About a week ago, I was stalking Emily’s myspace page to try and determine if she’d left yet for Nevada, and I started thinking about how, although we weren’t really that close growing up, there are quite a few similarities between me and my cousin. Shouldn’t really surprise me I suppose since we share a lot of the same genes…actually I think I’m some sort of combination of both E&L, which is a little strange since I came first. Huh. This is going in a direction that I did not mean for it to go.
ANYWAY. What I meant to start writing about is the concept of femininity and being a girl. Here’s what Em says:
I ♥ elegant things and elegant people. I think that too many girls and women aren’t girly enough. I’m not saying you need to ♥ pink and where ruffles. I think that if you are a girl you need to show it off. Be proud of your curves. I ♥ the old Hollywood style. The way women would have matching purses and heels I just ♥ that.
Yeah, I’ll admit that I’m a complete ditz sometimes (I think that runs in the family too) but in no way am I unintelligent. So why is it presumed that, if it is obvious that I took the time to put together an outfit, if I am wearing high heels and my hair is shiny, why why why are people surprised that I can string together a sentence?
Here are some statements that have made the males of the species pull a face (you know the face, raised eyebrows, lips pursed, nose scrunched, general look of surprise that they try to cover) in the recent months:
“I’m getting my master’s of public health in international health and development.”
“Oh, the Pirates, they’re in last, but so is my National League team, the Giants.”
“Si, hablo espanol. Aprendi en centroamerica.”
“I get up early on Saturdays to go to the Farmer’s Market because I want my food to be as local as possible.”
“Yes, I read about that on the BBC this morning.”
What is it about males that makes them assume that if we look nice then there is no room for intelligent thoughts in our minds? Why can’t they go together? Is it that in the past, women who spent time on their appearance didn’t have time to learn or think? I’m just confused. Yes, I like to pretty myself up and be proud of my curves (as Em says) and I like to be flirty. But if you’re going to challenge me to Jeopardy or think that I can’t tell you the 14 ways to get to first base (in BASEBALL) then you might want to look past my appearance. Pretty, girl, elegant, heels and purses do not mean stupidity. Feminism no longer means you have to hide that you’re a woman. We’re past that. We can be girly and smart.
Please, males, realize this!
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2 comments:
Since males tend to have more of a time with pride...and because many have a natural tendency to want to dominate, they may be doing "the face" as a smoke screen in order to hide their not totally being able to understand what you just said, not being intelligent enough to keep up with the conversation or never watching BBC (and maybe not even knowing what the BBC is).
Ah, you're my kind of gal...
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