The Patriarchy & Beauty Standards ft. Dr. Anna Tubbs

Dr. Anna Malaika Tubbs knows that the power of women’s activism can change the course of history. In Three Women she explored how Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little’s motherly love prepared their sons to become renowned activists. This week, we’re chatting about her new book, Erased: What American Patriarchy Has Hidden from Us. In it, Dr. Tubbs explores how our Founding Fathers enshrined patriarchy into law, with the intention of building a nation for men. During our conversation, we discussed how American patriarchy extends into every part of our lives, including our beauty choices. 

Dr. Tubbs was raised as a confident globetrotter. Her time spent traveling the world informed how she viewed herself and how beauty standards varied across cultures. She shared that despite positive affirmations from her family about her intelligence and beauty, self-confidence wasn’t always modeled. She regained a strong sense of confidence in college and began to consider why patriarchal beauty standards rely on us hating ourselves. She would come to explore how American culture shapes meaning about women and the limited choices that women have been offered historically in Erased. Her curiosity and knowledge led us seamlessly through conversations about how she models confidence for her children, why technology reproduces existing beauty standards, and why weight loss trends tell us very little about health. Dr. Tubbs reminds us that while we should be aware of patriarchy’s influence on our choices, we are not powerless.

Tune in as we discuss:

• The book that helped shape her understanding of patriarchy in the U.S.
• Who tried to prevent the Founding Fathers from excluding women from the Constitution
• What history tells us about women beautifying themselves without male input
• The relationship between facial dysmorphia and ageism
• Imagining a better future for ourselves and our children

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