Along with all those male dominant/silly female songs, there was this wonderful message (1964)
We need more of this now. We need for every girl put down ‘out of love’ to stand up and walk out.
We need more of this, chosen by the UN for their 1975 Year of the Woman
Just…don’t read the comments. They’ll just make you bang your head on the desk. Notice, too…we can actually understand her words??
Peace and Love, Lesley Gore
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I really didn’t want to write another rant, since so much of the My Turn Challenge blogs concerned negative messages toward and about women. Some of my examples were decades ago, though the “Like a Girl” was all too recently. Still it seemed I needed to back off a little.
Except.
Colleen McCullough died yesterday. She rose to fame and wealth with her second book “The Thorn Birds,” about an illicit affair with a Catholic priest. No happy ending here, so by definition not a romance. Her books explored human nature and relations, and brought enjoyment to many readers. Writing was her second career, when she realized her work in neurophysiological research would not pay her the same scale as her male co-workers. Obituary from the Telegraph
A brilliant writer is gone, a loss to her readers and the literary world. Obituaries published around the world, most of them with a modicum of respect although you might see from the Telegraph obituary there is a discussion of her private life not generally seen with famous male writer obituaries. Then one obituary went so far over the line it is lost in the distance. Hmmm, I’m not finding that specific article in The Australian, but there is a copy here: McCullough Obituary, Australian
The response has been incendiary, but the push back encourages me, as did the interview clip from the Golden Globe red carpet, where the “Who are you wearing? How long did it take you to get ready?” questions were lobbed at a male actor. Who was at first befuddled then offended. He needs to think about this happening to him EVERY time he’s interviewed since it’s standard interview procedure for females. Naturally I can’t find that darned video clip. Perhaps you’ve seen it?
FOUND IT! NOT THE GLOBES Who are you wearing, Kevin Spacey?
Maybe, just maybe, we’re turning that corner at least in Western countries. At least we’re not stoned for displeasing the powers that be. Although that does bring up possible snarky remarks about stoned and ‘stoned.’ Too obvious even coming from a Stoner.
I want to think our new day is dawning.
Winter Dawn, New Mexico
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Sweet Potato Girl by Rob Hart « Nailed Magazine.
I read Rob Hart’s musings on growing up male and privileged, and how he wanted to be more. As a soon to be father of a girl, he wants her world to be better than the one he grew up in. Better for her.
So many of my female friends suffered from abuse and misuse by people they should have been able to trust. Around the world, women and girls are less than, as if their society fears females that could be more than. This treatment has been going on for centuries, which does not make it any more acceptable.
How much longer will we shrug our shoulders, murmur “Boys will be boys” and go on about our own lives, as long as it doesn’t affect our own daughters or sisters?
When will we decide this is the true dawn of the new era we’ve pretended to pay lip service to for so long?
Mona Karel Author 