I'm a Monster! Happy Halloween!

Anyone who knows me would know that I have a slight major obsession with monsters.  Dinosaurs? Love them.  Sesame Street? Yes Please. Anything related to Halloween? I'm all over it.

But just because I love Halloween, doesn't mean that I agree with...well, this.

Tonight, I found this amazing Brave New Voices 2013 Finals Sketch.

Not only is this sketch hilarious, it is also a very powerful commentary on femininity, relevant not only to Halloween, but daily life as well! It's no secret that we live in a society that is ruled by males.  Throughout history, women were treated inferior to men. (My history knowledge is almost purely art history, so bear with me here).

Less than 100 years ago women were granted the right to vote in the United States.  The 19th Amendment was passed by Congress on June 4, 1919 and ratified on August 18, 1920, in case you were wondering.  My 96-year old great grandmother was born before then and she is still alive, just to add a little perspective on how not so long ago that was.

It's hard to imagine what life would have been like for women when they didn't have the right to vote, the right to own property or even a right to an education.  We watch movies and read books about women during these times, but the story about the struggles of the lower class women is rarely told.  Our society only seems to care about the glamorous side of things, so they don't want to watch a movie about a woman who sews clothes to keep her family warm.  That isn't entertaining enough for us.

In my opinion the women before the 20th century were incredibly strong.  They may not have had a public voice and it was difficult for them to inflict change upon their society, but they had responsibilities within their own household.  They had to make sure their family was taken care of and they weren't lazy about it.  Our generation has it really easy and we definitely take that for granted. 

What if buying Halloween costumes wasn't an option?  Would women still wear skimpy clothing tonight if they had to make the costumes themselves?  I don't think so.  With making something for yourself, there comes a sense of pride and validation.

I don't think women get that anymore so we spend their time at the mall, buying clothes to try and validate ourselves. But I think we could learn a few things from our ancestors.  We need to treat ourselves more responsibly.  If women were proud of who we are, there would be no reason for any of us to be dressing like a slut tonight.

/rant.

Some of my favorite lines from the sketch:

"I'd much rather be vampire, My reflection disappearing every time I looked in the mirror. I wouldn't have to worry about the flaws staring back at me."

"I've heard that some of the most beautiful women are the craziest ones."

"Let it be her choice."

Happy Halloween!