---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being a woman is worse than being a…"
description: "\"“Being a woman is worse than being a farmer there is so much harvesting and crop spraying to be done: legs to be waxed, underarms shaved, eyebrows pluc..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/helen-fielding-2564_contact-lenses_being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farm_1182410.jpg"
---

#  Being a woman is worse than being a farmer there is so…

![“Being a woman is worse than being a farmer there is so much harvesting and crop spraying to be done: legs to be waxed, underarms shaved, eyebrows plucked, feet pumiced, skin exfoliated and moisturised, spots cleansed, roots dyed, eyelashes tinted, nails filed, cellulite massaged, stomach muscles…” quote by Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/helen-fielding-2564_contact-lenses_being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farm_1182410.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/helen-fielding-2564_contact-lenses_being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farm_1182410.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/helen-fielding-2564_contact-lenses_being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farm_1182410.jpg)

> ““Being a woman is worse than being a farmer there is so much harvesting and crop spraying to be done: legs to be waxed, underarms shaved, eyebrows plucked, feet pumiced, skin exfoliated and moisturised, spots cleansed, roots dyed, eyelashes tinted, nails filed, cellulite massaged, stomach muscles exercised. The whole performance is so highly tuned you only need to neglect it for a few days for the whole thing to go to seed. Sometimes I wonder what I would be like if left to revert to nature — with a full beard and handlebar moustache on each shin Dennis Healey eyebrows face a graveyard of dead skin cells spots erupting long curly fingernails like Struwelpeter blind as bat and stupid runt of species as no contact lenses flabby body flobbering around. Ugh ugh. Is it any wonder girls have no confidence?””

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote satirically highlights the relentless societal pressure on women to maintain an idealized appearance, comparing it to exhausting farm work and suggesting it erodes confidence.

**In simple terms:** Women face constant beauty expectations that drain confidence.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and challenge unrealistic beauty standards.

Themes

beauty standards gender pressure self-esteem societal expectations body image

Mood

frustrated ironic critical

Type

satirical observational commentary

When to use this quote

- daily grooming routines
- media influence
- workplace appearance policies
- social media self-presentation
- personal self‑care

Key Concepts

feminist critique social commentary psychological stress

Questions to Reflect On

- How do beauty standards affect your self‑worth?
- What steps can reduce pressure to conform?

A Different Perspective

The humor may downplay genuine struggles and overlook diverse experiences of women.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Contact lenses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contact-lenses/) [Exfoliated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exfoliated-3473138/) [Irony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irony/) [Legs Waxed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legs-waxed-694092/) [Moisturised](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moisturised-631538/) [Nature Beard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-beard-3473137/) [Plucked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plucked-373970/)

## Related quotes

> [“Sean started the engine and putted through the marina waters, and Adam had the nerve to plop onto the seat across the aisle from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-echols/sean-started-the-engine-and-putted-through-the-marina-waters-and-adam/)

[Jennifer Echols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-echols/)

> [I've never had my feet done and never had my legs waxed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-baxendale/i-ve-never-had-my-feet-done-and-never-had-my-legs-waxed/)

[Helen Baxendale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-baxendale/)

> [“The bеnеfіtѕ of сосоnut oil fоr уоur hаіr аrе numerous. Cосоnut оіl hеlрѕ kеер уоur hair fully moisturised, іt рrоmоtеѕ full growth and сrеаtеѕ…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-cree/the-b-n-f-t-of-nut-oil-f-r-ur-h-r-r-numerous-c-nut-l-h-l-k-ur-hair/)

[Ashley Cree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-cree/)

> [I don't do much for skin. Just drink water, try to get proper sleep, exercise, sweat it out, keep it moisturised, and most importantly,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/radhika-apte/i-don-t-do-much-for-skin-just-drink-water-try-to-get-proper-sleep/)

[Radhika Apte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/radhika-apte/)

> [I use loads of moisturising products and make sure I cleanse, tone and moisturise every day. It's just so important to always keep your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbey-clancy/i-use-loads-of-moisturising-products-and-make-sure-i-cleanse-tone-and/)

[Abbey Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbey-clancy/)

> [I make sure that, every morning, my skin is really well moisturised. I use my sunscreen; I make sure I wash my face at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kriti-kharbanda/i-make-sure-that-every-morning-my-skin-is-really-well-moisturised-i/)

[Kriti Kharbanda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kriti-kharbanda/)

> [I keep my skin clean and moisturised. While shooting, my skin has to put up with severe make up and lights for hours at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-dhupia/i-keep-my-skin-clean-and-moisturised-while-shooting-my-skin-has-to/)

[Neha Dhupia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-dhupia/)

