Oh No...Here She Goes Again

Hello people of the world, I come in peace. I do, however, have a bit of a rant (which I'll try to keep compact, but no promises) and that is why, why, why does a society which thinks it's so egalitarian (just look at the way people criticise say, muslims wearing burqas, or claim Eminem is a misogynist) have to be so demoralising to women??

I can kind of guess what everyone's thinking - that yeah society has its flaws but it always has done and we're getting better, so just get over it. But here's the thing, I don't think we are getting much bette it's just that we're getting more surrepticious and subtle about our sexism.

Why is it that teachers (unconsciously) tell female students to be quiet 10 times more than male ones, even though male pupils on average make alot more noise? Why is it that girls in ads are always portrayed as submissive, or if they do happen to be 'out there' and 'rebellious' it's to please men? Why is it that whenever a teenage boy decides to approach me, they literally talk down to me as though I'm an amusing kid and quickly put me in the 'friend to be cynical about' category when I refuse to be treatedin this was? And why (the inevitable question) is the first insult someone calls a girl is 'fat', when, in the words of JK Rowling, "is 'fat' worse than 'vindictive', 'jealous', 'shallow', 'vain', 'boring' or 'cruel'?" Seriously, my list of examples could go on and on (but I decided to edit them so everyone didn't go to sleep).

Personally, I think my ideas are summed up in a far more aesthetically pleasing (and funny) way in Pink's 'Stupid Girls', see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXzmhiCC46E&mode (Pink's my new hero - did you see the interview with her on 60 Minutes the other night, she's so cool!)




VS.




So what exactly is to be done about this problem? Well (in my humble, humble opinion) I'd like to draw attention to the fact that we can no longer blame the 'incompetence' of males as the reason for all this, women do it to eachother too, as I see everyday going to an all-girls school. I'd also like to point out that I'm not saying we shouldn't embrace the sexuality and femininity of women, but let's respect all the qualities of women - the ones that make them intelligent, brave, passionate and interesting as well as 'hot'.

We are lucky enough to live in countries (well most of the people who will be reading this are) where in the battle for equality of the sexes the martyrs have been martyred, the protestors have protested, the suffragettes suffered and the laws changed. Let's not waste all this effort - the hard work has been done, now it's time for us to change our attitudes!

Love, you impassioned Charli

PS. funnily enough I planned for neither this blog nor this post to be particularly rant-y (for want of a better word) but this felt more important than telling you all how I lay around doing nothing for the past few days (actually, I saw a life-changing movie, but Caitlin beat me to it here: http://inthelifeofameerkat.blogspot.com/).