M Wollstonecraft: Statues of Women

**Marie Monday** · 11-11-2020, 08:19 AM

@Lisna, you make a very good point about what Mary herself would have thought of it. If there is good reason to assume she wouldn't have liked it, it's stupid and disrespectful to make a memorial like this.
About the second point, I agree that barbie doll culture is harmful, but this statue doesn't feel barbie doll-ish to me, even though it is an idealised female body. I mean that it doesn't feel like a sex object, but maybe my judgement is off here. Related to what I said about respect, I agree with hawk that nudity as shame is a notion we need to get rid of, which is why I think it would be more useful to make nude male statues customary (and yes, while we're at it let's make those statues less ridiculously beauty standard conforming)

adidasss · 11-11-2020, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

David of Michelangelo

Perhaps the most famous statue ever

It's a mythical figure, not an actual historical person.

OccultHawk · 11-11-2020, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Lisna, you make a very good point about what Mary herself would have thought of it. If there is good reason to assume she wouldn't have liked it, it's stupid and disrespectful to make a memorial like this.

Why? She’s dead. She doesn’t know it exists.

It’s what we think of it.

OccultHawk · 11-11-2020, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by adidasss

It's a mythical figure, not an actual historical person.

Whatever Tipper Gore

Lisnaholic · 11-11-2020, 08:26 AM

I'm surprised you feel so strongly on the issue, OH.

Yes, at one level we're all sex objects, but, I suspect most people, most of the time, like to be thought of as being more than that. We put on clothes and go about our lives in the hopes that people aren't continually assessing us as sex objects. In various ways, women are particularly vulnerable to that myopic vision imo.

**Frownland** · 11-11-2020, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

Why? She’s dead. She doesn’t know it exists.

It’s what we think of it.

It's like making a statue of Coltrane playing the guitar. It's not relevant to the subject unless the artist has some other intention with it. And doubly similar in that it's likely an attempt to gain relevancy because nobody cares about statues that aren't being torn down.

Lisnaholic · 11-11-2020, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marie Monday

@Lisna, you make a very good point about what Mary herself would have thought of it. If there is good reason to assume she wouldn't have liked it, it's stupid and disrespectful to make a memorial like this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

Why? She’s dead. She doesn’t know it exists.

It’s what we think of it.

The point of memorialising is to honour someone for their achievement, and I think speculating about the dead person's opinion is valid. The naked figurine seems like a slap in the face to MW's feminism.

OccultHawk · 11-11-2020, 08:36 AM

It’s like making a statue of Coltrane nude. He didn’t play guitar. Wollstonecraft had a body.

And even if they did show him playing guitar, whatever. What’s wrong with playing the guitar?

**Frownland** · 11-11-2020, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OccultHawk

It’s like making a statue of Coltrane nude. He didn’t play guitar. Wollstonecraft had a body.

That's not what either of them are known for.

Quote:

And even if they did show him playing guitar, whatever. What’s wrong with playing the guitar?

Irrelevant. **** off.

OccultHawk · 11-11-2020, 08:44 AM

Was it wrong of her to have a vagina?

View Poll Results: Your verdict on the MW monument
Take it down now	3	60.00%
Not great, but OK by me	2	40.00%
Looks nice to me	0	0%
A worthy monument to MW	0	0%
Voters: 5. You may not vote on this poll

11-11-2020, 08:26 AM	#15 (permalink)
Lisnaholic ...here to hear... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: He lives on Love Street Posts: 4,444	I'm surprised you feel so strongly on the issue, OH. Yes, at one level we're all sex objects, but, I suspect most people, most of the time, like to be thought of as being more than that. We put on clothes and go about our lives in the hopes that people aren't continually assessing us as sex objects. In various ways, women are particularly vulnerable to that myopic vision imo. __________________ "Am I enjoying this moment? I know of it and perhaps that is enough." - Sybille Bedford, 1953

11-11-2020, 08:36 AM	#18 (permalink)
OccultHawk one-balled nipple jockey Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Dirty Souf Biatch Posts: 22,006	It’s like making a statue of Coltrane nude. He didn’t play guitar. Wollstonecraft had a body. And even if they did show him playing guitar, whatever. What’s wrong with playing the guitar? __________________ 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Member of the Year & Journal of the Year Champion Behold the Writing of THE LEGEND: https://www.musicbanter.com/members-...p-lighter.html

11-11-2020, 08:44 AM	#20 (permalink)
OccultHawk one-balled nipple jockey Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Dirty Souf Biatch Posts: 22,006	Was it wrong of her to have a vagina? __________________ 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Member of the Year & Journal of the Year Champion Behold the Writing of THE LEGEND: https://www.musicbanter.com/members-...p-lighter.html