Lots to mull over here, as usual! I do have quite a few qualms with society's definition of the two sexes, some of which are perhaps unwarranted. I am quite bothered by guys frequent qualifications of girls as "hot" or other rather one-dimensional assessments of beauty. However, I am quite content to observe the prettiness of certain boys, or expound excessively on the loveliness of a guy's cheekbones to a friend. Hypocritical? I think so. But that doesn't mean it's OK to allow the defining factor of members of our society to be determined by their height, build, skin tone, nose profile, eyebrow shape, and other absurd features.

While I can be reactionary to society's definitions of what it means to be a woman, I do think that there is much that could be improved. Sooo many studies in psychology and sociology that we discuss in class have suggested time and time again that our cultures expectations and perceptions of females are at best unrealistic. This results in girls' insatiable quests to achieve some ideal of "beauty," and limits our ability to appreciate true beauty.

I love clothes. I love blow drying my hair. I love painting my nails red. I love wearing a little black dress with lipstick and dancing around to "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" in my basement while eating the cookies I just baked from a Martha Stuart recipe. But that doesn't mean I should need a form-fitting dress, some makeup, and superb domestic abilities to know that I am lovable and beautiful. It just means that I, as an individual who happens to be a girl, enjoy these things, and try not to do them for someone else.

My cousin James loves to bake. My friend Caitlin grows her leg hair for miles and miles. My old Sunday School student Ben adores wearing beads and scarves. My auntie Anne plays really rough hockey every Wednesday night in the winter. My dad cries a river every time we watch a sappy movie. Crystal despises wearing fancy dresses with a passion that I've never encountered.  And that's fine. In fact, it's lovely, because they're experiencing what it means to embrace what God made them as, and living that out rather than some societal ideal. That, to me, is beauty. I'm glad you appreciate that too.

Christians really irk me the most when it comes to gender-related things. But that's a thought for another day, when I'm not studying for a midterm! For now, I'm content to concur with the thoughtful points brought up in your entry, and continue to enjoy the Dove campaign. Although their ad is being put out basically so they can sell some more bars of soap, it's advertising that I can admire, be inspired by, and support. I'm sorry for writing an extended rant on your blog Jill; there's more to say, and this is kind of incomplete and hurried, but this post was too good to delay commenting on (as I did with your last entry...).

You are truly beautiful, Jill. You are fully loved.

P.S. I'm saddened to hear that Blogger is being such a pain for you! I promise it isn't usually; it's beginner's bad luck I suppose. Whether on Spaces or Blogger though, I'll continue to enjoy what you courageously put down on that terrifying white.

P.P.S. The link you e-mailed was positively delightful. Long live the moustache!