Off the top of my head,
some of these start with a B or C or W. There is even that word trollop, and a series of words like “resting bitch face.” The B word is sometimes used to refer to particularly weak men. Cougar is an example of how unusual it still is to imagine a
younger man and older woman loving each other. I can think of many
women who are married to men 15, 20, 25, 30 years older, which we accept. But while Melania relaxed, President Macron's wife became the butt of many jokes.
Regarding “resting
bitch face,” I had no idea this was a thing until I heard a teenager say it.
I googled it and found that scientists
have even used software to analyze the “phenomenon” and it is described as an
“affliction.” Unknowingly, I have taken pictures, such as the one here,
which could illustrate this affliction.
This article
goes on to say, “So what does this mean if you think you have RBF? Is there
some hidden amount of contempt boiling up inside you? Some unresolved issues
that you need to talk about? Macbeth (the researcher) said "there's not a
clear-cut answer just yet.” And, they suggest that RBF is due in part to “gravity”
that comes from age. I have a photo series titled “Women in Public Places" and it shows women who might be accused of "RBF." Yet, I see them as women in real and personal
moments, in their thoughts, not trying to please others. They are waiting,
wondering, thinking, listening, looking, going somewhere or hoping,
maybe. This does not always look “pretty,” I suppose.
What about “upskirt" photos? Let's note that most men (in the Western world) don’t wear dresses or skirts. One of
my measures of sexist language is whether a comparable term exists for
men. There is no comparable term for bitch, cougar, etc… I haven’t heard of
something like “downpants photos.” The famous Calvin Klein "upskirt photo" of
Klara Kristin created controversy. The photographer, Harley Weir, is a woman. And Klara Kristin has
defended it as an example of loving oneself and “girl power.” To be
fair, Calvin Klein ads have photos of men in their underwear too. I am not exactly sure
why the one of Klara feels different. Maybe it’s the camera angle that indicates a violation of privacy, whereas in the photos of men, the
photographer and the subject are on equal footing, so to speak.