The Gaze, Ctd.

I was at the Union again last night, working the concession stand. The first band played, then they were hanging out by their merch table. A trio of girls, probably my age, sauntered in and started to flirt with the drummer of the first band.

I’ve seen this before. It has happened to me at shows. Generally, I feel awkward in those situations but I can still find a way to survive. But these girls, and this guy with his pants hanging down (what is this, middle school?), tattoos on display, and drumsticks in his hands, put on a show of their own.

One girl had the dark look; slick black hair, black Uggs, tanned face, eyeliner, and fairly prominent cleavage. The second girl I don’t remember. But the third one, the ring leader, is unforgettable. She had brown Uggs, tight jeans and shirts, and effortless blond brown curls (read: hours in front of the mirror). But all of these features were meant to complement her cleavage. Even more so than the first girl.

(Side note: I was not purposely seeking out cleavage; it sort of found me. But there is a point to all of this…)

My friend at the concession stand had seen them as well and was struggling to contain her contempt, especially with the third girl. She looked flustered, then said, “Sorry, I was just having a problem with women for a second.”

I understood what she meant. She resented this girl’s objectification of her own body for means of gaining fleeting attention from a guy who probably didn’t even know her name. So beyond that reason, and this is my question; why do women do that? I suppose I could answer it myself, but I’d rather hear it from them.

Is it about self-esteem? Attention? Or do girls just do it for fun? Maybe it’s all of those.