RE: Single Men and Bachelors: Feminism is not for you.
October 30, 2012 at 12:36 pm
(This post was last modified: October 30, 2012 at 12:38 pm by thesummerqueen.)
Perhaps people should just assume less and ask more polite questions.
We get into discussions similar to your statement all the time thanks to the uproar in the skeptic community about gendered toys. Now, I've made some rather scathing posts about "laptops for women" and the Bic pen mess, but the fact is there are women (and probably men) out there who want a bejeweled laptop or a purple colored pen. There are going to be children who probably should be encouraged in science but won't be interested in it unless it's "pretty" and is a lab set that creates make up or some shit. And there will be others who don't give a rat's ass (like me). I'm not concerned about that so much as the media, toy companies and parents making decisive lines. So what if a boy wanted to play with dolls or create make up? Some of the best designers, chefs, perfumists, and make up artists are men - activities that would be deemed effeminate or gay if a younger man was doing them. Fact is, my very straight boyfriend is much more stylish than me. And so what if a girl wanted to play with tonka trucks? I happen to be a much better "messy" person than my boyfriend - I can four-wheel a jeep and tear through handy-man work like no one's business. But I also like the whole ritual of make-up and manicures and he loves taking cars apart and back together. Was it because we were raised on more gender neutral terms, or are our personalities just much stronger than society's encouragement? Who's to say who is right?
I think the best course is to encourage your kids to try a lot of things, and don't discourage them from something they enjoy. Let them choose. Teach them the important stuff: how to be clean and look decent for the public/interview/date. How to balance a checkbook. How to find the information you need to perform basic house repairs. How to ask the right questions to get what you want. How to cook basic healthy meals. How to be respectful.
No more "How to be a man" or "how to be a woman".
Although I am jealous that there isn't a feminine version of "The Art of Manliness", which is one of the greatest blogs I've ever come across, whether you're a man or woman.
I wonder how much of this will go away when people stop being afraid of their kids turning out gay?
We get into discussions similar to your statement all the time thanks to the uproar in the skeptic community about gendered toys. Now, I've made some rather scathing posts about "laptops for women" and the Bic pen mess, but the fact is there are women (and probably men) out there who want a bejeweled laptop or a purple colored pen. There are going to be children who probably should be encouraged in science but won't be interested in it unless it's "pretty" and is a lab set that creates make up or some shit. And there will be others who don't give a rat's ass (like me). I'm not concerned about that so much as the media, toy companies and parents making decisive lines. So what if a boy wanted to play with dolls or create make up? Some of the best designers, chefs, perfumists, and make up artists are men - activities that would be deemed effeminate or gay if a younger man was doing them. Fact is, my very straight boyfriend is much more stylish than me. And so what if a girl wanted to play with tonka trucks? I happen to be a much better "messy" person than my boyfriend - I can four-wheel a jeep and tear through handy-man work like no one's business. But I also like the whole ritual of make-up and manicures and he loves taking cars apart and back together. Was it because we were raised on more gender neutral terms, or are our personalities just much stronger than society's encouragement? Who's to say who is right?
I think the best course is to encourage your kids to try a lot of things, and don't discourage them from something they enjoy. Let them choose. Teach them the important stuff: how to be clean and look decent for the public/interview/date. How to balance a checkbook. How to find the information you need to perform basic house repairs. How to ask the right questions to get what you want. How to cook basic healthy meals. How to be respectful.
No more "How to be a man" or "how to be a woman".
Although I am jealous that there isn't a feminine version of "The Art of Manliness", which is one of the greatest blogs I've ever come across, whether you're a man or woman.
I wonder how much of this will go away when people stop being afraid of their kids turning out gay?
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