"Could you please turn your misogyny down? I'm trying to study!"

WARNING: I'm on my period, and I speak the truth, though I would say this whether or not I was (I just thought I'd tackle it early to avoid "she's on the rag" comments). Do not comment calling me a man-hater. I fully recognize that this may have been an extreme case, but nevertheless, this is a true story.

I'm sitting at a table in Pollock Commons doing my homework, minding my own business. 

Observation:
I'm sitting at my table. A group of four guys congregate about 15 feet from me. They're speaking loud. Guy says, that last night he was "breaking down those girls' self-esteem." Friends laugh. Guy keeps telling friends how he told this girl she wasn't his type when he met her at the club. He told another girl she has a nice nose for a Jewish girl. Guy refers to girls as "slutty-ass hoes." He says he doesn't mind being mean, it's what girls deserve. He said he didn't care-- he was drunk. He actually said these things.

My adrenaline was rushing. I could feel the heat rising in my face. I didn't say anything, though my mind was racing. I wish I had said something. I was very close to getting up and going over, but four against one is not a great ratio.

I wish I could have yelled over, "Could you please turn your misogyny down? I'm trying to study!"

How dare anyone make a comment to a person with the intent of breaking down their self-esteem. As a person, I know that comments matter. It's hard just to brush it off. It's hard to recognize that you are worth something when someone insults your most public version of yourself-- your appearance. In high school, a group of girls began referring to me as "Beaky" (heh heh, so creative. My name is Becky and I have a nose. So much win.). I knew their comments didn't mean anything, and that ultimately I don't have a big nose. However, it definitely made me insecure. It was hurtful, especially because it was meant to hurt me.

It is hard enough to be a person in this world, so why do we make it harder for each other? Girls, especially, do not live in a girl-friendly world. We're constantly told we're not good enough from the media-- not smart enough, not attractive enough, why don't you have a boyfriend yet?!, not fit enough, not stylish enough, I could go on forever-- why should we be told the same thing from the people in our lives, much less strangers?

What I experienced today was not okay. This was a blatant display of misogyny. The guy speaking knew what he was saying. He admitted his intentions very clearly. What I don't quite understand was his need to say he's drunk. Was that an admission of guilt-- the alcohol made me do it? Was it his way of justifying it to himself because surely, he had to know he was wrong? I don't know. I do know it was hateful towards women.

Where does this stop? Literally nowhere. Misogyny is in our museums...

our advertisements...

even on our clothes!

So don't tell me I'm making a big deal out of nothing.

Don't tell me that I am overreacting.

Don't say that I should lighten up.

Do not tell me I'm a man-hater or a female supremacist.

To the men in my life that are supportive, caring, and respect women, I LOVE YOU. I wish everyone had you in their lives. Thank you for being the wonderful people that you are. 

I shaved my legs with a dude razor.

It was exactly like it sounds, folks.

I was in the shower, stranded, and called for my mom to please bring me a razor. I desperately needed it. When I have no one to impress around, I tend to neglect my leg hair. Actually, that's a lie. I really only shave my legs when it hurts  to rub them together.

Anyone who knows me think that this was some feminist stunt to manufacture some feminist rant. It's not. I speaketh the truth. 

So I was in the shower, and really, really  needed to shave my legs. My mom brought me a razor, all right. She brought me the best a man can get. Yes. She brought me this.

At first I was skeptical. The razor handle is made of metal. I can't even tell you how many times I thought that my little purple Venus would be much better if it was metal.

I think it's actually spring loaded, too. I accidentally shot myself with the blade. That button where the handle meets the head is just that. A button. Watch your eyes.

It also has more blades. When dude razor commercials bragged of the benefits of 5 blades instead of 4, I didn't think it would actually make that much more difference. It. Does. For me, it's not a good shave if I haven't cut my skin 893 times so that the drain has a slight pink ring of blood around it. Nothing! No nicks! I wasn't even worried, and I'm the girl who doesn't even have interesting stories for my scars! "Oh yes, that badass looking scar on my knee was from The Shave of '09... What a bloodbath."

So compared to lady razors, it's definitely more dudely. Heavier. Bigger. Harder. Enthusiastic.

But honestly, I think I'm converted. I don't think anyone really likes to shave their legs. I don't. I'm too afraid of giving myself yet another scar, so I just don't. If lady shavers knew that dude razors don't hurt and they'll cut your shaving time down, why not use them? I think I may from now on.

Whatevs. I don't even care if they're meant for men. I like the Gillette Fusion. I really don't have any complaints... other than the metal. The metal is overkill.

I feel like I need to touch on this. I'm a feminist, but when it comes to leg shaving. I  don't stand here,

but I don't stand here either. (Not to mention how incredibly gendered, homophobic, beauty-prejudiced and narrow-minded this picture is is...)

And I absolutely do not stand here. (...Is this a thing?)

Anyway, it's time for me to conclude. If it works for you, do it. If it doesn't, try sometime else. If you like it, great, and if you don't, that's fine too. Give it a try, it may surprise you.

Sure,  using a dude razor may not be some huge, symbolic statement for how people should live their life... but why not?

Our daily experiences should remind us of how we want to live, and I want to be open-minded.

TwoFaced