> [I never moisturised until I got skin cancer. It totally changed my opinion on moisturising. I used to think using a face protector was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-lock/i-never-moisturised-until-i-got-skin-cancer-it-totally-changed-my/)

[Sean Lock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-lock/)

> [“I plucked one feather from my hood and left it on his forehead, for, his, head. For a souvenir, for a warning, for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-porter/i-plucked-one-feather-from-my-hood-and-left-it-on-his-forehead-for/)

[Max Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-porter/)

> [Reason and happiness are like other flowers; they wither when plucked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santayana/reason-and-happiness-are-like-other-flowers-they-wither-when-plucked/)

[George Santayana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santayana/)

> [Third grade, I plucked my eyebrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bretman-rock/third-grade-i-plucked-my-eyebrows/)

[Bretman Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bretman-rock/)

> [throughout human history people have scarred, painted, pierced, padded, stiffened, plucked, and buffed their bodies in the name of beauty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-etcoff/throughout-human-history-people-have-scarred-painted-pierced-padded/)

[Nancy Etcoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-etcoff/)

> [It was not in the winter Our loving lot was cast! It was the time of roses, We plucked them as we passed!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hood/it-was-not-in-the-winter-our-loving-lot-was-cast-it-was-the-time-of/)

[Thomas Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hood/)

> [For a long time, no village girl would dress her hair or bosom with the sweetest flower from that field of death: and after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/for-a-long-time-no-village-girl-would-dress-her-hair-or-bosom-with/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [“look as if they had been plucked from the Palace of Versailles or a Jacobean mansion—that you were aboard a ship being propelled far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/look-as-if-they-had-been-plucked-from-the-palace-of-versailles-or-a/)

[Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/)

## More by Helen Fielding

> [“I will not fall for any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, commitment phobics, people with girlfriends or wives, misogynists, megalomanics, chauvists, emotional fuckwits or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/i-will-not-fall-for-any-of-the-following-alcoholics-workaholics/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [“barometer of success in later life is not that they always win, but how they deal with failure. An ability to pick themselves up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/barometer-of-success-in-later-life-is-not-that-they-always-win-but/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [“One has to be in control, otherwise the whole dynamic becomes a total disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/one-has-to-be-in-control-otherwise-the-whole-dynamic-becomes-a-total/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [“it’s a bit like if we were on a planet where all the space creatures were short, green and fat. Except a very few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/it-s-a-bit-like-if-we-were-on-a-planet-where-all-the-space-creatures/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [If we can't have comedy books written about aspects of womanhood without going into a panic attack about it, then we haven't got very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/if-we-can-t-have-comedy-books-written-about-aspects-of-womanhood/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [Though with Bridget Jones's Baby: the Diaries, I'd like to make it clear that I did not ever get pregnant by two men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/though-with-bridget-jones-s-baby-the-diaries-i-d-like-to-make-it/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [ I'd always hoped to write the story as a novel, but there was a long period when the \[Bridget Jones's Baby: The Diaries\] movie… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/i-d-always-hoped-to-write-the-story-as-a-novel-but-there-was-a-long/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [“Resolution number one: Obviously will lose twenty pounds. Number two: Always put last night's panties in the laundry basket. Equally important, will find sensible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/resolution-number-one-obviously-will-lose-twenty-pounds-number-two/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [ With most of the events in the books \[ Bridget Jones Diaries \] I draw a little bit from my own life and some… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/with-most-of-the-events-in-the-books-bridget-jones-diaries-i-draw-a/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [“Bet I will become known as brilliant cook and hostess”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/bet-i-will-become-known-as-brilliant-cook-and-hostess/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [I always market research my books before I hand them in by showing them to five or six close friends who I trust to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/i-always-market-research-my-books-before-i-hand-them-in-by-showing/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [“It’s no good. When someone leaves you, apart from missing them, apart from the fact that the whole little world you’ve created together collapses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/it-s-no-good-when-someone-leaves-you-apart-from-missing-them-apart/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [Of course the chronology of the books is a bit back- to - front, and books usually come out before movies. But happily, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/of-course-the-chronology-of-the-books-is-a-bit-back-to-front-and/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [“The worst is the thought that they tried you out and, in the end , the whole sum of parts which adds up to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/the-worst-is-the-thought-that-they-tried-you-out-and-in-the-end-the/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

> [Nobody wants to be racist and I think that most people aren't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/nobody-wants-to-be-racist-and-i-think-that-most-people-aren-t/)

[Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

[Explore all 158 Helen Fielding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/)

