Shhh! I'm a girl Woman...
Suffagettes New York Circa 1921
Typically women don't...
Most women don't know how to...
Women often can't...
See? Men don't do that. Only you women do that.
How often do you hear words like these at work, in the store, at church, even in your home? (Well they don't say them in our home-sweet-home within my hearing if they want to live to see the dawn.)
I celebrate many of the differences between men and women, I do. Really. I read romance for crying out loud. You can't celebrate men and women more than that, can you? Anyway, as my pal LB likes to say, "I love teh men". Of course she usually follows it with something steamy about man-love, but it works here and I'm stealing it.
My point is, I get a mite squinchy when it comes to comments that are subtlety, or not so subtlety, deprecating. You know the ones I'm talking about. Those sneaky treacherous words handed to you couched as a compliment when they are actually an insult to you and your gender?
Gender bias.
Gender bias.
Speaking of stereotypes...and we are. This is from the Austrailian Tax Office site.
Did you shudder when you saw those words...gender bias? I'm hardly militant on the issue. Seriously. I'm not. And, I have to admit, there is a marked difference on how my sons view women and women's roles and men who are in power and in charge of a certain age and generation. I'm hopeful that the male attitude will continue to improve with each succeeding generation.
Cuz, ya know, otherwise I might get charged with a capital crime and have to get fitted with this new wardrobe...
Just sayin'.
Labels: Life, We Are Women
Posted by Rosie at 12:01 AM
8 Comments:
Yes, and the worst part is when I try to point it out; the truly hated comments come out.
"Oh, I'm just joking..."
"You need to chill out..."
"You're being emotional..."
"Don't blow things out of proportion."
hear hear! I am with you on this one. And I thank you for raising good responsible sons.
Alys, I guess it's what comes when you work in a male dominated environment. It's aggravating as hell though.
Sula, you would think it would be easier wouldn't you? Actually Cali is more forgiving than a lot of places like, oh say, Montana where a lot of my extended family lives.
Or how about "Oh, is it that time of the month?" To which I've said "No, I'm ALWAYS a bitch, unfortunately for you."
Or there's "Oh, you poor men. I get to wear a skirt if I want or pants, pretty makeup, flowers in my hair and I can put down any bad behavior to being an emotional woman. Don't you wish you were me?"
Heh.
I too am happy with the newer generation--with great thanks to the women raising them. I'm happy with the man in the White House. I'm happy being me and I like to sing "I Am Woman" loudly when there's crap going on. Oh, I know I can't beat an organised male cabal in some areas, but I can certainly make them froth at the mouth at times.
Anyways, Rosie, I think you'd look grand in orange, and hey, you'd have plenty of time to read.
Gabrielle, you'd totally set them on their ear at ye olde fire station. I told a certain someone about your tea party. I believe his words were something like this...
"Tea party? In Paris? Ok what's your friend up to now?"
Man, we totally need to take them out for drinks and see how much they can handle! :-)
Seriously? Is it that time of the month? Dead people would be in the room.
Yeah, dickweed, it's that time of the month, next week I'll be all sugar and light but you'll still be an asshole.
Bad Cindy.
I've been watching the first season of Mad Men and I almost get sick to my stomach watching how women were treated. I've just never seen the 50's portrayed in such a way. Makes me so grateful to the women who suffered through such stupidity and downright abuse.
Yetch.
CindyS
Gabrielle, our favorite Deputy Chief rarely indulges, however, he might make an exception for a visitor from far off parts. ;)
Cindy, my sister gets all riled about the 50s movies that were made in the 50s were Doris Day, and others, were dressed and coiffed and made up and ran their homes and took care of their men. There was no way real women could compete. She says we are still trying to overcome the Doris Day complex. Men want it all.
One thing we can say, for sure, is that women, FINALLY, feel like it's okay to say, WE WANT IT ALL TOO!
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