It’s amusing to observe how human nature sometimes goes against the rules that pervade the animal world.
The laws of the animal kingdom often require the male to be most attractive, adorned with the most sensational coats and featherings.
The female peacock’s feathering is indeed nothing in comparison with her male counterparts magnificent tail, which the French describe as a « cartwheel » when it unfolds. The lioness lacks her lion’s sumptuous mane. Likewise, the doe’s head is not crowned with the stags majestic woods.
The same goes for the hen and the rooster, the pheasant hen and the pheasant, all in accordance with the rule of secondary sexual dimorphism (the phenomenon’s official name), which applies to many animal species.
Animal secondary sexual dimorphism is particularly illustrated by males having attributes such as weapons (the stags woods for instance), ornaments (the peacocks feathers for example) or by the elaboration of strategies including danses and melodies.
This discrepancy between males and females diverts potential predator’s attention towards the more remarkable and colorful population in order to protect the duller females and young ones.
But these attributes’ first purpose are to allow males to fight (with their weapons) for the victory which might give them access to the female and ultimately to attempt seducing the female (with their ornaments).
Hence the curiosity of modern society’s reversal of roles in matters of seduction.
When the animal female rules, true sovereign, over a male population which would fight without thinking about it twice to obtain her sexual favors, the woman surreptitiously became the one who has to « cartwheel ».
And in the objective of asserting her rights, she has a complete, nearly endless arsenal of weapons and ornaments (makeup, clothes, accessories, jewels) which are supposed to highlight her desirability.
Only sexual desirability or reproductive desirability as well? I do not know. Yet the paradox remains, seeing as women are fewer than men on this earth, which would make it logical for the latter to be burdened with the courtship ritual, if we consider the matter through the lens of survival of species. It appears that our urban jungle is ruled by its own set of rules.
April 25, 2016
Fendi dress and jacket – Bvlgari purse – L.K. Bennett sandals
