Strong Armed

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Your arms are looking a little chunky,” my CFO said, eyeing me suspiciously from her corner of the elevator.

I glanced down at the offending appendages. My boyfriend, a boxer and personal trainer, had been putting me through a new, rigorous workout routine, and I was proud of the curves and indentations I’d earned. Ripped, defined, muscular—those are the words that came to my mind, not chunky.

But as I got ready for work the next morning, I found myself questioning the sleeveless Ann Taylor jacket I’d laid out. Were my arms really looking as toned as I thought they were? Or were they getting too big? Then I found myself questioning my questioning—why did I care? And more importantly, why did she?

The way we look at women’s bodies is the perfect metaphor for the complicated way we view female strength. Modern women are encouraged to break stereotypes, barriers and glass ceilings. The conventional beliefs that females are the weaker sex, prone to hysteria and fainting fits, have been disdainfully tossed out the window. In fact, it’s now expected for women to effortlessly juggle careers, families and appearance, just to prove how much “inner strength” they possess. It would take a true superhero to balance all the roles we occupy today.

But when a woman is perceived as being too strong, it becomes a problem. We all watched Hillary Clinton’s eyes tear up on the campaign trail, appearing “softer.” Janet Reno was criticized for not being feminine enough, while Nancy Pelosi is judged for her elegant, high-end wardrobe. And we can’t forget Angelina Jolie, whose humanitarian efforts can’t be mentioned without a nod to her other half or her wild-child days. A powerful man’s indiscretions or so-called flaws will be over- looked; an influential woman’s will be sought out and exposed for all the world to see. Female strength is completely acceptable—as long as it stays hidden.

The same is true for women’s bodies. We all know it’s not enough for a woman to be stick-thin anymore. As if that societal standard isn’t lofty (read: unattainable and ridiculous) enough, our bodies are expected to be toned, taut and tight. Celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and Madonna are praised not only for having tiny waists, but because their arms look like they’ve been scooping ice cream at Baskin Robbins all summer.