A PSA For All Women: Can We Just Stop With The Judging Already!

Today as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed I came across a post that truly made my blood boil. It was so inflammatory that I immediately did a double take to make sure I read it correctly.

Catherine Deveny, an Australian comedian and part time columnist, made an observation on Facebook where she said: “In Armadale. Why are women wearing make up at breakfast? And why are all the men wearing runners?”

Firstly let me start off by saying I don’t follow Deveny, nor are we Facebook friends. Her moronic comment came up on my post after a mutual friend of ours commented on her page.

Apparently she’s well known for shooting her mouth off. During the 2010 Logies she posted a number of twitter comments such as “I do so hope Bindi Irwin gets laid (she was 11 at the time)” and “Rove and Tasma look so cute…hope she doesn’t die too.” Classy.

She was subsequently fired from her job as columnist at The Age and since then there’s been a Twitter ban during the Logies.

So there’s a little bit of history about Deveny. But regardless of all that, I’m baffled as to why she felt the need to post such a divisive comment on her page which would do nothing but pit women up against each other.

From the comments, I take it she lives on the Northside (of Melbourne) and doesn’t seem to venture over the river much. So when Deveny found herself in a cafe in Armadale she was shocked to see women wearing make up and men in sneakers.

Really?? Are women still judging each other for the way they look? When someone in the public eye like Deveny, makes such a backhanded remark about women and their choices it does nothing but divide us!

The comments on her post were just as nasty. Here are just some:

“Insecure…not pretty enough, not fit enough, afraid of becoming insignificant and invisible…it must be shit being a slave to that thinking.”

“You’ve just reminded me why I live Northside.”

“The men wear runners to get away from the women in make up.”

“They’re probably not locals. As a Brunswick girl I’ve seen make up at brunch all over the North. Self esteem issues cross all over Melbourne borders.”

Gee? Judgemental much. I’m sure Deveny will just tell me to F off like she did one of the brave few who dared to question her about her bitchy post. But go ahead, I say.

Because comments like that say more about you than they do about me. I don’t live in Armadale and I don’t live North side. In fact it makes no difference where I live. I choose to dress and express myself any damn way I like – exactly like you do.

If I want to wear a full face of make up to have brunch with my girlfriends then I’ll do exactly that. Not because I’m insecure. Not because I’m a slave to fashion. Not because I have low self esteem. Just because I damn well want to.

In fact I can wear make up to the beach, to the gym to school pick ups or to bloody well do my Aldi shop. Why is that so baffling to you Ms. Deveny?

Bullshit comments like yours do nothing but provide a platform to spread hate. They create a divide between the sisterhood that doesn’t need to be there. If you only support women that look, dress and smell like you then I hope you don’t call yourself a feminist.

Can we please just stop the judging already! Deveny’s comment is just one in a sea of negative and hateful remarks directed towards women from other women online. Keyboard warriors who feel so shit about their own lives that the only way they feel better is to knock someone down.

The sad thing about women hating on women is that they truly miss out on the special bond that only the sisterhood can give you. Regardless of where you live, what car you drive or what you’re wearing there’s no better feeling than knowing women have each other’s back.

That old saying of ‘united we stand, divided we fall’ couldn’t be truer! The sooner we stop hating on each other and judging other women for the choices they make, the sooner we’ll realise the power we have as a united force!

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