Who *Are* You Wearing?

I don't watch the Oscars.  It's just not for me.  I can't help an occasional glance at the dresses, though, partly because from a young age I remember seeing "Worst Dressed" collages on the fronts of magazines when Mom took me to the grocery store where half the time I would think "hey, that's kind of cool!" because it was creative or unique.

Today, Facebook is ablaze with all the Oscar hype.  I scroll past most of it, but then something caught my eye... This #askhermore campaign.  It's about asking women about more than their dress on the red carpet.  They had clips of women asking "Is that what you ask the men?" and a particular celeb looking annoyed that they panned up her dress before getting to her face.

Yeah, it's degrading.  From a feminist viewpoint, it's outright sexist.

But let me ask you a question.  What are the men wearing?  Tuxedos - all of them similar.  What are the women wearing?  Unique pieces of art.

What questions are they going to ask the guys?  "Why did you go with the blue bow tie look instead of the red lanyard this year?"

The women wear stunning gowns.  Of course that's going to be the topic of conversation.

Someone else said they could be asked about politics or their views on global warming.  Uhm, unless they're talking to Bill Nye, I doubt they ask the men such pressing questions, either.  It's fluff, kids.  IT'S ALL FLUFF!  From the nominations to the red carpet, it's about entertainment.

So while there should be some equality in the types of questions between men and women, unless all the women are hoping to show up in tuxedos next year, they probably better get used to the idea that their gowns will make the news.

ETA: Additionally, celebrities are handed gowns worth thousands of dollars (as well as jewelry) either as a loan or a gift for the purpose of mentioning the designers.  If these female celebrities keep responding to "Who are you wearing?" with the equivalent response to "It doesn't matter.  What matters is my mind!" they will be shopping off the rack for next year's gowns.  It may be a privilege of your status to get that masterpiece of dress design on your back, but it's a privilege that will be removed if the designers feel celebrities think their dresses are not worth mentioning at all.

Good luck with that!