60 years after the publication of The Second Sex by formidable French feminist Simone de Beauvoir, and plus ça change…

French feminist writer Simone de Beauvoir said it best: “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” This was meant less as a sultry beauty tip, but rather a critique on how the expectations society places on women stifle their ability to grow and succeed. In a literal sense, the 60 minutes it takes to put on make up and style hair each morning cuts into working hours.

Indirectly, well… let’s just say constant objectification makes it hard to be taken seriously:

If you haven’t read The Second Sex, this handy video from BBC Radio 4 quotes de Beauvoir in bite-size chunks. These Betty and Veronica style cartoons break down 2,000 years of human history in black and white, offering choice quotes and sociological, philosophical back up.

What more could a girl want?