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Vegetable legs

(48 Posts)
thatbags Sun 08-Feb-15 08:34:19

This tweet asks why women's legs are compared to vegetables. Actually, the answer is there in the info — it's about the leg fit of boots. I realise the tweeter is objecting to the objectification of women. It can be annoying, I agree. But there is also a simple answer to the remark that men's legs are not spoken of in this way: men's legs are not usually on show and men don't wear that kind of boot (not counting riding boots, etc) so the categorisation doesn't arise.

What are other people's reactions to the tweet?

petallus Sun 08-Feb-15 08:38:41

I just knew I'd be carrot legs!

Don't at all mind women's legs being compared to vegetables.

percival Sun 08-Feb-15 08:47:38

They all look good to me smile

TriciaF Sun 08-Feb-15 09:14:13

They all look the same to me (on the link.)
Mine are like birds legs, spindleshanks.

Soutra Sun 08-Feb-15 09:21:22

Because it's the Daily Wail of course! TBH if the link had been to the DM it would have saved me the time of clicking -yet another Adm non-story!! (and mine are probably parsnips!!grin. )

Soutra Sun 08-Feb-15 09:22:13

That should be DM non-story, why does my iPad think it knows best? Must be a man.

janeainsworth Sun 08-Feb-15 09:23:18

dailym.ai/1yRJReV
This is a link to the original article - what else can one expect from that once-proud organ?
It says something like 40% of women over 50 are 'unhappy' with the shape of their legs.
Really? It's bad enough that young women are pressured into Botox, breast implants etc but depressing that 40% of grownup women still feel unhappy with one or more aspects of their bodies, because of media pressure to be perfect.
Yes I know this article is supposed to be about a piece of 'research'...... Pull the other one.

Teetime Sun 08-Feb-15 09:29:45

Marrowsad but I prefer inverted champagne bottle smile

annodomini Sun 08-Feb-15 09:39:21

This is a story about a story creating a story! Never before have I heard of women's legs being compared to vegetables!

thatbags Sun 08-Feb-15 09:55:58

You have now, anno! smile

Do men mind when their "six packs" are referred to? Is a carrot worse than a bunch of cans of beer?

Genuine questions. A lot of modern feminism seems to me to be objections to people talking about women's bodies. Some of it I struggle with because I think we should just shrug it off. The more we react, as in that tweet, the more people tease, compare to vegetables, etc.

Why do we care so much what men (but mainly, perhaps, other women) think of our bodies? why does it seem to matter so much? Is it because, actually, biologically, it does matter, or did until recently when we could begin to overcome fitness and health problems that could, possibly were, seen as biologically 'unsound'. I'm trying to pick my words carefully here. Not sure I'm succeeding. But the point is, I'm genuinely puzzled about this whole issue of women displaying (as many do; I've used that word in a biological sense to mean in a similar way to how other animals display 'fitness', such as birds' colourful and extravagant feathers, lions' manes, and so on) and then complaining when other people make comments on the display. I'm thinking that if other animals could talk they be just the same.

Oldgreymare Sun 08-Feb-15 09:56:09

Forget vegetables, mine are birds'legs. Sparrow or Swan, the latter when I appear calm and serene but am paddling like hell to keep afloat, the former 'cos they are twig-like from the knee down. smile

thatbags Sun 08-Feb-15 09:57:25

Waits for jingle to say I'm over-thinking smile

thatbags Sun 08-Feb-15 09:58:25

Like it, ogm! smile I don't think of my legs as comparable to vegetables and I don't care if someone else does.

petallus Sun 08-Feb-15 10:07:09

Turnip head
Couch potato
Cauliflower ear

I'm trying to think of other parts of the body described as vegetables

ffinnochio Sun 08-Feb-15 10:09:43

Biologically hard-wired to care I'd say. Being seen to be the best mate to further the species - and visa-versa.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder is it not?
Perhaps 'leg' men have differing preferences to carrots, marrows or champagne.
Perhaps women prefer six-packs and strong thighs over man boobs.

Penstemmon Sun 08-Feb-15 10:40:38

Is the objection to do with the feeling that commenting on physical appearance ( as happens to women more often than men) in the media undermines the value of women as intellectual /thinking people? Is the frequent references to women's appearance &and dress imply they need to look a certain way to be considered worthwhile? Is there a value judgement being made in saying 'look at those marrow/ parsnip legs! Mine for the record might be described as aubergine..but stumpy will do!

Penstemmon Sun 08-Feb-15 10:42:08

Sorry using phone and so missed lots of errors in grammar b4 posting!

annodomini Sun 08-Feb-15 11:00:59

For your sake, Penstemmon, I do hope that 'aubergine' doesn't describe the colour of your legs. grin

janeainsworth Sun 08-Feb-15 11:14:53

Bags I don't think that making yourself look reasonably presentable in the hope of attracting a mate, which I agree is a normal biological process, is at all the same thing as 'displaying' large expanses of flesh in a tabloid newspaper.
And that normal biological process doesn't justify women being judged on their appearance in spheres other than that of attracting a mate - writing books, for example. When Colleen McCullough died last week, several obituaries, including I believe The Australian, which should have known better, started off by condemning her physical appearance sad

janerowena Sun 08-Feb-15 11:49:41

I have no idea which shape my legs are because I have never studied them! They are just legs!

Penstemmon Sun 08-Feb-15 11:52:04

I have said this before but will say again. I think equality of gender means that people should be free to dress and adorn in ways to please themselves rather than others or others' expectatìons/manipulations.

Soutra Sun 08-Feb-15 11:58:40

TG for trousers! (And short sight)

janerowena Sun 08-Feb-15 12:03:33

Very true, penstemmon.

MiniMouse Sun 08-Feb-15 14:21:38

The article doesn't specify which way up the vegetables are!

petallus Sun 08-Feb-15 14:45:34

janer I am amazed that you have never studied your legs. I was always worrying about my thighs being too fat when I was a young teenager, not helped by a neighbour saying 'ooh, tree trunks' when she saw me in my shorts.

minimouse legs being the shape of an inverted carrot defies the imagination! grin