Beautiful Thing of the Day: YOU

As I was sitting with some friends earlier, we took out Cosmo just to sift through the pages and make fun of the articles and such...everyone likes a little trashy reading now and then. But what we found was more than a bit of funny reading--some of what we read was just downright degrading. Most of the time, I feel that as a woman, I am accepted and treated as an equal. After reading comments in Cosmo from men and what they "really want to hear from a woman," I was frankly disgusted. We read a list of "what men really want to hear," and it included,
1. Ooh, after a long day all I want to do is give my man a blow job.
2. Oh wow, that laundry really needs to be done. Let me do it for you.
3. Let me make you some beef jerky.
4. Would you mind if my girls from the volleyball team showered at your place?

REALLY?!?!?! What is this, the freaking 50s?!! Women, seriously, I hope that no one gives into a man like this. We deserve more respect than to be put down like this. We are empowered, we are beautiful, and we don't need the perfect figure to attract a man. This is so frustrating.
Try this: go out one day without doing your hair or putting on any makeup. Embrace your own beauty without constantly fretting over what guys are thinking about you (or other girls for that matter--we all judge each other just as much). Personally, I go to class almost all the time with no makeup...and the most time I take to do my hair is about ten seconds when I stick some bobby pins in it.
I am not saying do this all the time. I mean, we all know that looking cute sometimes is really fun. I love to get dressed up, makeup, hair and all, and go out, but we don't need to dress-to-impress all the time. Love who you are without the mask.
--Lauren