Due to personal circumstances I’ve been unable to blog for a while and will not be able to again until November.
Aw, man and I was just getting started!
I’ll be back, though and just as cantankerous as ever.
Just you wait, bitches.
Category Archives: Uncategorized
I knew it!
If you're a girl, your John McCain-voting, High School drop out daddy's gonna be mighty pissed. (Image via Wikipedia)
Biddy came across a Gallup poll on Americans’ gender preferences for babies. Surprisingly, we are in the good company of China, India and some lesser-developed countries that place a premium on the Y chromosome. 40% of Americans would rather have a boy, 28% a girl, 26% have no prefence and the rest have no clue.
The most interesting aspect of this survey is not that it illustrates that the West cannot always assume that their cultures are superior to that of other regions of the world (although this proves they can’t). It is the fact that there is a solid correlation between political affiliation and…gender, and the expressed preference for a boy baby.
Basically, if you are a man, a Republican, identify yourself as conservative or have no more than a bachelor’s degree, you are more likely to prefer a boy than if you are a woman, a Democrat, identify yourself as liberal or have a Post-graduate degree. Surprised? I’m not.
As a female, liberal Democrat with a Master’s Degree, it’s nice to learn that I belong to the group with the most nuanced views on baby gender.
This survey is important, because it shows how much work there still is to be done to erase stereotypes about women and girls that could be driving this preference. Gallup references the population disparities between males and females in countries where this preference has been actively managed in birth practices. China and India are experiencing a shortage of females and with the current availability of technology for engineering gender in fetuses, the US may experience a similar shortage in generations to come.
On the one hand, I feel the need to speak out against practices that could favor the birth of boy babies over the girl babies. On the other hand, I think about the excellent dating prospects of my great-great-great-great-great-great grand daughter, assuming she is born heterosexual.
Maybe this gender preference thing is not so bad after all.
Related articles
- http://www.gallup.com/poll/148187/Americans-Prefer-Boys-Girls-1941.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=USA
- Even in the United States, dads prefer baby boys (theglobeandmail.com)
- Boy? Girl? Now You Can Decide, but Should You? (psychologytoday.com)
- The worldwide war on baby girls (20114l.wordpress.com)
- Boy or Girl? Why Do More Americans Prefer Male Children? / Alter Net (protectivemothersalliance.wordpress.com)
Allergic to Dumbass Retailers
Where's the red circle and slash when you need it? (Image via Wikipedia)
So I read on Jezebel that fahsion retailer Forever 21 has been selling a girls’ top with the text “Allergic to Algebra” emblazoned on the front.
??????
If you’re confused, you’re not alone.
Come to find out that F21 are simply continuing the proud tradition of perpetuating stereotypes and outdated notions of the role of women and the nature of females in our society – on T-shirts. The so-called fairer sexification of our children’s outfits. JC Penny was apparently the trailblazer, having merchandised the “Too Pretty for Homework” shirt before public outcry forced them to pull it from the shelves.
It’s one thing that there are women and girls out there who subscribe to the notion that it’s better to be pretty than smart – and that the two are somehow mutually exclusive. It’s quite another to see mass-market merchants hawking clothing with this message to our kids and youngsters.
Someone needs to create the “Too stupid to work here” shirt and force the buyers and the marketing people from these chains to walk around in it all day. At the end of that day, the people responsible for these wardrobe malfunctions should be summarily fired.
I’m grateful that my third grader is still ambitious about her schooling and fought hard to stay up past her bedtime tonight — so that she could read more in her favorite book.
“Allergic to Algebra” is a sentiment that should be eradicated, not celebrated.
Forever 21 must refer to the chains’ executives’ collective IQ.
Related articles
Tyler Shields – A taste of his own medicine?
This one's for you, Tyler and let's see how you like it! (Image via Wikipedia)
If someone gives photographer Tyler Shields a big old black eye, it won’t surprise me. If that someone is actress Heather Morris‘ father, then it won’t even upset me, although I don’t condone violence.
We’ve seen it before and at certain point, it will cease to raise an eyebrow, let alone offend. And that is the danger of the trend of portraying violence – especially violence against women – as sexy, “edgy” or fashionable in some way. That is what Tyler Shields did when he released a series of photographs with the “Glee” actress, in which she sports a black eye and is menaced by an iron.
You can view the photos at www.tylershields.com and judge for yourself. I won’t dignify any of them by presenting them on this blog. In addition to being offensive, the photos are just plain boring and unimaginative. If you’re going to glorify violence against women, at least be artistic while doing it.
While I’ve been working on this post, it has been reported that Shields issued an apology, stating it wasn’t his intention to promote violence against women. Here’s the text from his own website (pre-apology) with which he introduces the photo series:
“Even Barbie bruises. We have been talking about shooting for a long time and we finally made it happen! Some magic, irons, and bruises later it was complete.”
Note to Tyler Shields: although NASA may be hiring, do not waste paper by sending an application. You are no rocket scientist. If you are in doubt, I refer you to your own quote above and remind you of the fact that you said your pics did not have to do with violence against women. An iron and a woman with a black eye is what, a coincidence? Were you really not intending to signal that she got that black eye by being smacked in the face with the iron? Or did you think we would assume she was the one wielding the iron and that her bruise was self-inflicted?
