Just listening to the world service before bed, I heard this interview with a London teenager (part of a series on Outlook, about the 2012 generation). The young woman, who sounds quite remarkable, was apparently an excellent swimmer. But she reports that she ditched her Olympic aspirations because the muscle she gained stopped her looking feminine. You can listen to the show here (its about 15 mins into the show).
One thought on “On the limitations of femininity”
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What a striking interview. I almost didn’t understand what she was saying was the problem about swimming, and then I realised the word was ‘manly’ – it was making her manly and ‘thick’. It’s also interesting, though, that her mother said at the end (a bit wistfully) that she’s a graceful swimmer with a beautiful stroke. It made me think about the way we ignore qualities which don’t fit the stereotype of an activity – like the power and strength of ballet dancers, or the grace of basketball.