Nota Breve

Podia ter chamado este blog "Reflexões de uma luso-americana"; escolhi "Mensagem numa garrafa" por desconhecer o destino das minhas palavras e o impacto que estas terão. Será escrito nas versões de português de Portugal (pelos menos da maneira que me recordo) e de inglês americano.

This blog could have been named "Musings of a Portuguese-American"; I chose "Message in a Bottle" as I will never know who my words will reach and the impact they'll have on all those strangers. It is being written in American English, as well as in Portuguese from Portugal.

6 de janeiro de 2015

Ai vaidade, vaidade, a quanto obrigas…


In a country where 87% of women have foot problems due to heels or poor-fitting shoes, many are now resorting to drastic measures in order to fit into certain high-heeled designer shoes. In a classic example of supply and demand, podiatrists are now performing foot surgery on these women’s feet. While some have toe liposuction or fat inserted into the soles of their feet, others cut into bone in order to change the length of their toes or to get rid of them altogether. Stupid as stupid comes.

As long as they are not hurting anyone else in the process, I’m not usually bothered by what people do in the privacy of their own homes, or on their own time, or to their own bodies. I may not agree with them, but to each their own. But this is different. This is more than “It’s my body, I’ll do as I please” line of thought. As someone who stopped growing at the age of 12 and has been a member of the corporate world since 1985, I have witnessed more discrimination based on what people look like than on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity. And this is why I cannot stay indifferent to this nonsense.

Self-indulgence repulses me. Self-absorbed arrogant narcissists obsessed with appearances and keeping up with the Joneses disgust me. I know a few. Far more than I care to admit. Oh, and the notion of mutilating any part of my body in order to fit some man’s idea of beauty or fashion is just plain masochistic. Why some women fall into this (dangerous) trap is beyond my limited scope of comprehension. I will never, ever, ever allow anybody to exert that much power over me. 

What these women need is not a podiatrist; what these women need is a psychiatrist. I see some deeply rooted self-esteem issues here. I see some serious misplaced priorities. I see a microcosm of the society I live in. 

This is a society obsessed with height. This is a society obsessed with appearances. In the business world, it seems like in order to be taken seriously players must be tall and look a certain way. Short men in particular, are often times made fun of behind their backs and referred to as “that shrimp”. While a tall man who stands up for himself and exerts power over others is seen as hardworking, driven and confident (someone whose behavior should be emulated), a woman displaying the same type of behavior is viewed as a bitch and a short man who dares to do the same is mocked with accusations of feelings of inferiority and accused of suffering from a “Napoleon complex.” 

Whatever happened to people being judged on their own merits rather than on what they look like or wear? Corporate America is a culture of cut-throat lying back-stabbing SOB fakes, where power trips abound and (otherwise) decent folks quickly sell their souls in order to survive. And I’m sick of it!

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