Are women considered a public property in the west? are they forced to dress up explicitly for strange men?

Question

I am interested to know why women in the west dress up so explicitly? is it there choice or do they feel they have to dress up in a certain way dictated by the fashion and other commercial industries? if they are dictated by others is that not oppression? your body is your body shouldn't you have all the rights over it or should it be on display for others pleasure? also when it comes to adult materials(pornography) why most of the women are white in other words from the West? I would appreciate your well thoughtful comments.

Answer 1

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Hello Amir ~
No, women are not considered public property in the western society... and by far, not ALL women in the west dress in a provocative 'explicit' fashion as you put it. I live in England and women are very much their own beings. They choose how to express themselves, how to dress and how to behave. This doesn't mean that there are not the few, that you see in the media or on magazines who dress to flaunt their bodies for money or behave badly in public for press attention.... these women (just like the men who do the same thing) are only causing embarassment for themselves. Although from my own experience their are some men / males from all corners of the world ( western included!!) who tend to treat women as if they have a right to get too close to them, to invade their physical and mental space (talking to them in a dominant invasive way when you don't even know them) ...this includes men who have been raised in eastern cultures and the there is great variancy in this I know... but even some men who have been raised in an islamic setting and should show more respect ( by true islamic laws) for women, have shown that they do not. As if by being here in the west they can treat women or 'white' women however they want as though western women will accept it. Myself and others have experienced this a lot and it makes me feel sad and angry. It is not because I have one single atom of my being that is prejudiced against other cultures either... I study and embrace other cultures and my husband is asian and from a very very different culture from me... he also sees this happening and it disappoints him too.

There will always be some women who choose to dress in a way that exposes their body and their sexuality or faked sexuality ( for the cameras ) because they can make a lot of money from that...it's *big* business sadly... I personally (like many others) feel it's not a wise way to live to but that is their OWN choice, their OWN responsibility... and that's what women have here in the west..the freedom and ability to take responsibility for how they express themselves in public.
Men are still very dominant, and yes, within the sex industry there are those women who have sadly chosen that route and ALSO there are those who have been manipulated and bullied into it by men... and some women later on end up deeply regretting being involved in those things and exploiting themselves that way. (Here's hoping that you're not someone foolish enough to buy into the hype of the porn industry yourself by using it... it's better to strive to find a real relationship than to gaze at women and fantasise.) BUT as a whole, there is no 'higher body' of authority dictating what we wear or how we wear it, not at all. We are completely FREE to choose.

Women in the west are certainly NOT '''''...forced to dress up explicitly for strange men.'''''''' to quote your question. It is a little sad for you and others that you believe that, or have been led to believe that. It is like looking at a sore hand and saying that the *whole* body is diseased. It is a distorted view. :o(

The fashion industry does have sway, but not always in a destructive way.... it is an industry especially followed by youth... and there are literally thousands and thousands of women (and men) who do not dress according to the latest fashion trends... they go there own way and choose for themselves. Have you been to the west...? Are you in the west..? If so, where are you...? Have you experienced first hand, all of the many, many other women who do not and would not dress indecently...? Who have dignity and self~respect..? It is true that the media gives a very distorted impression... to keep the our misconceptions up about other countries and cultures... it is much wiser to SEE beyond that and learn for yourself how things REALLY are... LOOK past what they want you and us to believe. There are oppressive tendencies in many cultures to greater or lesser extents, all over this world... but for our own sakes we need to look more closely at exactly where this is occurring in the true sense of the word... not let the media or things we have heard sway our thoughts, before we actually have true knowledge about something.

BE WISE, look harder and longer and study more deeply before you judge! ;O) Things are not always as they at first seem, truth lies deeper than the superficial things we are shown on the surface.

It takes strength of character to always withhold ourselves from being swept up into what the rest of our society or other power wants us to think.. and to find out for ourselves... but is is wiser, and *braver*, and in the end will benefit you and the world as a whole much more.

take care and good luck in your life.

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Answer 2

Women aren't forced to dress explicitly they aren't forced to completely cover up either. Women are given the freedom to use their own minds & dress how they choose to whether it be in the current fashion or not.
We have the right to decide which if any parts of our bodies we don't want to cover, much better to have personal choice than be forced to cover up all the time.

