A Note on Rey Swimwear

     Lately many of my friends (both male and female) have been sharing a video on Facebook that I finally had to watch, out of curiosity. The video is Jessica Rey's introduction to her new swimsuit line. Perhaps you've seen it. If not, here's a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJVHRJbgLz8.

In her presentation, Rey uses statistics from a Princeton University experiment in which undergraduate men viewed multiple images of women both dressed "modestly" and "scantily-clad" women (what exactly "modesty" and "scantily-clad" mean in this context, has yet to be determined. I researched the experiment and could not find a definitive answer. Since we are discussing swimwear, let's just assume that it means the "scantily-clad" women were wearing bikinis and the "modest" women were wearing very conservative one pieces with shorts). According to the experiment,  brain scans revealed that when the men viewed the "scantily-clad women" the area of the brain associated with tools lit up. Read into that what you will, according to Rey this experiment supposedly proves the fact that men tend to see women as objects, particularly  the more "scantily-clad." Okay, so it's no surprise that women have been objectified by men for centuries, and vise versa, of course. Since no one wants to be objectified, this is clearly something that needs to be remedied. Enter Jessica Rey. Her solution is simply to change the way women dress. Change the way women dress, change the way men view women. Only, there is conveniently no evidence provided on how men view women who are dressed, "modestly." I can only speculate that the "tool" area of the brain may or may not light up exactly the same for "modest" women as it does for "bikini women." Rey sees more of a problem with the way women are dressed than the way men see them. Some people call that blaming the victim. 

     I googled "Rey swimwear" and found Rey's online retail website very easily. Before even entering the site, I saw that her logo phrase is, "Who says it has to be itsy bitsy?" in reference to the  song, "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini." Well, who does say it has to be itsy bitsy? and on the other hand, who says it has to be "modest" or must cover everything head to toe or must cover her head or must cover the midriff or must have shorts no shorter than the knee or a skirt must cover the ankle? What has been considered "appropriate" or "modest" or "slutty" has changed through the years, decades, and centuries, and also differs from culture to culture, religion to religion, country to country. There are endless voices trying to tell women what to do and how to dress: society, religion, husbands, employers, parents, siblings, friends, designers of the fashion industry, the media, Jessica Rey. In fact, it seems that just about everyone has a say in what a woman wears except the woman. This is only true, though, if the woman accepts one of these predetermined rules for her body instead of using her own mind, intuition and power of choice to make her own decisions and what is best for her.  I want to be abundantly clear that I am in no way arguing against modesty, or any type of clothing, look, or fashion. What is right for one woman is not right for all women. If being "modest" feels more appropriate for you, then be modest. If a bikini  is more appropriate for you, wear a bikini. Most of all, appreciate yourself. What you put on your body should be your decision. It is your decision what to wear or not wear. Whatever makes you happy, confident, and comfortable is what you should wear, regardless of what others may or may not think of you. 

The Way to Rainy Mountain

     Intended to be read aloud, The Way to Rainy Mountain is a beautiful flow of stories, from the oral tradition of the Kiowas. The Kiowa are a nomadic people, best known as Plains Indians, buffalo hunters, and close allies to the Comanches. This is as much as many people know about the Kiowa Indians. The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday tells a deeper story: the story of Kiowa history, legend, culture. In the preface, Momaday says, "I was first told these stories by my father when I was a child. I do not know how long they had existed before I heard them. They seem to proceed from a place of origin as old as the earth."  These are stories that have been part of an oral tradition in Kiowa culture as long as memory serves; stories that were passed on to Momaday from his father.
     The Way to Rainy Mountain is told in three different narrative voices. The first is the voice of Momaday's father, the traditional, ancestral voice. This voice is the primary story-teller. The second voice is a historical commentary. The third voice is Momaday's personal voice recounting relevant scenes from his own life. Again, these stories are meant to be read aloud, and I found myself reading several of the stories aloud to myself, and it is indeed the appropriate way for these to be read.
     A review of this book would be incomplete without an appreciation of Al Momaday's (N. Scott's father) striking illustrations that accompany many of the stories in the book. Printed in black and white, each illustration deservedly consumes one entire page. The illustrations of this book made an emotional impact, as much as the stories, if not more. I resist from saying they detracted from the stories, as they seem obviously meant to be accompaniments to the stories, but if I am honest, more than once I did not feel the full impact of the story until I saw the illustration. Simple as they are, they are also powerful, much like the stories themselves.
     Take the time to read this book slowly, to gain better understanding of a culture so often overlooked, or simply read to discover something new. This book is well-worth the read.