathy. (Rather than being women's own insecurities, this is an example of other people's suspicion of women who don't fulfil a certain set of roles.)

Another example: a woman I was a university with - extremely successful in her career, but one confided to me that she was always worried she came across as far too masculine. It actually made me laugh, because she was one of the most feminine (and least masculine) people I knew.

I'm not saying it's a universal pheonomenon - but I've seen it enough to consider it a reasonably prevalent trend. Either you haven't experienced it (in which case, lucky you), or you haven't noticed it - or you just see these things differently. I'll admit that all the cases I've cited could be interpreted in different ways, and I always welcome a change of perspective.

And no, it wouldn't be better to get rid of nice photos of beautiful people wearing not much. It would be indescribably worse. I don't need a return to puritan Victorian moral prudishness thank you. A society which is comfortable with nudity is one which is comfortable with its own humanity and sexuality. A mature society with high level of respect, tolerance and freedom. This is a healthy thing. The opposite can be found wherever Islamists hold power.
I'm afraid I'm with Mitre_Tester on this - and I don't think most of the nudity in our society is healthy. Far too many people are growing up thinking that the only way for a girl to be successful in life is for her to be goodlooking and semi-naked. I try to rise above it, but I ride past god knows how many billboard-sized bikini-clad women every day, and yes - it does sometimes make me feel paranoid about my body.

I'm not a prude... hmmm, just thought about it, and actually maybe by definition I am, but I'm certainly not a puritan. I wholeheartedly approve of nudity, sex and all the rest of it - but I do think it would be a lot more exciting if we saw slightly less of it in public. Only slightly less - I'm not advocating Victorian censorship or anything. But I reckon some people would get a lot more excited by their partners' bodies if they hadn't already seen about 200 pairs of breasts by the time they get home from work.

And I really do object to the way that almost everything these days seems to be sexualized (recently read something in which a man claimed not to change his daughter's nappy 'because I'm a bloke and that would be a bit wrong'), and would like it if it were kept in its place a bit more. But that's probably a whole different discussion...