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.

Ah, the poor youth of today…

My family is coming to visit for Easter. Not that we celebrate much - although I would love to cook a big meal – it was more of hiding and seeking eggs in our yard back in Jersey. But now I have my little sister to think about and frankly I’m concerned. Her main motivation to come see me is that she had heard from my older sister that I own every episode of Grey’s Anatomy. She’s seven, and she watches that with my mom. Now I know she can’t understand everything that’s going on, but still it’s unsettling. Especially since my older sister implied that it was my fault the whole family is turning into series junkies. At such a young age! *sob*

When my little sister is left alone in front of the TV, she usually watches typical childrens cartoons. Only I’m not sure this is any better. I know it sounds clichéd, but I do believe the cartoons I watched as a kid were saner. Sure, there was a time when I wanted to be a purple flying pony when I grew up (true story), but other than that I think my view of the world was pretty realistic. Nowadays, though, they have shows for girls that are called “Bratz” – based on lollipop-figures and vanity - which is definitely not something I would want to encourage. But on top of that, the unrealistic image portrayed to young girls is getting more and more ridiculous. And what I think is dangerous is that it’s going in a sexualized direction. Ok, sex sells, I get it. But can we leave the kids out of it, please?

For those of you who think I’m exagerating, I have some examples:

Dora the Explorer:

before                            after

Strawberry Shortcake:

before                            after

 

And for chrissakes, they even made the Care Bears skinnier. Now it’s personal.