she's nothin' but a hooker by michi lantz
TRANSCRIPT
8/6/2019 She's Nothin' but a Hooker by Michi Lantz
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/shes-nothin-but-a-hooker-by-michi-lantz 1/4
MichiLantz|©2010
8/6/2019 She's Nothin' but a Hooker by Michi Lantz
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/shes-nothin-but-a-hooker-by-michi-lantz 2/4
MichiLantz|©2010
[“She’s nothin’ but a hooker, a gathering summit of contempt” © 2010 is a story told and written by me, Michi Lantz as I experienced it.]
HaveyoueverheardIndiaArie’ssong“Iamnotmyhair”?Well,if
youhaven’t,youshould.It’sgood,andthereisalineinthatsongthatgoes:“…Iamnotyourexpectationsnono,Iamnotmyhair,I
amnotthisskin,Iamasoulthatliveswithin…”.SowhyamI
tellingyouthis?
AcoupleofdaysagoIwitnessedtribaljudgmentinactionor,in
otherwords,fingerpointingbyagroupofpeopletowardsone
singleperson.Iwasandstillamfilledwithsorrowforwhatweare
capableofashumans.Iwasn’tthevictimorsubjectofdismay.No,I
foundmyselfsomewhereinbetweenthosewhojudgedandwas
upsetbyawoman,whodidn’tfitthenormofhowpeopleshouldbehave,actorlooklikeandasawitness,moreupsetaboutthe
collectivejudgmentofapersonunheard.Butletmestartfromthe
beginning.
InSweden,webuyalcoholinspecialstoresandIwasinsuchastore
tobuysomewine.ItwascoolinsideandToby(mysweetheart)and
Istoodbyashelfandhadourbackstotheentrancediscussingwhat
tobuy.ThestorewasfilledwithpeopleandIcouldherethemchit
chatwiththecashiersbutIdidn’tpayattentiontothewords.
SuddenlyIheardtheseshoes.Itwasshoeswithhighheels,veryhighheels.Itechoedwhenthepersonwalkedthroughthestore.
TobyandIstoppedtalkingandInoticedthatthestorewas
completelysilent.Thehighheelsweretheonlythingthatgave
awaysound.
Ilookedtowardsthedirectionsoftheshoesandthereshewas,the
womanthatwasguiltyofhavingtheshoeson.Shepassedtheislewewerestandingin,IlookedatherandIdidn’trealisewhatIsaw
atfirst.Isawawomanwithblacklonghair,madeintoaloose
hairdo.Sheworeheavymakeupwithbigearringsmadeofmetal,
lookinglikegold.Shehadablackjacketoverapinkishtighttank
top.Theshoeshadveryhighheelsandmostpeoplewouldthinkof
themasverysexualorevenporno.Sowhat?Womenwearhigh
heelshoeseveryday.Yes,butnoteverywomanwearsverythin
stockingswithnothingunderneathtogowithit.Yes,youheardme.
Shewasnakedfromherwaistanddown.Justverythinand
completelysee-throughstockingsandshehadshavedhergenitalpartforeveryonetosee.Noskirtorpantstobefoundnearher.
Andwestared.Ohboydidwestare!Everyoneinthestorestared.
Butwewerealltryingtopretendwedidn’t.Inoticedthatpeoplein
thestorehadstartedtolaughandtalk,loudandsomewhat
nervously.Thewomenwereinparticularlyloudandthemenwere
tryingtohidethattheystaredatherfromwaistdown.Wewereall
totallythrownoffguardbyherlooksandbehaviour.Itwasquite
surrealandthefirstreactionfromuswasn’tsurprisingreally.It’s
noteverydayyouseepeoplewalkaroundnakedfromthewaist
down.
“Didyouseeher?” IaskedToby,butIknewhehadbecausehewas
stillturnedtowardstheisleshehadpassed.
“Whydoesshelooklikethat?” Icontinued.Itwasn’taquestion,
moreofastatement.
8/6/2019 She's Nothin' but a Hooker by Michi Lantz
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/shes-nothin-but-a-hooker-by-michi-lantz 3/4
MichiLantz|©2010
InmysubconsciousmindIwastryingtofindalogicalreasontowhy
shewalkedaroundlikethat,somethingthatwouldmakesense.SoI
thoughtthatshewaseitherdisturbedsomehoworshewasa
hooker.Thatwouldhavemadesenseandbealogicalreasontomy
narrowlittlemind.Whyonearthwouldsheotherwisewalkaround
likethatinpublic?!Soforasecond,andthroughthisherdreactiontomoveawayfromsomethingunknown,Iparticipatedinthe
collectiveresponsetoherappearance.Butnotforlong,though.
Ifeltasubtlefeelingofunease.Shehadstoppedsomewhere
amongtheislesbecauseIcouldn’theartheshoes.Isuspectedthat
shewastryingtofindthewineshewasabouttobuy.Thestore
changeditsenergy.Peoplewhowouldn’thavetalkedtoeachother
inothercircumstancesexchangedlooksandcomments.Istoodstill
andwatchedthegatheringSummitofContempt.Iheardcomments
like"outrageous,sick,freak,prostitute,whatisshedoingherelookinglikethat?!,ohmygod,mentallyill,disgusting" .The
interestingandsadpartofitwasthatinthatmomenttherestofus
belongedtothesamegroup.Thegroup,whoknowshowto
behave,looklikeandcertainlyknowswhatnot tolooklike.Then
somethingdeeperinmetoldmetoswitchperspective.WhatdidI
thinkIknewabouther,actually?!ThetruthwasthatIdidn’tknow
anything;Ididn’tknowherstoryorherhistory.We(thegroup)only
knewwhatwesawinfrontofusandinthatmomentnobodycared
aboutherorherstory.
