Description

Oprah Winfrey, that icon of women’s power and success, wears shoes so torturously constructed with narrow toe boxes and four-inch heels, that she can barely stand up in them. She laughs about how uncomfortable they are and jokes that they are “her sitting shoes.” She puts them on at the beginning of her show, and then remains seated for as long as possible. Her clothing, while expensive and attractive, looks remarkably uncomfortable. She’s tightly packed in and pushed up, her bountiful breasts presented to the camera like an offering. I can imagine her wiggling out of her girdle the minute she walks off stage. Like so many women, I’ve loved Oprah for years. I’ve looked to her for entertainment and inspiration. Yet, even Oprah, who is attempting to lead our nation to “enlightenment” through her online courses with Eckhart Tolle and other spiritual leaders, has a need to reshape her body into some perceived ideal. This is the best example I can think of to illustrate the schizophrenic nature of women’s relationships to our bodies.