Beautification as a Feminist Act
This section of the text is very interesting as it seems to entirely contradict the first part of the book, which reads as very anti-feminist. This part of her book directly addresses men and offers them 50 "rules" on how to woo a woman."I expect to win the gratitude of the whole masculine gender by these rules of the ART OF FASCINATING. It used to be supposed that this art belonged exclusively to my sex; but that was a vulgar error, which the sharp practice of the men has long since exploded" (Montez 101).
The rules include everything from "giggle and laugh perpetually" to "you must push your suit with the determination and vehemence of an army of soldiers storming a fort". Again, this shows how contradicting "ideals" are, and that for one person an ideal may be an imperfection. I do think it is interesting to not however, that Montez's rules for women are much more focused on appearances, while her rules for men speak more to their personalities."And it is now well established that gentlemen spend a great deal more time in inventing ways and means to entrap women and get them in love with them, than woman do in trying to win the hearts of gentlemen" (Montez 101).
Still though, having knowledge of Montez's relationship history, it seems like she was very knowledgable and accurate in her art of fascinating. Also, with the knowledge that Montez was characterized as unconventional and un-lady like, I believe that her performance and adherence to beauty ideals was indeed a radical feminist act.
Just as Montez's description of how beauty ideals are dependent upon culture is still relevant today, I believe that her practice of extreme beautification as an act of feminism, is also still relevant.
This idea of beauty as empowerment is very applicable in modern times, especially for those who do not adhere to normal feminine constructs. One area where this idea can be frequently seen is in the Transgender community. In a study on Brazillian travesti sex workers, it was discovered that these people's extreme body modifications, such as sex reassignment surgeries and breast augmentations, were empowering, made them feel more desirable, and legitimized their existence as women. In addition, their self-esteem was directly and positively correlated with their perceived level of beauty.
Beautification as a tool for empowerment and self-expression, especially for those who do not fall in line with heteronormative practices, is now more prevalent than ever, with the rise of social media. We now have a more diverse set of beauty icons such as Nikkie de Jager, who is a trans woman and prominent make-up artist, and James Charles, who was the first ever male ambassador for CoverGirl and is a famous internet personality.
I believe that Montez would be proud to see how the culture of beautification lives on, yet now it is more unconventional and out-of-the-box, just like her.