Vintage sexism

I found the following book via Feministing, via My Blahg. It’s called “I’m Glad I’m a Boy! I’m Glad I’m a Girl!” and is from the 50’s. From a simpler time. From an age where young girls and boys knew exactly where they were heading, because someone was always there to tell them who to be and how to act. Ah, poor us, who have to think about such things and get so lost.

Or, as Feministing puts it:

Binary gender systems are constructed. They rely on the repetition of dominant narratives via psychology, music, popular culture, film and of course children’s books. [...] I almost appreciate how blatantly obvious it is, since there is no question what it is trying to do. Gender-based messaging is much more subtle and nuanced these days.

Ah yes, back then it was easy to see what needed to be fought against…

 

Feminist link orgy

Whew, that might get me some interesting Google searches… Anyway, the point of this post is: I am bored out of my mind right now. I would love to write something meaningful and witty and whatnot, but my mind has been completely numbed by the lack of purposeful things to do. Who knew I would be good at having job stuff to do! So besides wasting time and braincells on the internet or with series, interspersed by the occasional read, I wanted to sum up some topics that have been piling up in my “blog topics” folder. Without going into detail, of course, because then I’d just end up copying.

1 – Ohmydollz, as described by Mädechenmannschaft.

This is a game for young impressionable people, where you start out with a doll who has no experience, just 25 dollars and a job as a babysitter. Oh, and all you own is underwear. What a great start! Of course what you want to become is the sexiest, best dressed, best looking doll with a cool apartment and all the furniture to go with it. How do you get that? Seduce men of course! Here is where young girls (it is marketed to kids) can learn how to become proper women. By doing anything to please men, so that they can buy you stuff. Who ever has the most “conquests” wins! All to improve social skills, of course…

2 – Products targeted at women, from the Süddeutsche Zeitung

I read this way before knowing Sarah Haskins “Target: Women” and the hilarious yet infuriating job they do there, but it did open my eyes to how hard it is to come by products that fit needs or are in any way practical and not pink or pastel colored, when it comes to things for women. Which don’t necessarily need to be things just women use, nowadays anything can be marketed at women by being cute and small and pink, even if it’s just a phone or some other thing anyone uses. But maybe I’m getting way out of line here. Maybe I should be happy they’re all thinking “shrink it and pink it” – that way I don’t have to think at all! For instance, why should my sport pants have pockets? I don’t need to store a key – that’s what the man is for! I don’t need freedom of movement – I’m just here to look pretty! Wouldn’t the world be a better place if women like me would just shut up and join the estrogen-laden community…

3 – At your cervix, presented by Feministing

The documentary “At Your Cervix” enters U.S. medical and nursing schools and breaks the silence around unethical ways in which medical and nursing students learn to perform pelvic exams. These practices – which include nursing students being required to perform exams on each other in front of faculty and medical students “practicing” on unconscious, unconsenting patients – lead directly to the reality that most women find pelvic exams to be humiliating and painful. I was simply appalled when I saw the short movie and can only hope that med students in Germany learn otherwise – although I wouldn’t be so sure… And it wouldn’t help the fact that many American and European women are shamed by their own body.

What’s in the bag?

A while back, I came across this french blog, called “the girls’ purse”. It’s a concept I’ve heard of before, namely that girls take pictures of their favorite purse and what they usually carry in it. It works for guys, too – they just have to empty their pockets. I thought this was interesting because it’s also a form of soul-strip, especially for some women. For those whose purse is sacred to them. It’s even more fascinating for me, since I’m not the kind who owns a whole lot of different purses and I don’t carry my house around with me. My sister, on the other hand, goes missing behind her purse and always has everything with her. Literally, everything. Need a helicopter? Here you go.

I wanted to participate anyway, just for the fun of it. So here is a picture of my favorite purse and the most things I would ever carry around with me. Because if I had photographed just the usual I have with me on any given day, it would just have been keys, wallet and phone. Seriously. I love this purse because it’s leather, has a long or a short strap (for over the shoulder, free handed, or clutchy), cool colors and practical pockets. The contents, in clockwise order, are:

 

• The book I’m currently reading – always a good thing to have around, in case you have to wait
• Hand lotion, gum, a small pocket knife, (environmentally friendly) tissues and chap stick – just in case
• My customized, donated to a good cause mp3-player – don’t cross the door without it
• My wallet, with the usual: cash, most used cards, id.
• A green, 100% recycled USB-stick, capacity 2 Gb
• My phone
• My Moleskine agenda
• Foldable umbrella or large brown sunglasses, depending on the weather
• Keys (the keyring pendant being an always useful bottle opener)
• Extra set of cards, with for example my video store id and stamp card for star coffee

So, what’s in your bag?