Day 136: I'm Not as Cheap as I Look

Being a woman takes money. Just the general day-to-day maintenance costs a lot, let alone the extras that go along with girldom. I think that in breaking it all down and looking at it objectively, it becomes obvious that women should be paid more, not less, for the same work because of the expectations that go along with being a working woman. Also, in a male-female relationship a woman deserves more of the cash reserved for expenditures (regardless if she works outside the home) for the same reason. What the hell am I talking about you ask? Well, let me enlighten you.

As a woman, we face certain expectations, namely that we maintain a beauty standard compatible with the current trends. Each generation has their own standard, for instance before cosmetics were readily available, a simple powdering of the face and rouging of the lips and cheeks was acceptable. Hairstyles and clothing worked the same way. No matter what the available products, women were expected to use what was out there to fit the societal standard of beauty. Today, we expect shaven or depilated skin, hair tamed and smoothed with tools and products and freshly made faces utilizing cosmetics in a way that look like we aren’t wearing any. A company does not want to hire disheveled women. If you think this is a gross generalization, look around.

When we see a woman who does not pander to our beauty expectations we assume she is unkempt or making a statement. All this upkeep takes money, however, and no one seems to remember that. My razors are $27.00 for an eight pack of blade refills and I go through them much quicker than a man because I have a lot more surface area to cover. Cosmetics including toners, moisturizers, make-up, anti-aging products, hair products (again, we use more than men because we generally have more hair), blow dryers, curling irons and flat irons, jewelry, shoes and little things most men leave to the woman like birth control all add up.

You might argue that these items represent a choice, but do they really? As an employer are you going to hire a woman whose hair is frizzy, legs are unshaved in a skirt, face is ruddy and unmade? As a man, don’t you expect the woman to take care of her reproductive needs once the relationship becomes monogamous and you stop using condoms? Men can get by with three pairs of shoes, black, brown and sneakers. We really can’t. I’m not suggesting everything we do is a submission to a societal standard, we certainly agree to abide by them as do men, I’m simply pointing out that our standards cost a lot more money to maintain on a daily basis. If you don’t want me showing up looking like a slightly crazy, frazzled, rumpled blotchy mess, then I’m going to need my cosmetics and I don’t think it would kill you to recognize that I deserve a few extra bucks for my energy, or at the very least, when you’re in a relationship and not sharing bank accounts, spring for half the birth control.