The Perfect Wife: the concept that plagues modern women across the first world. The Ideal Woman is a notion that has been present throughout the history of mankind, or womankind if you prefer (you feminist). The Ideal Woman is an opinion, comprised of the collected and averaged opinions of the masses, on the matter of what a woman should be like. She is a figment, an invention. She is a goddess to men (or so women think) and a nemesis to women (refer to the prior). It evolves throughout time and varies by region. However impermanent the specifics of the standard may be, the one thing that has been consistent is its influence on the culture in which it exists. Once a woman enters domestic bliss and all the joys (chores) that come with it, the Ideal Woman takes on a whole new challenge of becoming The Perfect Wife.
This past Christmas, I had the idea that I'd like to decorate my hair up like a Christmas tree. I came up with a plan to adhere a styrofoam cone to a head band, then cover it with tracks of hair extensions. I would then clip in some lightweight dollar store ornaments, and a paper star. I even acquired some battery operated multi-colored rice lights, and planned on hollowing out a space on the cone for the 4-AA battery pack.
This was my sketch:
I never got around to doing it, however, due to all the holiday madness. But there is always next year, and hopefully by summer, I'd like to explore some of my costumery ideas. Dressing up has always been a big part of my life. I've been doing it since I was as young as three, taking every opportunity as a reason to really play. My costumes ranged from Elvira with socks for boobs for a random day in October when I was 5, to one of the observers with a blue rag in a bowl for watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 when I was 7. Maybe it's because I took dance and theater. Maybe it's something that's just in me. I haven't really gotten to enjoy this sort of entertainment recently, save the one time sophomore year of college when my housemates walked in the front door to find me cooking corn in a homemade Indian feather headband. I was very happy this past October that a political rally was held the day before Halloween, which justified my ridiculous enthusiasm as Sweet Sarah P.
Costumery and play is something that's brought me a lot of happiness and laughs with the people around me in my life. I'm hoping that with that in me, I can pursue a side project and potentially make some fun and interesting things. But I don't think I'll ever be a larper.