Most of the women in pornography are from the west because we do not behead etc women for making money out of the men who are so pathetic they need to buy the magazines.

Answer 3

Well most women in the West don't dress up explicitly. Most women here wear long pants and short-sleeved shirts covering their breasts or skirts and a top-a lot depends on the season. I don't think most women feel they have to dress any way just because thats whats in fashion right now. In America its definately your own choice-its your body you have control over it.

Most of the women that dress explicitly are celebrities in movies and music videos-this is definately their own choice. They usually dress this way to cultivate an image as being sexy and to get attention.

Answer 4

No, women are not "forced" to dress the way they do. Many women choose to dress conservatively in the "West". Some do dress "explicitly", but that's on them, not on society itself. Most decent people know that such things aren't acceptable. The way I look at clothing is this: I show enough skin so that those who think I'm attractive are curious as to what the rest of me looks like...and I cover enough so that those who DON'T consider me attractive aren't disgusted.
More white women do star in adult movies...but there are plenty of other kinds as well. I've seen everything ranging from Asian porn, to Indian, to Arab, to African-American, and just about everything in between. It used to be a contest between my friends and I. We'd get as much porn as we could find and make fun of it. It was a really entertaining way to spend a couple hours. But I digress.
I'm afraid you've been misinformed. There are all kinds of fashion in the West, and just about all of it is at least somewhat acceptable.

Answer 5

Women dress the way THEY want to. Most women don't actually dress very "explicitly", but they have the choice because they are not bound to do what MEN tell them. They are free.
If you think people showing their bodies is wrong. (Oh shock, horror, God made us so disgusting!!) then maybe you should question your own prejudices
You seem to know a lot about pornography, are you one of those !!hypocrites who rant about morality while indulging in your own sleazy activities? Seeing as I don't look at porn. I wouldn't presume to argue about whether they are mostly white, black or Asian!
You have been taught that unbridled lust is normal for men. It isn't, it's learnt. Not that you'd be able to agree, your conditioning is too heavy, don't you realize that you have been oppressed?
And by the way, pornography isn't ADULT, it's the resort of the people who are too inadequate to have real relationships with real women!.

Answer 6

Well I've never heard of a Western woman being criminalised for her choice of dress, but anyone can be charged with indecent exposure. I have heard that some cultures (not in the West) do dictate what women wear and have very serious penalties if the dress code is not followed.

Answer 7

Attractive women here dress that way to show off their bodies and to get more attention from men. They definitely don't have to dress that way. It is usually women between 15 and 35 that do it. Also they enjoy dressing that way because they feel sexy when they do.

Nobody owns the women here. They have all the rights men do. They can even run for president and there is talk of some doing it next time.

Answer 8

Men and women in all cultures are influenced by other people . It's a survival mechanism common to all group animals . At present in the west there is less fear of being rejected for one's appearance than in more judgmental times ,so ,men and women can express themselves and their values more freely.
In many third world countries in traditional tribes ,it is common to wear very little clothing as it's not necessary. In the past Europeans tried to change these traditions as they could not let go of their own conditioning, and appreciate other viewpoints.

It does seem however to me that social changes ( sexual equality, wider social equality ,etc) have left us in a bit of a value void.
But all changes take time to settle in ,and hopefully the celebration of liberty ,which sometimes manifests in pushing the boundaries , will mature over time.
Also ,though ,I do feel that the emphasis on money and consumption is having many negative effects on people's behaviour, dress codes being the least of them.

Answer 9

I wear what i feel comfortable in, i dont care about fashion and dont even like most of it. i think women dress explicitly because the boundaries are a lot lower in these modern times and the east is a bit behind the west so the boundaries are higher.

Answer 10

This is a silly question brought on by the mass media or a deliberate misunderstanding of the western culture. Either way, women are not property, and those who chose to dress explicitly as you say do so of their free will.

Answer 11

No, they are not forced to do anything. They have freedom of choice to dress however they want to. Nothing is dictated. There are no fashion police. Bodies are not put on display for other's pleasures.