I agree it is very easy for people who do not have to deal with difficult situations to believe everything is wonderful and it is far from an old idea. During the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette was rumored to have been so unaware of her subjects pain and hunger - she stupidly said "let the eat cake". It was a rumor, if memory serves, it was not true. But the disconnect certainly is.
Very few women get high profile or high paying jobs and the one's who do, are paid a lot less than their male counterparts. TV dramas, movies, pop cultural references, and advertising still promote a specific view of how women should act and still place women in a box of sorts. Saw a clip on the news last night about a gym class for women to get used to walking in heels, because they have to wear heels in the winter and not sandles or flip-flops. If you "don't" wear heels - you just aren't fashionably correct. You aren't as attractive, etc. A statement that has always annoyed me. I refuse to wear heels unless absolutely necessary - for several reasons: 1) I don't see the point, 2) they hurt like hell 3) I tower over most people already, why add height? 4) they are more expensive than comfortable shows and get damaged easily. And it annoys me when people thrust this expectation at me. "You have to wear heels!"
Or the fact that some health care companies will pay for men to get Viagra but not for women to get birth control.
One of the problems I had with Whedon's shows (can't remember if you followed them or not - if not - one concerned a female superhero) was the patronizing attitude the writer/director/creator has towards women - an attitude, to be fair, he's been taught over time and is no doubt unaware of. The hero is the small adolescent girl or child who falls for or becomes involved with on some level the much older, worldly male anti-hero. Women are in some way controlled by, changed, used, or overseen by men. A concept Whedon did not create so much as pick up from X-Men comic books, Westerns, and other male dominated creations. His patriarchial attitude comes from his culture. It's not that surprising that the one show on TV that in a way copies Buffy's formula, also has a female heroine who more often than not is at the mercy of or overseen by men, and has almost no female role models or positive female acquaintances - Veronica Mars.
In my own work place, I'm very aware of it. Yes, we have women in leadership roles - but they remain supporting ones - Legal Counsel, Public Affairs, Operations...Human Resources, Paralegal...they aren't heads of Marketing, Sales, Medical, or the Corporation itself. Yet, I'm happy they are in some leadership ones. It's better than nothing. But still not good enough.
And I often ask myself, after more than one heated discussion with my own gender, if we, women, are as responsible for these discrepancies? If we have bought into the party line? And if so, how do you change that? Can you?
Sorry, not sure how on topic that was. Bit in a venting mood tonight, I'm afraid.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2006-01-05 12:55 am (UTC)During the French Revolution, Marie Antoinette was rumored to have been so unaware of her subjects pain and hunger - she stupidly said "let the eat cake". It was a rumor, if memory serves, it was not true. But the disconnect certainly is.
Very few women get high profile or high paying jobs and the one's who do, are paid a lot less than their male counterparts. TV dramas, movies, pop cultural references, and advertising still promote a specific view of how women should act and still place women in a box of sorts. Saw a clip on the news last night about a gym class for women to get used to walking in heels, because they have to wear heels in the winter and not sandles or flip-flops. If you "don't" wear heels - you just aren't fashionably correct. You aren't as attractive, etc. A statement that has always annoyed me. I refuse to wear heels unless absolutely necessary - for several reasons: 1) I don't see the point, 2) they hurt like hell 3) I tower over most people already, why add height? 4) they are more expensive than comfortable shows and get damaged easily. And it annoys me when people thrust this expectation at me.
"You have to wear heels!"
Or the fact that some health care companies will pay for men to get Viagra but not for women to get birth control.
One of the problems I had with Whedon's shows (can't remember if you followed them or not - if not - one concerned a female superhero) was the patronizing attitude the writer/director/creator has towards women - an attitude, to be fair, he's been taught over time and is no doubt unaware of. The hero is the small adolescent girl or child who falls for or becomes involved with on some level the much older, worldly male anti-hero. Women are in some way controlled by, changed, used, or overseen by men. A concept Whedon did not create so much as pick up from X-Men comic books, Westerns, and other male dominated creations. His patriarchial attitude comes from his culture. It's not that surprising that the one show on TV that in a way copies Buffy's formula, also has a female heroine who more often than not is at the mercy of or overseen by men, and has almost no female role models or positive female acquaintances - Veronica Mars.
In my own work place, I'm very aware of it. Yes, we have women in leadership roles - but they remain supporting ones - Legal Counsel, Public Affairs, Operations...Human Resources, Paralegal...they aren't heads of Marketing, Sales, Medical, or the Corporation itself. Yet, I'm happy they are in some leadership ones. It's better than nothing. But still not good enough.
And I often ask myself, after more than one heated discussion with my own gender, if we, women, are as responsible for these discrepancies? If we have bought into the party line? And if so, how do you change that? Can you?
Sorry, not sure how on topic that was. Bit in a venting mood tonight, I'm afraid.