What Do Women Want: Part 1 of 100 Women have been known to be one of the most mysterious and perplexing living beings on this planet. Their indecisive behavior has been at the root of many comedic scenarios for decades and will most likely stay this way for many years to come. Many individuals feel as though this is the nature of all women. And when these individuals begin to generalize this way, it can lead to many stereotypes. Kim Addonizio’s poem “What Do Women Want” expresses the stereotype that women have to face in today’s world. By writing about a red dress that is said to symbolizes the animalistic and sexual drive that all women have, Addonizio’s poem attempts to break that stereotype by giving examples of what a misogynistic individual would assume of a woman in a red dress. The very first few lines of the poem give the reader a description of the particular dress that the speaker would like to own: I want a red dress. I want it flimsy and cheap, I want it too tight, I want to wear it until someone tears it off me. I want it sleeveless and backless, this dress, so no one has to guess what’s underneath. (1-7) Right off the bat, the reader is notified that the particular dress that the speaker wants is red. This gives the reader many different connotations about the color red. People usually associate the color red with passion, power, sex, love, danger, and a lot of other descriptions as well. The speaker states, “I want it to confirm / your worst fears about me, / to show you how little I care about you / or anything except what / I want,” (17-21). The speaker wants the red dress because she wants to be seen as a powerful woman that is dangerous and powerful but at the same time, really good in bed. If the dress were black or white, the connotation would be completely different. A black dress would have an underlying feeling of mysteriousness. Black is usually associated with secrets and t