Vintage Sexism: I'm Glad I'm a Boy! I'm Glad I'm a Girl!

[ccharles000]

Binary gender systems are constructed. They rely on the repetition of dominant narratives via psychology, music, popular culture, film and of course children's books. This gem comes from a children's book called, "I'm Glad I'm a Boy! I'm Glad I'm a Girl! It is from the 1950's and I almost appreciate how blatantly obvious it is, since there is no question what it is trying to do. Gender-based messaging is much more subtle and nuanced these days.You can see the book here:

http://michiedo.blogspot.com/2008/12/im-glad-im-boy-im-glad-im-girl.html

[Egnever]

1. Which one is the person in the pic at the bottom?

[ccharles000]

2. Are you talking about the pic of me?

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[I Have A Dream]

15. Dude, what's the point of this comment?

Is it fun to be mean? x(

[TheWatcher]

66. I didn't see the comment but there was obviously no excuse for it.

Why some people need to be assholes is beyond me.

There is definitely nothing wrong with his picture. (I happen to think it's a great picture)

There is definitely something wrong with the person who felt he needed to proudly inform us about what an obnoxious prick he is by saying something derogatory about it.

[I Have A Dream]

16. It's a nice picture, ccharles.

:)

[Iris]

27. I love the pic. b/c it always comes with a thought-provking op

and this one is bookmark-worthy

[TheWatcher]

67. Yes, Indeed he does.

And hopefully he will post more.

[LaurenG]

3. I looked at the pictures at the link

:wow:

[ccharles000]

4. My fav is girls can cook, boys can eat.

They want girls to be like 3 pounds.

[LaurenG]

5. Or boys can build, girls can clean

I'm glad I missed that stuff. It's horrible.

[ejpoeta]

9. that looks like a grill, though. i thought that was the boy's job.

though the girl gets all the food ready and the boy puts is on the grill, then gives it back to the girl to make the plates up. this social engineering still exists, it is just more subtle, i guess, than that. LOL!

[Renew Deal]

13. Who let you out of the kitchen to post this?

:evilgrin:

[snooper2]

21. ROFL

oh shit- :rofl:

[Iris]

25. not even. They want them to live to like, 3 years old

how long can one live without eating?

[XemaSab]

31. My fav is "Boys are pilots, girls are stewardesses"

As though girls were physically incapable of flying a plane, and boys were physically incapable of pushing a drink cart. :banghead:

[Believing Is Art]

6. My only purpose in life is to feed men?

Crap, I suck at cooking.

[ejpoeta]

10. you better learn, girlie.... or how will you ever get a man to want you!!

and without a man, where will you be! we women couldn't get by without men to take care of us.

[Berry Cool]

12. I will never forget a flyer I received at work back in the '80s, inviting me to attend a picnic.

The flyer indicated date, place and time of the picnic and said something to the effect of: "Girls: Bring a dish to pass. Guys: Bring your appetites!"

I wanted to throw up.

[ejpoeta]

18. why does that not surprise me?!? LOL!

[Renew Deal]

14. And baby making.

:D

[ccharles000]

19. lol

[Boojatta]

28. Combine feeding and babies for a third function: feeding babies.

However, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that. It could provoke a flame war that could get this thread locked.

[Believing Is Art]

48. Oh God no

My uterus is not in a residential zoning district.

[Iris]

32. but you yourself don't need to eat, so the drudgery won't last long!

:)

[TheManInTheMac]

36. If you suck at cooking, you better cook at sucking.

That's my philosophy. (I'm joking, hope I didn't offend;-)

[Believing Is Art]

47. Not offended, but

I'm not really sure what that means. Maybe get cookin' with the suckin'? I think the euphemism train is getting derailed somewhere . . .

[dustbunnie]

53. I think it was meant in the slang sense, as in -

sizzling hot. Sometimes it can also mean going really fast.

