Day 2: Read my lips!

He who does not want to be named: “Looks like you would give a cracking blowjob.”

This was the first comment I received today, which was made without realizing how it supported a stereotype which had been produced ages before. Research showed that lipstick had been around for approximately 5000 years, and during most of this time it was a cosmetic reserved only for prostitutes. In medieval Europe it was banned completely. It was only in the early 1900s that it became acceptable. So my immediate reaction to this statement then was: have we not evolved since a time when men wearing armour, would wake up and plan their conquest of a country? Perhaps not, but once this person knew I wanted to blog about the comment, they immediately protested against being mentioned. So perhaps they have?

There is no harm in our minds making immediate associations with colours, textures, shapes and sizes… but what I became conscious about today was that these associations and generalizations we are prone to, can take our imaginations, creativity, and individuality captive. It is far easier to blend in than to stand out, because we are afraid of what people may think.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show's iconic red lips.

This movie is an epitome of what the medieval society was against... A “sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transsylvania." There is no irony in these lips being painted red. It is daunting knowing what connotations are attached to red lipstick and I am glad that today I was surrounded by people, who mostly knew me, and were not thinking: Is she trying to attract potential clients?