The Results of Evelyn Nesbit

Woman's sexual expression has most definitely changed since the early 1900's. Evelyn Nesbit, being somewhat a celebrity and sex symbol of those times, has inspired women to fit into her mold of sexual status. Evelyn Nesbit was bought. Her own mother sold her to Harry K. Thaw as a possession and witness. Her actions and willingness to be a sex symbol may be responsible for women's role in American society today. Evelyn Nesbit showed those willing to watch the advantages of being sexually attractive. She was famous, rich and the object of many men's desire. Other women saw this and have aspired to be like Evelyn ever since.

Groundwork for all of this Evelynism is laid at very early age. Boys are taught to be tough and not cry. Girls are taught to be pretty and polite. Not crying ends with not crying, as there are no degrees of not crying. Being pretty does not end. Pretty is relative, and must be compared to someone else. This is the beginning of sexual competition. Every girl trying to be better looking than the next, with no end in sight, has spiraled from the isolated Evelyns of the early 1900's to the limitless sex icons of today's world.

Rarely in life and almost never in media are today's women not looked upon as sexual beings. From clothes to makeup to behavior, women have put themselves into a race. Every female entertainer has sex appeal. Pamela Lee is not on Baywatch for her outstanding acting skills. Jenny McCarthy didn't get her own television show because she makes people laugh. The Spice Girls don't sell millions of albums because they sing well. These people only perpetuate the values that Evelyn Nesbit first exploited. Countless examples can be found in stardom, but these characteristics don't end there. Just tonight, while watching the news, more examples are seen. Major television networks have beautiful women anchoring their news programs. I do not think that this is a coincidence. Evelyn Nesbit's willingness to sell herself as a sex symbol has spread in modern times from public entertainment positions into more conservative professional positions.

Professional females have now come to work within the guidelines pioneered by Evelyn Nesbit. In the 1980's, professional women wore clothes styled after men's fashion: pants and a jacket. Now women's processional wear includes more trendy styles, keeping up with the sexual fads of the day. Men's professional clothes have changed very little over the last 100 years, never mind the last ten. This is because men are not seen as sexual beings the way women are. Women are sexually competitive and have come to advertise themselves as such.

No matter what is on television, there will always be a shampoo commercial just moments away. How many shampoo advertisements target men as their customers? Almost none do. Why? Men are not sexually competitive. These advertisements portray users of their product to appear more sexually attractive. As obvious as it is, this is done because most women want to look more attractive and are willing to purchase one product over another because of this. This is the sickening part of Evelyn's mold; most women voluntarily subject themselves to it. Men use shampoo so their hair doesn't smell funny.

Entire industries have been born to complement the frenzy created by Evelyn Nesbit. Diet plans, pocket mirrors, and nail products all cater to the sexual competition of women. Makeup seems just like another morning chore. High heel shoes are expensive and impractical. Women wear both because they are sexually attractive. For as long as I live I will never understand jewelry. Guides are sold in stores to reveal the latest fashions and beauty tips. Some are more blunt than others; I haven't yet seen a single issue of Cosmopolitan that doesn't have the word 'sex' on the cover.

Evelyn Nesbit, being the first of the new era of sexually expressive females created a large part of the world we live in today. She has single handedly changed every American woman's life perhaps more than any other person. I find all of it silly and am glad that society doesn't force my gender to partake in such practices.