[Quantess]

57. You're terrible!

:o :spank:

[BlancheSplanchnik]

72. Haa! Good one!! Fits the media imagery w.r.t. women!

We are either hot sex-babes, or mommies with no interests other than homemaking in baybee-world..... um, or dried up old ladies supporting big-pharma....

oh, and always: Shoppers! Use your Power to Shop, laydeez.

[dipsydoodle]

7. Women, know your place !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMb8Csll9Ws

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNmBauXYzgc&feature=related

[Karenina]

34. Those are HILARIOUS!!

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[ColbertWatcher]

11. Another odd thing about those pictures ...

... boys don't do laundry (with the exception of the first picture--he only has one shirt?)

Speaking of the first picture, boys wear wigs?

And don't get me started on all the phallic imagery ...

[DangerousRhythm]

17. Looks like maybe something "subversive" was sneaked into this...

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_uS62aM_GVuk/SThqeSLc8EI/AAAAAAAABAA/-JYQedfES0Q/s1600-h/I%27m+Glad+9.bmp

Heroines? Shouldn't she be tied up on some train tracks, crying and waiting to be rescued by the hero?



:sarcasm:

[Occam Bandage]

20. How nice. nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Sexism? In the fifties?

Great Scott!

[sakura]

37. Actually the book copyright date is 1970, not 1950

Twenty-nine years ago, not forty-nine.

[Nikia]

39. Most leaders in all areas of life grew up during that time or earlier

Younger adults had parents who grew up during that time. Of course sexist perceptions are still with us today because of this.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

23. Never Ceases To Amaze Me How Sexist Things Were Not All That Long Ago.

Holy cow that the book actually exists in that form. Sickening.

[Iris]

26. Yet we still get the "it's biology not socialization" argument time and time again.

[anonymous171]

24. Wow. That is worse than the "Even a woman can do it!" ads.

[ismnotwasm]

29. Not so vintage

No few of those ideas are still alive in public perception. Binary genders systems are constructed, not only are they very sad, but so limiting and damaging to the human condition. Even biologically we have degrees of gender, if not outright "conditions" such as AIS (androgen insensitivity syndromes).

Even genital anomalies such as a very large clitoris or a very small penis have led to genital mutilation, if not gender reassignment-- rather than simple loving acceptance.

[XemaSab]

30. wow...

:o

[LeftishBrit]

33. Blimey - but I'm not too surprised

It's a bit extreme, as even in the 50s and earlier children's books tended to take the attitude that it was fine for a girl to be a 'tomboy' so long as she grew up to be a fine feminine woman. But some of this attitude persisted - I remember being informed at my girls' school in the mid-70s: "The job of a woman is to nourish, uphold and sustain. To nourish, uphold and sustain!"

[Kat45]

35. They had metermaids in the fifties?

I didn't know that.

[jdp349]

38. Ah the good old days, when white males had all of the power rather than just most of the power

:sarcasm: ... just in case (I've been a lurker for like 5 years, I know how this can turn out)

Also, it's line from American Dad.

[dustbunnie]

40. It's not a "white" thing.

[Two Americas]

50. sure it is

In the "good old days" WASP hetero males DID have all of the power, and today they only have most of it.

[dustbunnie]

51. Real sexism is not a "white" thing. You can find it all over the world and it comes in every color.

[Two Americas]

52. true

I thought we were talking about our society.

[dustbunnie]

54. Our society includes many colors and different classes of power and affluence.

Poor Asians and middle-class black men can be, and are, sexist as well.

[Two Americas]

56. sure

But it is not therefore "all equal" and does not "go both ways" as you have suggested elsewhere.

[dustbunnie]

58. What?

How does "boys eat" and "girls cook" relate to a woman who became Chancellor of Germany and was caricatured in a politically motivated underwear ad? :D

The point of that ad wasn't meant to demean women. It was to a gag-campaign meant to stimulate knicker purchases. Had the she been a he, the ad would have run regardless. That is equal and goes both ways.

Telling girls they can't become Chancellor of Germany because they are biologically destined to stay home and cook is a different matter altogether.

[Quantess]

63. You would have been much clearer if this was included in post #40.

But I would argue that wealthy-to-middle-class asian men, wealthy black men, and poor black men can also be sexist. So can poor and middle class whites. So can hispanics of all wealth distribution.

