Cowgirl mural is misogynistic

Misogyny is a term of broad, sometimes elusive rudiment. Some attempt to ascribe individual acts to it, when actually its core meaning represents something more symbolic, sociological. The mural portraying a cowgirl on the side of a building at 99 Riverside Drive, north of the River Arts District, is misogynistic because it depicts a woman embodying antiquated, cognitively sedentary values.

Repeatedly, in life, the women with whom I forge the most positive connections are those who share my active interests. These interests may include sports, artistic activity or anything else that fully engages the mind and body, and transcends simple paradigms of sexual propriety. At the basis of every relationship is friendship, and friendships require common grounds for relation.

The mural of the cowgirl is harmful of such endeavors, as it polarizes women toward the inclination to represent vapid, banal attractiveness – that which is motionlessly, lifelessly sought, for reasons that go only skin deep. Also, the cowboy/cowgirl image is disrespectful of and belligerent toward Indians, as is the statue of the American Indian on Patton Avenue.

But as white women represent a greater portion of Asheville’s demographic than do Indians, I feel the cowgirl mural to be more of an immediate issue. She is in a compromising position, and sex sells, but only to men who are weak, homophobic, old-fashioned or fearful of ushering in a new, more progressive time. It’s a time when, starting with the arts, genders meet on an equal playing field, and interactions are accounted for freely, irrespective of what our misogynistic forefathers dictated.

Michael Beal
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

3 thoughts on “Cowgirl mural is misogynistic

  1. I’m glad you’re concerned about Native American People’s Rights, and it’s good that you’re also protective a women’s rights although that’s not the direction you ultimately followed here. The girl on the side of the building, however, is not a cowgirl, she’s a recreation of a pinup girl in a naval “uniform” from the 40’s. It’s a bit of an inside joke with building owners really, because the building is in a flood plain the river will cyclically flood. Their hope is that the building when there is flooding will look like a submarine. At least that’s what I heard, I could just be making it all up.

  2. Robert Jordan

    If this is a satire about pseudo-intellectual political correctness gone wild, then it’s a pretty good one, though you should reveal the joke somewhere. If this however is for real, then with all the right-wing loonies out there getting all the attention it is refreshing to see we still have some good left-wing loonies.

  3. If Mr. Beal is so concerned about being disrespectful toward Native Americans then he could start by NOT referring to them as “Indians”. Indians are from a little place called “India”

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.