I’d never quite understood this song lyric from Britney Spears – from her album Blackout – until my first book hit the shelves and the friend requests and followers came rolling in in the hundreds.
Not kidding.
The fact that I’m a moderately attractive, young(ish) woman has overtaken the fact that I’ve had my debut novel published. I’m not sure who all of these people rolling in think I am – someone said they’d seen me on TV (ha!), while others act like I’m some sort of model. In the words of Cher from the movie Clueless, “As if!”
Sexism has never run more rampant in the world that we inhabit.
People are isolated from one another to the point that social media has become their last-ditch, desperate attempt to find another person to connect with. While this is a societal epidemic that’s growing, I am NOT the answer to your…
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SICK LIT MAGAZINE 
It wouldn’t let me nest the reply, but in response to Kelly saying “No one deserves to be harassed,” I wholeheartedly agree.
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Firstly – good to see you sticking up for yourself. Nobody should have to be subject to any form of prejudice, whether on the grounds of race, religion, gender or whatnot.
Secondly – that’s a really good point about social media, and how it makes it too easy to abuse – it’s the cowardly ying to the internet’s positive yang of spreading information (for the general good).
But (thirdly), “Sexism has never run more rampant”? Hmm – I wonder how Victoria Woodhull, Emily and Christabel Pankhurst, Sojourner Truth, Jessie Street and thousands of other historical women figures would assess this claim.
Was your point that while we might live in more enlightened times, with sexism being less widespread, the advent of the internet means that the minority of sexist pricks is disproportionately loud?
Fourthly, there’s no point trying to fathom the lyrics of Britney Spears – they’re toxic
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If you know anything about me by following this site, then you’ll know that I have to respond to your comment. I can’t compare what I’ve dealt with and experienced with the feminists/activists that you’ve listed in the comments above – and they can’t do the same with me. We each see the world and experience it through our own set of eyes; that’s the thing about perspective. Just because someone else fought a wildly different type of battle doesn’t minimize or diminish the fact that women are over-sexualized and objectified every day. And, yes, the social media monster makes it easier for people to spread and corroborate these things. For example, Resting Bitch Face – this infuriates me. Where’s the male equivalent for this term? Things aren’t necessarily better or fixed – they’re just wildly different. And I’m not a die-hard Britney Spears fan, so I wouldn’t know that much about her lyrics. I just thought it was a catchy title.
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” Just because someone else fought a wildly different type of battle doesn’t minimize or diminish the fact that women are over-sexualized and objectified every day. ” I like to call this the Oppression Olympics, as if someone is going to be proud of taking the gold. While we can all look at each other and say “It could be worse,” the one thing we’re all united in is that it could be so, so much better.
I have to admit that I’m also no Britney Spears fan, but I have heard this song a lot when I run, so the lyrics are unfortunately emblazoned on my brain. The song “Piece of me” is about the way the paparazzi skews everything she does to get money out of her. She’s damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t. Whether or not this is true, we all have to understand that this is the risk of putting something out into the world and drawing attention to yourself. You are willingly painting a big ol’ target on your forehead, and that is the price of fame. To which the old adage applies: “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Being attacked is the price that comes with having people know your name. Right or wrong, that’s just the way it is. The only control we have is to either stay relegated to the shadows, or cultivate the grace to deal with it when it happens.
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No one deserves to be harassed.
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