Helen Gurley Brown was on TV the other night, talking about sex, about her book, "Sex and the Single Girl," which she wrote in the 1960's, I believe, and about how it had a liberating effect on women. I felt somewhat ironic, hearing that, as she is, I believe, in her 70's, but was dressed up a la Cosmo girl, with lots of make-up, big hair, big jewelry, and a (I kid you not) leopard-print dress with lots of cleavage. She did not appear "liberated" to me. Liking sex is one thing, dressing like a trollop is something else, entirely. And, yes, "at her age" was certainly part of it.
If you look at women's magazines objectively, they are all about meeting men, attracting men's interest, and keeping it, with the ultimate goal of marriage, and living happily ever after. Nothing wrong with that, but not exactly "liberated."
The real problem, which nobody seems to explain to these girls, is that women want to commit too soon, they try to form permanent attachments too young. Even old Helen Gurley Brown doesn't have the decency to explain THAT, because how would she sell magazines? "Live your life, have a good time, date around, Mr. Right isn't ready to get married, yet, he'll show up when he is." "Climb mountains, go to Tibet, feed the homeless, do anything else but wear that stupid makeup and waste your life sitting by the telephone."
Nope, no money in that. |
