This is a hilarious piece Nicole Chardenet, and so on point.
The funny thing is that we are all objects when someone else is the subject of a thought, or a glance, or an action. It’s not the act of being objectified that I think people object to, it’s the refusal of other subjects to allow us to be the subjects of our own experiences.
I don’t care if I dress up, get myself all pretty, and a guy objectifies me in passing. That is indeed just human nature. It’s kind of fun. In the Gen X world, this was what we taught was called flirting.
I do care if I’m working passionately on some topic, or expressing myself in a thoughtful way, and I’m received as an object instead of being respected for what I’m working to accomplish.
I wrote a piece the other day about my young son, and what he’s learning about how to span the gap between say, having a crush on a girl in his class, and also recognizing that all humans are the subject of their own experiences.
I think we need to make room for the biological imperatives and behaviors you write about, while still maintaining the respect that we all (as humans) crave and deserve in the world.
Great read!
