by Isabelle Abbott, Guest Writer
I am Isabelle Abbott, the young woman who tore down the “Bell Week” poster. I tore this poster down for many reasons, but in the end, I just wanted to make something clear: just because it’s “Bell Week” does not mean it’s okay to make “jokes” shaming young women (especially students), or anyone at all. Now, some of you say the poster content shouldn’t matter because it’s just a joke and “fun,” but it should matter because no woman; the target of the poster, nor anyone regardless of gender, should be ashamed of their natural bodies: be it hairy, chubby, too thin, too tall…any reason.
What did I feel when I first saw “Edison girls don’t shave?”
I was offended and embarrassed. Not because I myself do not shave, but because publicly shaming Edison High School female students should not be seen as a “joke.” I am not alone in how I feel about this. Many Fountain Valley High School students interpreted the poster as being offensive simply because it pokes fun at women for not conforming to ideals. We all have a right to do what we want with our bodies, and no one should be capable of having power to make us feel less of a woman or undesirable because of a personal preference.