He intends to donate all of the proceeds from an auction of one of the photos to a charity focused on violence against women. What he should do is remove those awful photos from his website, create a new photo without a beaten up woman in it and auction that off instead.
Not that his thirteenth-hour apology and empty gesture will make up for the damage already done – this is one in a long series of similar images created by male photographers. For some reason, there’s a never-ending supply of women willing to sell out in this way to make a buzz for themselves and foster their careers. I think we should use the proceeds from Shields’ sale of the photo to build a Hall of Shame for photographers and models who create these images. There should be some downside to perpetuating the idea that violence against women is a part of life that should tolerated or even glorified.
More reasons why I don’t buy his apology can be found at the links below. You will see there that Tyler Shields has a history of creating violent, disturbing images, most often involving bloodied women. You will find some pics that do not involve women and nonetheless are just vile and bizarre.
He would seem to have a black eye on his very soul. I wouldn’t want to be alone in a studio with this creep and certainly not if there are any heavy appliances in the room.
An Education
Image via Wikipedia
Hollywood has sparked another trend and it’s time to lock up your daughters again, at least if they are younger than 17.
In case you’re wondering, sixteen year-old girls are the new Black and I guess Carey Mulligan’s breakout film could be the cause. Twice in the last month, I’ve read stories of much older men dating or even marrying sixteen year-olds. And with their parents’ acceptance.
The latest case involves a German politician, one Christian von Boetticher. He resigned this week because his credibility was severely damaged when it became public knowledge that he met on Facebook and eventually became romantically involved with a teenage girl. His age at the time? Thirty-nine!
Mr. von Boetticher actually resigned not because of the age of his ex-girlfriend, but because his enthusiastic facebooking ulitmately damaged his credibility. Funny how behavior like skipping important meetings to watch a lunar eclipse and then posting about it on facebook might lead people to question your suitability for public office. Actually, it demonstrates that from a maturity perspective, he and his Lolita might be suited for each other after all.
Back in May, American actor Doug Hutchison (51) married Courtney Alexis Stodden (16) and understandably generated quite some media buzz. The fact that he is older than both of her parents really caught the eye of the tabloid press and more than a few bloggers. The fact that she was a virgin when they married has also been mentioned more than once. Well, I would hope so at the age of sixteen, but at the same time, why does a fact like that need to be emphasized- and it was supposedly put forth by her own parents, who profess their pride in their daughter. By law, they were required to give express permission for the couple to marry.
I will resist the urge to express the full extent of my contempt for the parents of both of these girls. To illustrate my opinion on the matter, I will use my father as an example of how a parent should react in these situations. If anyone in their late thirties or even older approached my father to get his permission to date me, he would have chased them out of town with a shotgun. And my dad was a staunch opponent of firearms. In fact, if anyone over the age of 18 had approached him, the extent of their asswhooping would be directly proportional to the number of years older than me that they were at the time. I pity the fool.
Doug Hutchison’s children, if he should have any with his child-bride, will have to face the fact that their grandparents are younger than their father. Statistically speaking, there is a good chance that their grandmother will outlive their father. Either way, I can imagine that he has alot more to talk about with his in-laws than his wife, but one look at her and it becomes apparent that he probably didn’t fall for her because the conversation was riveting.
I’m all for age differences in relationships. I believe that once you reach a certain stage of maturity, a difference of five, ten or even thirty years can be overcome, but the tender age of sixteen is just far too young. People are not mentally developed at that age and they also lack the life experience that would allow them to be equal partners in their relationships with much older people.
And then there’s the fact that it’s just plain disgusting. What would a man in his fifties want with a sixteen year-old that could be considered an honorable intention?
According to Doug Hutchison’s own website, he’s working on series of children’s books, which I find disturbing on so many levels. However, because I believe that literature is a gift and children should be encouraged to read by having as many books available to them as possible, I will support his endeavors by suggesting a few titles for his upcoming books:
- Grandpa changes Daddy’s diapers
- When Mommy got her Bachelor’s degree, I was learning to drive
- How to Marry Ancient…a Guide for Tweens
Related articles
- Courtney Stodden, 16: Not Ready for Kids With Doug Hutchison, 51 (omg.yahoo.com)
- Rising Political Star in Germany Plummets After Affair With Teenager (nytimes.com)
- Doug Hutchison on Marriage to Courtney Stodden: God Connected Us! (thehollywoodgossip.com)
- Virgin bride Courtney Stodden poses in Baywatch bikini (entertainment.msn.co.nz)
The Blushing Bride (photo by All Over Press)
Coming Soon
If you stumble upon this blog by accident and find it a bit empty, that’s because Color Me Unimpressed has given birth to a new blog more targeted to gender issues and the general silliness of our society.
Not to worry, it will be populated with writelikehell’s usual rants and ramblings. Right now it’s under construction by an Angry Old Biddy.
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Angry Old Biddy 