Jeyoani
Be-Musing Momma
Reged: Jun 23 2006
Posts: 157
Loc: California, USA
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http://www.smh.com.au/news/japan/weird-and-very-tokyo/2008/08/04/1217701937784.html
I found this article about the Lolita subculture in Japan interesting if presumptious. The title is "Lolita Subculture Thumbs Nose at Men". The title annoys me as it places male sexuality in the center of an issue that is basically a female phenomenon.
The pereception of Lolita subculture in the article is that the look is a woman-centered look that men do not like. Women who dress Lolita-style are shunning adulthood, wifehood and motherhood -female Peter Pan syndrome.
The idea is that the look is a modest one -- arms and legs generally are covered. However this logic doesn't really follow as definitely in Japan (and elsewhere), the schoolgirl look is eroticized. There are also different Lolita looks (gothic, punk, black, etc) and not every Lolita look is as modest as others. In a way the Lolita look seems to me connected to the babydoll look (connected to the Riot Grrl movement) of the 90s which I can't help but think is sort of bound up in and springs from childhood and girlhood nostalgia, especially Western girlhood nostalgia imo. (The Victorian doll and turn-of-the century femininity being the sort of primordial symbols of vulnerabilty and femininity.)
Refusing to grow up is one way of rebelling against social conscriptions, it's true. Otoh I don't really relate to this high-theatre sort of show of idealized, beautiful and yet- maybe- independent?-girlhood. But I do find it compelling for the same reason I don't quite relate to it.
I don't think looking prim, girlish, proper and cute is particularly female centered nor do I think any high maintenance look is female centered. All that is just gender-centered. In a way this look depresses me as it seems otoh just more of the same image-obsession at the expense of exploration of more interesting things about oneself and ones capabilities. This is a huge problem imo, with women. However if this look is in fact (as suggested in the article, sort of) generating a certain sisterhood, solidarity amongst Japanese women it *is* very interesting. I know in the 90s with the Riot Grrls this is what was happening withe the whole Baby Doll look.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/japan/weird-and-very-tokyo/2008/08/04/1217701937784.html
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"Scratch any woman deeply enough and you find a feminist." -Christina McCall
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Brooke
AGA Blogger
Reged: Jun 23 2006
Posts: 466
Loc: Pennsylvania
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I don't really see Japanese street fashion in any form as just a female thing. Both men and women can be seen in these extreme looks. I think this article is making several assumptions without any reference points so I find it difficult to take the article as complete creditable, it's opinion based more then anything. I don't agree with the concept that image-obsession comes at the expense of other interests, for example in the punk culture which is often very image-focused there is a wider cultural range which can include certain books, music (obviously) and films.
I also find the concept of reclaiming girlhood interesting, because many of these young women are still girls or younger women. It's not like 40 year old women are dressing up in this look. Now that would be something interesting.
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