When I checked my e-mail inbox this week, I had one new message.
I’m always extremely excited when I receive a question for this column, but it seems all of you have been just as apathetic (or maybe overburdened with midterms) in sending in questions as I have been in writing this column lately.
Turns out, however, that my one new message wasn’t a question at all. Instead, I received a fake message from Paypal urging me to turn over all my bank account information immediately or they would be forced to “temporarily” suspend my account.
Too bad “The Whole Enchilada” has never bid on eBay.
Anyway, since no one out of the approximately 12,000 people on this campus has any pressing issues this week, I have decided to talk about an issue that is very near and dear to my heart: girls (and women) wearing slutty clothes.
Working at Hollister in the mall, I see my fair share of scantily clad 13-year-olds on an almost daily basis. I often wonder to myself why someone would wear a short skirt and flip-flops in the dead of winter.
At some point, shouldn’t common sense take over?
Seasonally inappropriate clothing isn’t the real issue here, however. It’s the message you’re sending to everyone who sees you spilling out of your shirt or catches a glimpse of your underpants when you try to sit down in that mini-skirt.
One of the common “rape myths” in this culture is that the victim was “asking for it” by wearing revealing clothing. While I am by no means legitimizing that kind of sick excuse used by attackers, there might be a shred of truth somewhere in that statement.
In today’s sex-saturated culture, women are expected to look sexy 24/7.
The perfect women you see on television and magazine covers always have a sultry look on their faces that says, “I need a strong, handsome man to come take care of me (in more ways than one).”
In short, these women, with their perfectly styled hair and carefully applied make-up, always look sexually available. Is that the message you want to send to others?
Unless you are a hooker and make your living by being available, I sincerely doubt it.
You also need to think of the effect your attire has on other women. By wearing revealing clothing, you are perpetuating the myth that women are always available, always ready for sex.
You are saying that the best thing you have to offer is your body, and that is not true no matter who you are. You might argue that wearing revealing clothing is an expression of your individuality.
You certainly do have the right to wear whatever you want, but I will argue that wearing revealing clothing is not individualistic – it is the sincerest mode of conformity available to women in this society.
By wearing tight tops and short skirts, you are feeding into a media-driven myth that is harmful to all women.
So tomorrow morning when you’re deciding what to wear to class, try picking something that shows off your personality, not your 36 DDs.
We’ll all thank you for it.
Your question can be featured in a future column! Send your inquiries and feedback to et_enchilada@yahoo.com.

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