Out of one side of their mouths, Teen Mania tells women not to be responsible for causing men to lust. Yet, out of the other side of their mouths, they tell women to make sure they are being feminine and beautiful.
The most infamous example of this is Dave Hasz’s “paint the barn” speech. In the first week of the Honor Academy, Dave Hasz gives his “Aura of a Statesman” teaching which includes very specific suggestions/requirements for grooming habits while at Teen Mania. He encourages women to “paint the barn” i.e. – wear makeup. He would go on to say that many barns look old and dilapidated and just need a fresh coat of paint. Many interns took offense to this statement (and rightfully so), so he quit using that particular saying while still preaching exactly the same message.
He would also tell women not to just put their hair in a ponytail every day because “we have to look at you everyday.” He wants women to put some effort into their apperance and do their hair differently each day. In fact, just this week Dave took it even a step further and suggested specific hairstyles that women should wear in order for the modern intern woman to look “feminine and beautiful.”
And all this time, I thought beauty was on the inside.
These statements are so wildly inappropriate and misogynistic that it literally makes me sick. Is there any other environment where you can imagine a leader dictating to his female employees or followers how they should wear their hair? The only one that comes to my mind is CULT.