女生一定要穿高跟鞋咩？

20160512ou 一中两外锵锵三人行 今日话题：女生一定要穿高跟鞋咩？ Brian: Of the high variety of shoes that many women, and, originally, men, actually, used to wear. They’re quite popular, to a certain extent, but they’re also, in some ways, quite harmful to one’s feet, among other things. Heels. Yoyo: A recent report says that a London receptionist has been sent home for not wearing high heels. This is at the finance company PwC, PricewaterhouseCoopers. The 27-year-old Ms. Thorp was told that she had to wear shoes with a 2-inch to 4-inch heel. She refused and complained that male colleagues were not asked to do the same, and then she was sent home without pay. Brian: Oh, that’s a wonderful story, there. People think that there’s a certain aesthetic value, or appeal, to them. They’re also often linked to a lot of problems with your feet. Nick: I think one of the key points in this story, as well, is that it’s very unclear what role her shoes play in her ability to perform her job as a receptionist, which was something that I think she pointed out herself, but that wasn’t really taken into account, here. Clearly it’s kind of an image thing, they want her to have a certain appearance in front of their clients, but there’s no real reason why a client would think less of them. I can’t personally imagine a client entering this company and thinking, ‘the receptionist is not wearing heels, I shall not bring my business here’. Brian: Well, perhaps you don’t come from the old sort of money that would appreciate that sort of thing, there. Nick: This is true. Yoyo: Well, actually Ms. Thorp also said, “I was expected to do a 9-hour shift on my feet, escorting the clients to meeting rooms. I just won’t be able to do that in heels”. I can totally understand that! After standing in high heels, even for one hour, it can be so, so painful. Brian: Yeah, it’s absurd. Yoyo: And the question is, whether or not wearing high heels has impaired her ability to do her job. If not, why should the company fire her? Brian: Exactly, exactly. And that’s the thing. Yoyo: In the past fashion week, Victoria Beckham was snapped on the runway in sneakers, claiming that she can’t do heels any more. So if one of the most fashionable women also thinks that flats can be better, and high heels are so painful, why shouldn’t other people just change a little? Brian: Exactly, and bravo to her for doing that. Nick: Yeah, it does seem that more and more people are taking a stand on this, as it were – pardon the pun – but it’s certainly been attracting attention in the UK, so this particular story has led to the setting-up of a petition for the government to change the law so that women can’t be forced to wear high heels by a dress code by their company, and it’s got more than the 10,000 signatures that it needed for the government to have to produce a response to it. I struggle to see how they will maintain the current rule that a woman can be forced to wear high heels for work, but we shall see. Yoyo: Let’s just think about it. Let men put their feet into women’s shoes. Brian: Yes. [Clapping] Yoyo: As we always say, let’s put our feet into other people’s shoes and think about it. So, if you think it is really comfortable, let’s all wear it. Brian: Yes, very well said, Wu You. As China had a long time ago, you know, binding women’s feet to make them “look better”, this is the modern version. High heels are the bound feet of the modern era, and women should stop inflicting themselves with it, and so should society.