Legging-Gate

The world is once again atwitter with something a blogger has to say. This time it’s an Oregon mom and her decision to abstain from leggings. Frankly, I don’t see what the fuss is about.

Partridge says at the very beginning of her blog post that she’s not trying to tell anyone else what to do. This is her story behind her choice. She is a Christian woman blogging about her life as a wife and mother and her relationship with God. No one should be surprised that modesty matters to this woman.

Her husband says what other men have been saying for years. Yes, certain individuals will stare regardless and Partridges acknowledges she can’t control that. She is just adjusting her wardrobe decisions so that she’s more comfortable.

I’m a liberal feminist but I kind of agree with her. I have always found the leggings as pants trend tacky because I'm not interested in your secret Victoria. There are some details I don't want or need about random women shopping at Trader Joe's. 

I have a pair of fleece lined leggings that are one step away from tights. Very little is left to the imagination. My personal rule is that if I’m wearing leggings, I must be able to cover up any potential camel toe.

Yoga pants can be better than leggings but it depends on the fit. Again, I tend to wear longer shirts when I’m rocking my track or yoga pants. It’s a more flattering cut for me and it’s what I’m comfortable with. Partridge isn’t deliberately shaming anyone and neither am I. We both have opinions on this trend and have adjusted our wardrobe accordingly.

It’s not just Partridge feeling the backlash about tamer wardrobe decisions. Taylor Swift embraces crop tops and shows a bit of stomach and everyone is clamoring about her belly button. It’s a bigger deal that Taylor Swift isn’t flashing more skin than Ariana Grande’s disinterest in performing in pants. How about we do a news story about why women choosing a bit of modesty is such a big frakking deal?

The feminist issue that comes into play is respecting women's decisions about their bodies. Both Partridge and I agree on this particular issue for somewhat different reasons but I understand her reasons and respect them. 

It's her body and her choice and she has not presented this in any other way. If you feel judged or shamed by what she or I are saying, that says more about you and your own insecurities than it does about us.

The F-Bomb Is Dropping

Feminist is becoming a very charged word despite a remarkable number of people trying to shut it down. TIME memorably said it should be banned. This backfired royally with a massive media backlash.

A variety of pop stars and actresses have come out against feminism in the recent past as I have said many times but some minds have finally started changing.

Beyonce perfectly displays how feminism isn't an all or nothing game. Find the space where you're comfortable that aligns with your beliefs.

Lady Gaga and Katy Perry both said the label didn't apply to them. After an education about the equality the word really represents, both have changed their tune. Neither will be marching in a rally any time soon but let's enjoy baby steps.

Taylor Swift hung out with Lena Dunham and realized that she was absolutely a feminist. She even had some interesting things to say about how she's often reduced to her relationships and inability to keep them. I loved how she played on this trope in her video for Blank Space.

Unfortunately, not all minds are so open. Despite several outcries, Kelly Clarkson still hasn't made any response to the ugly and ignorant things she said about feminism and feminists a year ago. I can't listen to her music anymore because of what she said. I lost all respect for her. It's a combination of the blatant hypocrisy and her breathtaking, willful ignorance.

Clarkson has been out of small town Texas long enough to figure out what the word means and how the independence she values epitomizes it. She's called out music execs for sexist behavior and the amount of attention paid to her weight but somehow she's not a feminist.

Maybe she doesn't want to alienate the conservative country crowd she's been courting so hard since she feel in love with Brandon Blackstock. It might explain why Carrie Underwood is still singing the same old song. Although country music seems to be changing its tune with Girl in a Country Song and Quarterback.

Please name any other group of people celebrities can openly misrepresent and bad mouth without media backlash? Who else can consistently be reduced to its extremists without anyone major complaining?

You can't touch religions although Christian extremists and hypocrites are vocal enough to make this surprising. Gamergate has created a very discernible barrier between normal gamers and misogynistic troglodytes. Mormons have come out against the polygamist minority, especially since the poly folks started getting their own shows. I can't think of any group that earns such open dismissal and derision from society.

Amy Poehler said she doesn't get why people like Shailene Woodley come out against feminism. "But then they go on to explain what they support and live by -- it’s feminism exactly. I think some big actors and musicians feel like they have to speak to their audience and that word is confusing to their audience. But I don’t get it. That’s like someone being like, "I don’t really believe in cars, but I drive one every day and I love that it gets me places and makes life so much easier and faster and I don’t know what I would do without it."

A blog I just discovered has the best response to those type of women: "You are either a feminist or you actually think you should get paid less for equal work."

Until some of these women learn what it means to get their cars taken away from them, Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Madonna don't need my money. Any production with Shailene Woodley, Susan Sarandon, Demi Moore, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dita Von Teese, or Gwenyth Paltrow can look somewhere else for their box office dollars.

I'm gonna go crank Taylor's new album and see what Bustle and BuzzFeed have to say today.

PS - Some of the above women say they're 'humanists.' It's a lazy cop-out to say they love equality but are scared of the f-bomb.