Sensuality in the movies from a long time ago
Paul Newman is great as the slightly dangerous outsider trying to seduce the cool-as-a-cucumber Joanne Woodward in The Long, Hot Summer. Tennessee Williams knew how to show the truth of family and intimate relationships.
<BR><BR>Amazing to see the overwhelming, rich father trying to direct people's lives--especially forcing his "spinster" daughter to marry the outsider because he wants sons. Extraordinary to think of how many women's lives were at the mercy of the societal mores.
I'm reminded of a South American movie I saw once (got it out of the library) in which the father of his single daughter says to his friend, "Single women represent chaos. They belong only in a nunnery or in a marriage."
<BR><BR>Well, society is changing. With 51% of American women single today, we have to re-examine the meaning of being single.
2 Comments:
"Single women represent chaos." What a great quote! I think there are still many people who believe that, despite society's forward movement in the last decades. I agree, it's definitely time to redefine singleness--it's hard though, because even many single women still disparage their own status. I sometimes used to think I was "wrong" or "broken" and it requires a daily exercise in mindshifting to realize that I was just mirroring other people's false impressions of myself, which was silly because I had so much more data than they did, with which to make an assessment of my life. I think many single women struggle against this social pressure, though. Even though it's definitely not as bad as it used to be! --CC
Sorry it took so long--I just found your comment waiting to be moderated!
Your are so right. It's a vicious cycle--society looks down on single women, we absorb the messages and then we get down on ourselves. As one of our radio show guests found in her research, the single women who are most unhappy are the ones who spend a lot of time looking for or trying to hold onto a mate. The rest of us are engaging with life--sometimes more, sometimes less--but on our own terms and without worrying about being, as you say, "broken." The holidays are a good time to reinforce that mindshifting if necessary! Thanks, Onely editors. We are adding a link to your blog--please add one to us!
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