Equal?

California First Lady Mrs. Schwarzenegger is hosting a big shindig for women and giving out Minerva awards to five women. Maria Shriver is honoring Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King, and three other women. Maria, Gloria, and Billie Jean were on Oprah.

We were told to be the heroes we've been waiting for. We were told to strive to be like men. We were told this by a bunch of women dripping in make up. Ms Shriver had enough eye makeup on to "highlight" her eyes but mostly made her look like a raccoon. Ms Steinem came out on stage in a see through brown blouse with heavy patch pockets and skin tight leather pants. Even Ms King was made up and wearing a single strand of pearls.

I usually am in my house and don't venture out much. I rarely wear makeup. But on Fridays when I go to work as a volunteer, I put on "my face." Except it isn't my face. My face is what I usually have on when I'm sitting here in front of my computer typing away. I put on society's face when I go to the hospital.

There was not a gray hair to be seen on Oprah's show even though both Ms Steinem and Ms King managed to tell their ages (74 and 64 respectively, if I'm remembering correctly). I looked it up, I did remember correctly. Both Ms Shriver and Ms Winfrey are in their 50s. And all these women who advocate for equality have not one gray hair.

Men let their hair go gray. And they may wear some makeup on television, but only enough to make sure the lights don't shine. They aren't made up in the same way women are. They don't wear skin tight clothes unless they are some sort of rock band or something. They wear a suit with a jacket covering up a multitude of sins.

Instead, three of the four women were wearing tight, curve enhancing clothing. The jock wasn't. Thank you Billie Jean. I can forgive the pearls and too much makeup just for the fact you wore non-sexualizing clothing.

Sure, we all want to look good. But why can men look good with gray hair and no makeup? Why have we worked so hard worrying about who loads the dishwasher while still courting to men's tastes by wearing clothing and makeup that make us look like tramps? Why hasn't this been part of the message? Why are we still so focused on looks.

As Steinem came out on stage, Oprah said, "This is what 74 can look like!" So what? Are looks what we should strive for? Not intelligence or morality. Just looks? Am I only as good as I can appear? What about my ability to be a responsible citizen of the world? Is that only secondary to how well I can age?

"Baby, you've come a long way" but "Baby, you have a long way yet to go."