Conventional femininity is not solely defined by being sexually appealing to men-- it's defined by being pleasing to them. You give up wearing tutus and bright colors because they don't want you too noticeable, it draws attention away from them. You don't wear glitter and sequins or faux feathers anymore, because it might get on a man and its rude to put them at risk, masculinity is fragile. You grow up and it's unprofessional to look like you're having fun, to look unrestrained. Playtime is over, you're a woman, not a girl, and a conventional woman's job is to live her life in service and compromise to a husband and children.

A high femme is not conventionally feminine because a high femme does not dress like a grown-up. There is no reason for her to grow out of the pleasure of playing dress-up, of feeling good because she thinks she looks pretty-- not pretty as in fuckable but pretty like a firework: you don't know why it's fun, it just is. And it's LOUD. It takes up SPACE. It stands OUT. The neighbors complain about it. Presenting this way is to be seen as immature, as un-self aware, as not taking ourselves seriously. Some days, yes, it's intentionally confrontational: a fuck-you to compulsory heterosexuality. But most of the time--my God. There's no more room for our gender presentation to grow, no incentive for it to change or become watered down. Sure, we fall prey to commodifying our image for others sometimes-- who of any gender doesn't?

But what I keep coming back to is: everybody just wants to feel right in their gender. I don't know how to feel right in my gender when everyone else defines my gender based on an attraction I don't feel-- but I know I was less defined by that when I was little, and I know back then I had fun wearing sparkles and lace. That's one thing that still feels like me.

Anyway, that's why the Barbie trailer doesn't feel like eye-candy for men.

<3

this barbie likes other barbies

patreon // check more of my work on instagram // buy prints here

This Barbie can change a tire

Available on Redbubble!

This piece was drawn for this season’s issue of Soph Drink, an art and writing zine based on a different philosophical concept each issue

TERFS NOT WELCOME

ID by @bisexualshakespeare: [ID: a digital illustration of a doll in a pink box labeled: Dyke Barbie. The doll has a fairly standard Barbie body except the biceps are more pronounced. It has a heart shaped tattoo on one arm, jeans with holes ripped out of them, and a chain necklace with two female symbols over a white tanktop. It has a strong jaw and winks one blue eye. The doll has shirt hair and comes with a small pair of scissors, a newsboy cap, and an orange cat. The box advertises: Grow her hair and chop it off! and "I can flex!" with a picture of the Barbie flexing its bicep. Watermark for Poltergeist Soup. /end]

if cinderella dropped her cowgirl hat instead of a glass slipper

one ticket for barbie please

bathroom makeover: retro lesbian edition 💕

art (in small frames) by creative powerhouse @jeniferprince (I’m ordering prints, but could I wait for them to arrive? lol)

Jumping on this trend like✌️

2023 out here beating the “cinema is dead” allegations with pure camp

I felt an urgent need

i’m so ken

TO ALL OF YOU AMERICAN GIRLS ITS SAD TO IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT YOU

ken only has a great day if barbie looks at him, but gloria ALWAYS has a great day when she looks at barbie

HAPPY PRIDE 🌈🌈✨

I can't celebrate this month irl so the least I can do is draw a bunch of queer demons <33

How are you lovelies 💗...reblog let's get naughty 😜

of course movies are supposed to make you feel something it’s just that greta gerwig’s filmography manages to somehow specifically activate the exact state of my brain in seventh grade when i realized that my cishet girl peers were having life experiences that i could not ever be included in or understand because they were cishet girls and i wasn’t. sad!