Our culture has a fixation on women’s undergarments. On one hand, they are objects used to inflame sexual desire. On the other hand, they are a hygienic barrier between our bodies and our clothes.
The Two Meanings of Panties: Sex Appeal and Hygeine
The intersection of the hygienic and the sexually arousing properties of panties is most interesting. Panties are always the first casualty of menstruation. Many women keep a few pairs of comfy, old, not so attractive panties around to wear during their periods. The collision occurs when men (or women), anticipating sexual stimulation, are shocked and dismayed by the sight of their female lovers in “granny panties.”
The irony is, that while many men are hell-bent to get into women’s panties, they are either disgusted or embarrassed by women’s periods. From this perspective, our bodies produce shameful fluids and smells, and only the proper pair of panties will keep those shameful elements of womanhood under control.
This sort of paradoxical thinking can only happen in a framework that both despises the feminine and objectifies women’s bodies. Sexy lingerie is simply a way to package those parts that men want to think about, and render the rest of a woman either invisible or insignificant.
Lingerie, the Objectification of Women, and Sexual Assault
It is this misogyny and objectification of women’s bodies that makes rape and other forms of sexual abuse not only possible, but likely. Rather than questioning this hatred and objectification, many of women help to perpetuate it. We spend a fortune on lingerie like push-up bras and tummy-flatteners, designed to conform to the objectified view of what women’s bodies are supposed to look like.
We spend another fortune on lingerie designed for its arousal potential: high cut, “barely there,” flimsy or binding undergarments are chosen over their comfortable, fully-covering counterparts. Our partners are only shocked when we don our “granny panties” because usually are more conscientious about wearing something “attractive.”
The point isn’t that in order to prevent rape we should all switch to granny panties. Instead, it’s important to be conscious of what you’re doing and why. And it’s important to make sure that your partner treats you as a whole being rather than as an object, regardless of what you choose to wear.
The Two Meanings of Panties: Sex Appeal and Hygeine
The intersection of the hygienic and the sexually arousing properties of panties is most interesting. Panties are always the first casualty of menstruation. Many women keep a few pairs of comfy, old, not so attractive panties around to wear during their periods. The collision occurs when men (or women), anticipating sexual stimulation, are shocked and dismayed by the sight of their female lovers in “granny panties.”
The irony is, that while many men are hell-bent to get into women’s panties, they are either disgusted or embarrassed by women’s periods. From this perspective, our bodies produce shameful fluids and smells, and only the proper pair of panties will keep those shameful elements of womanhood under control.
This sort of paradoxical thinking can only happen in a framework that both despises the feminine and objectifies women’s bodies. Sexy lingerie is simply a way to package those parts that men want to think about, and render the rest of a woman either invisible or insignificant.
Lingerie, the Objectification of Women, and Sexual Assault
It is this misogyny and objectification of women’s bodies that makes rape and other forms of sexual abuse not only possible, but likely. Rather than questioning this hatred and objectification, many of women help to perpetuate it. We spend a fortune on lingerie like push-up bras and tummy-flatteners, designed to conform to the objectified view of what women’s bodies are supposed to look like.
We spend another fortune on lingerie designed for its arousal potential: high cut, “barely there,” flimsy or binding undergarments are chosen over their comfortable, fully-covering counterparts. Our partners are only shocked when we don our “granny panties” because usually are more conscientious about wearing something “attractive.”
The point isn’t that in order to prevent rape we should all switch to granny panties. Instead, it’s important to be conscious of what you’re doing and why. And it’s important to make sure that your partner treats you as a whole being rather than as an object, regardless of what you choose to wear.
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