## More Contact lenses quotes

> [“October 3, 2017 The clown, Hagarty said, looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald and that old TV clown, Bozo—or so he thought at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/october-3-2017-the-clown-hagarty-said-looked-like-a-cross-between/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [Emma was a shocking driver, simultaneously sloppy and petrified, and for the first fifty miles had been absent-mindedly driving with her spectacles on top…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/emma-was-a-shocking-driver-simultaneously-sloppy-and-petrified-and/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [NeW contact lenses :D](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/new-contact-lenses-d/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Because I am a horrible flincher, contact lenses are not an option. I'm always envious of contact-wearers. There are endless reasons to take off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/because-i-am-a-horrible-flincher-contact-lenses-are-not-an-option-i-m/)

[Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/)

> [With any tween, you have issues, from what they are going to wear to school, to how do you get them to speak politely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-gay-harden/with-any-tween-you-have-issues-from-what-they-are-going-to-wear-to/)

[Marcia Gay Harden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-gay-harden/)

> [“She wears glasses that are not too small. I wish I was a girl like that. I wear contact lenses because glasses make me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/she-wears-glasses-that-are-not-too-small-i-wish-i-was-a-girl-like/)

[Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/)

> [I played football for Leeds United under-18s, but at 17 my eyes started to go and I had to wear glasses. The football had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-boycott/i-played-football-for-leeds-united-under-18s-but-at-17-my-eyes/)

[Geoffrey Boycott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-boycott/)

> [Contact lenses are for vain, weak-willed piglets who swan around showing off: 'Look everybody, I can see without spectacles. No one at first glance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-proops/contact-lenses-are-for-vain-weak-willed-piglets-who-swan-around/)

[Greg Proops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-proops/)

> [The one thing in the world that I can't do without is my glasses. I don't really care about my laptop, I never answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-bronze/the-one-thing-in-the-world-that-i-can-t-do-without-is-my-glasses-i/)

[Lucy Bronze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-bronze/)

> [To me, wearing glasses is no pleasure, but once I conceded that I simply couldn't properly judge distance without them, I began to experiment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/to-me-wearing-glasses-is-no-pleasure-but-once-i-conceded-that-i/)

[Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/)

> [Contact lenses make me miserable, as soon as I put them in. That's what creates the pouting and brooding character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pattinson/contact-lenses-make-me-miserable-as-soon-as-i-put-them-in-that-s-what/)

[Robert Pattinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pattinson/)

> [I was shy, but it came out in a big personality. My turning point was when I let my hair go naturally and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/i-was-shy-but-it-came-out-in-a-big-personality-my-turning-point-was/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

> [I think that a lot of players and a lot of teams don't think of contact lenses as being a part of that essential…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-o-reilly/i-think-that-a-lot-of-players-and-a-lot-of-teams-don-t-think-of/)

[Heather O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-o-reilly/)

> [Remember the movie 'The Matrix,' where virtual information popped up to help inform physical day-to-day reality? Such things won't always be the stuff of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/remember-the-movie-the-matrix-where-virtual-information-popped-up-to/)

[Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/)

> [Kyouya my hair stylist. Mori-senpi go to the eye doctor and get him some contact lenses. -Tamaki What about me Tama-chan? -Hunny Hunny senpi.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bisco-hatori/kyouya-my-hair-stylist-mori-senpi-go-to-the-eye-doctor-and-get-him/)

[Bisco Hatori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bisco-hatori/)

[Browse all 58 Contact lenses quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contact-lenses/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Being a woman is worse than being a farmer there is so much harvesting and crop spraying to be done: legs to be waxed, underarms shaved, eyebrows plucked, feet pumiced, skin exfoliated and moisturised, spots cleansed, roots dyed, eyelashes tinted, nails filed, cellulite massaged, stomach muscles exercised. The whole performance is so highly tuned you only need to neglect it for a few days for the whole thing to go to seed. Sometimes I wonder what I would be like if left to revert to nature — with a full beard and handlebar moustache on each shin Dennis Healey eyebrows face a graveyard of dead skin cells spots erupting long curly fingernails like Struwelpeter blind as bat and stupid runt of species as no contact lenses flabby body flobbering around. Ugh ugh. Is it any wonder girls have no confidence?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Helen Fielding"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farmer-there-is-so-much/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Contact lenses"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farmer-there-is-so-much/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/helen-fielding-2564_contact-lenses_being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farm_1182410.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/helen-fielding-2564_contact-lenses_being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farm_1182410.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/49a/helen-fielding-2564_contact-lenses_being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farm_1182410.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Being a woman is worse than being a farmer there is so much harvesting and crop spraying to be done: legs to…” — Helen Fielding",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Helen Fielding",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Being a woman is worse than...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farmer-there-is-so-much/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fielding/being-a-woman-is-worse-than-being-a-farmer-there-is-so-much/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
