Why Women?

Venus of Willendorf (27,000 BCE), Botticelli's Primavera (1500s), Twiggy (1960s)

A question that more than a few of you asked me this Unit regarded our Play-Doh Beauty Pageant: Why only women "contestants"? Evolutionarily speaking, sexual selection (plumage, colors, etc.) works both ways with men attracted to those who can bear their healthiest offspring and women drawn to the healthiest and strongest protectors and providers. Artistically, female representations grossly outnumber their male counterparts. This is mainly due to the predominance of male artists for thousands of years. But even now, with female artists in every gallery, classical male representations are few. A rich history of changing female forms continues today. Unfortunately for men, their visualization has remained relatively unchanged as a utilitarian muscle-bound lunk since the Renaissance. The main reason has been practical: Male students tend to be uncomfortable creating male Play-Doh people, inevitably using their time to sculpt enormous genitalia. Whether this is due to insecurity, homophobia or simple temptation is unclear. What is clear: Lady Play-Doh people tend to make for a successful pageant. Should any of you have a deep need to construct a Play-Doh Dude and pit it against others, you have a great idea for a Wild Card!