Shedisturbedandinterruptedusandforcedeachoneofustobein
contactwithanuglypartofourselves,thepartwe’renotsoproud
ofandtrytoignore;thelackofcompassionifsomethingdoesn’t
fitintoourownimageofthings.
Shepickedabottleofwineandgotinoneofcashierlines.People
continuedwiththescornfullaughterandwereclearlydisturbedby
thewholething.Shedidn’tutterawordandheldherheadhigh.
TobyandIwalkedoutthedoorwiththewomanrightbehindus.
Wecrossedthestreetinfrontofustogointothesupermarketto
buyfood.She,ontheotherhand,turneddirectlyleftandstartedtowalkalongthepavement/sidewalk.Driversalmostcaused
accidents,otherpedestriansstoppedandjuststared,people
startedtotalk,buzzingandgossiping.Thereactionscontinuedlikea
dominoeffect.Thenshecrossedthestreetfurtherdownandwas
headingstraightforthesame
supermarketwewere.
ThistimeTobyandIwererightbehindher.Inthissupermarket,you
reallymakeanentrance.Thecashiersarerightinfrontofyou.You
seeeverybodygoinginandeverybodyseesyouaswell.Now,imagineforonesecondthescenerywhensheentered.Lotsof
peoplegettingtheirgroceriesintobags,cashiersexchangingmoney
withcustomers,youknow…itwasabusyevening.Inasplitsecond
everythingandeveryonestopped.Theonlythingthatgaveaway
soundwasherhighheelshoes.Shepassedthecashiersandwalked
intothestore.Cashierslefttheirseats,peoplelookedafterherto
seewhereshewent.NowtheSummitofContempthadmovedinto
thesupermarket.Itmovedlikeavirus,likeadisease.Iwasfeeling
nauseousbyallthecomments,thenervouslaughterand
completelyunreservedcontemptforherappearance.
Now,someofyoumightsaythatweliveinasocietywherewe’re
notsupposedorevenallowedtowalkaroundlikethat.Trueand
wehave“agreed”thatweshouldn’t.Butmypointisthatweare
8/6/2019 She's Nothin' but a Hooker by Michi Lantz
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/shes-nothin-but-a-hooker-by-michi-lantz 4/4
MichiLantz|©2010
pronetoquicklycondemnorexpelandsendpeopletobe“hanged”
forbeingdifferent,literallyorinourminds.Thehistoryofmankind
isfullofthesestories,nomatterwhatreligionyoubelongto,what
skincolouryouhave,whatpartnersyouliketoshagwith,what
opinionsyoustate,whathandicapyoumightlivewith.Thisreveals
moreaboutthejudgementalpartofus,thanitdidofhernakedbehindandwhetherornotshe’saprostituteorfreak.Shewas
certainlynotourexpectation,butshewasn’tonlyherheels,
nakedness,andshavedgenitalpartforanyonetoseeorherheavy
makeupeither.Shewasandstillisasoulthatliveswithinherbody,
lifeandcircumstances.Withinafewminutesandwithoututterone
wordshehadaffectedaround70-100people,whowouldpassthis
onbytelleveryoneelsearoundthem,mostlythroughgossipingand
contempt.Becausethatiswhatwedo,whenwefeelthrownoff
guardbysomething.Weneedtofeelthatwearenotalonehaving
allthisuncomfortablethoughtsandfeelings.
Forabriefmomentshewasn’tworthytowalkamongtherestof
us.Shewasreducedtoourassumptions.Shewasnothingbuta
hookerandafreakandshouldbepunishedforbeingone.
Thetruthwasthatshedidwhateveryoneelsedid,boughtsome
wineandstufffromthesupermarket.Shedidn’ttrytosellsexor
talkedprovocative.Hercrime,andonlycrime,wasshedidn’tlook
liketherestofus.Heractionswereexactlyliketherestwiththe
visualexceptionthatshewasnakedfromherwaistdown.
"Toprostitute"isderivedfromacompositionoftwoLatinwords:
(preposition)proand(verb)statuere.Aliteraltranslationtherefore
wouldbe:"toexpose","toplaceupfront".Incontemporaryusage,
theword"freak"iscommonlyusedtorefertoapersonwith
somethingunusualabouttheirappearanceorbehaviour.
Thiswomanwiththehighheels,shereallyplacedherselfupfront
ourjudgement(ourdarkside)anditwasveryhardtoacceptthat
shehadthenervetodothat.Ihavenocluetothereasonstowhyshedressedlikethat,ifshereallywasaprostitute,ifshefelt
ashamed,ifshewantedtoprovoke,ifshewasmentallyillor
whatever.Ididn’thavethegutstowalkuptoherandaskifshewas
botheredaboutthereactionsshegot.Iwouldliketohaveasked
herthatandhearheranswer.Ididn’tapologisetoherforbeing
prejudiced.InhindsightIwishIdid.BecauseIknowpersonallyhow
itfeelstobeexpelledforlookingdifferent.SoIcriedonmyway
homefromthesupermarket.
Yousee,Isawsomethingabouther,whenshewalkeddownthesidewalk,thatwasappealingandnotappalling,andthatwas
COURAGE .
Becauseittakesawholelotofcouragetodresslikethatandwalk
intotheworldaloneanddowhateveryoneelsetriestodo.
Survive,toliveandholdyourheaduphigh,regardlessofwhat
peoplemightthinkofyou.