Warning: Trolls will be bahleeted! One of the basic assumptions of you having arrived on this site is that you can understand the concept of subjectivity. Thank-you.

NB: If you are squeamish, or have a problem with modifications - skip this post. Links are NSFW.

So for a while there have been these niggling little issues bothering me about how there is such restricted cross-over in the blogosphere between areas that I love dearly in their own ways. Allow me to expand: especially with regard to personal decisions such as the choice to modify your body - there seems no room for discussion. Comments threads descend into repeated exclamations of judgementality. There’s some kind of tangible sense of resentment towards a cultural critique coming within 10 yards of body modification. It’s ridiculous, but on the flipside there are some F.A. (Fat Acceptance) blogs out there that seem to over-critique everything to the point of which choosing to lose weight is equatable with succumbing to societal pressure and thus abhorrent. Admittedly that’s anecdotal because it would take me so long to find the specific posts I’ve read that on, and besides in this post I’m mainly focusing on discussing the Body Modification scene. I want to preface this by saying that I really don’t want this to read as some kind of brochure for all the horrors out there - modification is life-affirming, progressive, fun and not to mention a skill (that’s rare in a lot of studios) to be respected.

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“Taught from infancy that beauty is woman’s sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison.” - Mary Wollstonecraft

For those that have not had the pleasure of watching the ‘Winx Club’ - It’s a children’s TV show in which six fairies (and some small pixie things) tackle evil whilst still managing to look good. Originally an Italian animation series which began in 2004, Winx is now somewhat of a worldwide phenomenon that appears on over 100 children’s channels. It has spawned a myriad of merchandising ventures. Recently, a feature film was made and there are plans for another series and film to be released soon. It was originally conceived of by Iginio Straffi, who also happens to have created the production company responsible for Winx (Rainbow S.p.A) and made himself the CEO.

What is my beef with the cute little characters? As a feminist (and a human being), I see that gender role socialisation is an issue which harms both of the sexes. It’s unnecessary, it’s harmful, it’s unacceptable. The Winx Club, with their tiny clothes and tiny little brains seem to epitomise the message of children’s television about what it means to have a vagina. All of the elements are there, and conveniently encapsulated within the one minute opening sequence. I can’t hide my surprise that not only this level of sexism is still acceptable to the public, but we are letting thousands upon thousands of children view and internalise something which inherently aims to box them in.

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