modesty kittel
This piece examines the ways that so much of the traditional Jewish modesty (tzniut) literature transmits the message that a woman’s body is something shameful and something that must be locked away — while, at the same time, grotesquely sexualizing the female form.
The kittel is based on a straight-jacket, the padlock is embroidered with the phrase "the beauty of the king's daughter is within," a quote from Psalms that often used as an introductory text when discussing tzniut. But the discussion often moves away from the idea of inner beauty and instead dissects the body and assigns sexual and shameful associations. The front panel is embroidered with pornography. Whilst locking away the body, the literature over-emphasises the sexuality. the pornographic drawings illustrate the degrading (to both men and women) message that this is the real intent of the male gaze.
video where I talk about this kittel on The Forward's website.
The kittel is based on a straight-jacket, the padlock is embroidered with the phrase "the beauty of the king's daughter is within," a quote from Psalms that often used as an introductory text when discussing tzniut. But the discussion often moves away from the idea of inner beauty and instead dissects the body and assigns sexual and shameful associations. The front panel is embroidered with pornography. Whilst locking away the body, the literature over-emphasises the sexuality. the pornographic drawings illustrate the degrading (to both men and women) message that this is the real intent of the male gaze.
video where I talk about this kittel on The Forward's website.
