If we haven't learned "it's just Twitter" is the most senseless statement of all time by now, then I'm not quite sure when we will. As people proceed to post an endless stream of opinions on the application referred to as "just Twitter" they find themselves in hot water and heated debates.
A heated debate vs. the Twittersphere is exactly what Erykah Badu aka @fatbellybella got yesterday when she received scrutiny for her latest rant which left many, including myself, scratching their heads in confusion. Erykah Badu's series of controversial tweets were centered around her stance on a recent article ruling that high school girls wear lengthier skirts to avoid distracting their male instructors.
Ultimately, what I pulled from her statements spewed out in 140 characters or less at a time was that:
It is not women's fault for being attractive (okay…)
And it is natural for men to be aroused by these attractive women (go on…)
But when women do not conceal certain body parts that "naturally arouse” men… then women have played a fair part in whatever actions aroused men take.
(tap to enlarge)
There were some in agreement with her stance, some who opposed it completely, and others who were left wishing more celebrities took the Beyonce approach and didn't tweet at all. However, it was clear Ms. Badu enjoyed the exchange of thought.
(tap to enlarge)
I love Erykah Badu soOoOoOo much, and because I love her and can usually agree with her words, I wanted to agree with her statements so badly - and i mean SO BADLY. But I just couldn't.
I'm not going to bash the idea that long skirts for high school girls are a bad idea, because during my time in grade school I was always under the impression that school dress codes are in place because of the things that you would associate with school. You're learning. You're doing work. You're thinking. You're listening. Schools typically have a code of conduct, because grade school is a place of discipline. Usually places such as these, where you are expected to behave in a particular way, also require you to dress in a particular way. A formality. That's what I thought dress codes were.
Never have I ever dressed to make life easier for men. Ew.
And I'm sad to say, that is the point that I pulled out of Erykah Badu's argument: That women should wear clothes that cover their body parts to make life easier for predatory men and, in turn, themselves. And that is something that I cannot agree with. I cannot say that by avoiding dressing however I want, and instead, taking extra measures to cover up every part that may tempt a male, I'm doing "my part" to avoid harassment or unwanted attention and actions.
No ma'am, Ms. Badoula.
If that were the case, I would be left covering, tucking, wrapping, and pressing down different body parts until the cows come home.
I found that Erykah Badu's entire argument makes it so the female, the victim in these situations, will be left wondering what else they should cover up... what else they should do to avoid "tempting" their predator… if given unwanted attention. When, in actuality, it could all be so simple: don't touch what you aren't invited to.
That's like saying that if you didn't want to get innocently shot at the hands of racist police officers with racist motives, you should not have dressed in a way that you KNOW will intimidate them. Because "we are all responsible". That's like saying that if you don't want your coworkers to eat your lunch, you should hide it in the back of the break room fridge and make sure it doesn't look too appetizing, or else it is half your fault when your meal is stolen. Because "we are all responsible".
(tap to enlarge)
Ms. Badu, likely, even with long boots on, I am left paranoidly staring down into the grass watching for snakes. Is the argument that this is how alert I should be on a day to day around these "naturally sex driven" men? Because, if I in fact wear my long boots, a determined serpent may find a better place to bite me other than my concealed legs. It may patiently watch and wait for me to take a walking break and remove my boots in order to attack. It may even jump inside the fucking boot.
Regardless of attire - a predator will prey. And the last thing any women should think to herself is