a question for the vain

[9zizi]

I was just scrolling through my phone one day when this picture popped up, and underneath it was the following quote:

The thing about this is that sculptures like these in art history were for the male gaze. Photoshop a phone to it and suddenly she’s seen as vain and conceited. That’s why I’m 100% for selfie culture because apparently men can gawk at women but when we realize how beautiful we are we’re suddenly full of ourselves…

Following that quote was this one:

“You painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her, put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting “Vanity,” thus morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for you own pleasure.” ― John Berger, Ways of Seeing


It struck me then how often I hear people--mostly adults, and mostly older men, to be completely forthright--often giving people (mostly young women) a rough time for taking selfies. Our generation is consistently dubbed the "vain" or "selfish" generation, and in that conversation, the topic of selcas almost always crops up.

I'm a pretty vehement supporter of selcas, and despite what you may think, it isn't singularly because I think I'm really, really, ridiculously good looking ㅋㅋㅋㅋ but it's more that I find that if there's any capacity to which young people are encouraged to love themselves rather than feel insecurity or shame, it's valuable. Selcas do that: They allow young people--and more specifically, young women--to say, "Hey, I look awesome today, I feel good about myself"--as a social norm. That's really important.

What are your thoughts?

Comments

[linft]

My thought is that Sunggyu-hyung is truly the visual of Infinite ㅎㅎ

But my other thought is that...
I really like those reasons ㅎ
People should feel good about looking good nㅅn

[9zizi]

What do you want.

Right, exactly. I wonder why the older generation is so threatened by the younger generation feeling themselves. I mean--when wealthy people had massive portraits of themselves painted, isn't that pretty indulgent? ㅋㅋ

[linft]

I always say it..ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ What would I want!!!?

Mona Lisa must have been the selfie queen..ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ
The Kim Kardashian of her generation...heol..ㅎ

[leebin]

I can agree with those thoughts, for the most part! I feel a little differently about doing it to feel good about yourself, but then there's needing other people to tell you/comment/like/heart, etc. that you look good. In that sense, it's not really building up security in yourself, but instead depending on how others see you.

[9zizi]

I agree with you to a point, but I also think there's a real honesty and vulnerability in needing others to affirm you, you know? I'm not shy about admitting that I know I'm attractive ㅋㅋ but there are definitely days where I feel less attractive, and hearing from someone else that I look good is a nice way to keep my chin up.

Also, I apologize for not getting to this sooner. I never got a notification... ㅡ ㅡ

[yaho]

"isn't singularly"

but it is a one of the reasons, right? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ aish, this hyung. ah, but... i think i agree with hyung on this one...... to an extent. remember that one time you found my phone and when i finally got it back there were a million selcas on there taking up tons of space? and i got a finger cramp deleting them all? yeah.

[9zizi]

...Okay well that was just a clever prank/a wonderfully selfless favor.

[ddalgiwoo]

It kind of begs the question why we need pictures of ourselves to feel good about ourselves too doesn't it? ㅋㅋ I wonder what a world without mirrors was like.

=_= You better not ignore me.

[9zizi]

...That's a really interesting point. Hm.

I considered it but I'm really fucking good hearted.

[ddalgiwoo]

But I'm with you that we shouldn't feel bad about wanting to make ourselves feel good, and if it happens through taking pictures and validating our existence in that way, why not, right?~ Or if it's just to say hey, I'm feeling myself today, that's the best~ Sometimes it's nice to know that you actually exist somewhere else than inside your own head ㅋㅋㅋ

You have the golden heart of the Angels, hyung =_=♥