Please be aware of your own projections. This is not some taboo topic that liberals are biased about. (Well maybe some of us, but definitely not me). :)

[dustbunnie]

76. What taboos and projections?

Have no idea what you're talking about.

My comment addressed the fact that sexism isn't a particularly caucasian manifestation.

I would argue the same as you, only I didn't think it necessary to list every race/class combo possible. Figured people would get it with two.

[omega minimo]

77. In "the good old days," "poor Asians and middle-class black men" didn't have the power white men did

and then, like now, there was plenty of sexism to go around.

[dustbunnie]

78. They had power within their communities and extended families.

For the women living within these communities, same diff.

[omega minimo]

79. Like I said

[immoderate]

45. Welcome to DU! I see that lurking has made you cautious...

Funny ... but get that post count up.

--imm

[Hepburn]

41. I am female and I was a child in the 1950s. When asked what I wanted to be...

...when I grew up, my reply was that, "I want to be a doctor or a lawyer." In reply to my answer, I was told 99% of the time that girls are secretaries or nurses...not doctors or lawyers.

Made me all the more determined to get a professional degree...!!! Little did they know that I intended to prove them wrong! :hi:

[Canuckistanian]

42. I recognize the artist

I've seen that kind of artwork before, maybe in one of the books I read when I was a kid in the 60s.

No eyebrows would have been raised back then about these pictures.

Although my father would have complained mightily that women can't barbecue.

[Quantess]

65. That artwork looks very familiar to me, as well. I was born in 1970

and I know I saw other books from this illustrator.

Exactly. It's like, What is that little broad doing, trying to barbecue?

Personally, I'm worried about the boy's approach/technique to "eating" the "hot dog" that looks suggestively feminine.

[NeedleCast]

43. Screw that!

No one touches my grill except for me.

[Hissyspit]

44. "Girls Use What Boys Invent" Holy shit.

That's fucking stupid for the 1970s, even for the 1950s!

[depakid]

46. Unfortunately, in my experience, I'll have to take issue with the "girls can cook" business....

Maybe it's a generational (or a regional) thing....

:hide:

[elshiva]

49. It's all offensive, but the worst is "boys are presidents,

girls are first ladies."

[Initech]

55. So let me get this straight:

I'm supposed to be a president who can fix a toaster and eat hot dogs?

[seabeyond]

59. while you are inventing something, you betcha. your post make me giggle.

being the girl that i am.

[seabeyond]

60. dupe

[Common Sense Party]

61. I can't fix anything worth a crap. Does that mean I'm now a girl?

My whole gender identity has been thrown askew.

Of course, we have the reverse going on now in pop culture. Or we did, back when TV was still producing sitcoms. Just about every sitcom in the last 10 to 15 years was:

Men are buffoons. Women are smart.

Men are lazy. Women are overworked.

Men are sexual predators. Women only want love and deep emotional connections.

Dad is always wrong. Mom is always right.

Seems like the pendulum swung all the way to the other side.

[omega minimo]

62. You actually think "Gender-based messaging is much more subtle and nuanced these days"?

[Quantess]

68. No. Sexist as ever. A slightly skewed message these days.

Now it's oversexualized, like Bratz dolls. Combined with a hyperfocus on weight, as though weight were a dichotomy.

Intellectual abilities? Right now, everyone has low expectations.

[Starry Messenger]

64. Heh. In my house, I'm the one who fixes stuff.

(We both cook.)

One of the most fun things about my job (high school Ceramics teacher) is sitting down at a pottery wheel and showing big tough guys how to center 10 pounds of clay in under a minute. I always tell them to start with less and they look at little old me and think "She's so short and plus, she's a girl, I can do this with more." Then they get totally in over their heads and call me over to help. I sit down and they all gather around and watch me do it. Then it gets real quiet. :D

[bridgit]

69. I'm on it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygqew4RxIg8

[orleans]

70. it's always a bit chilling to see where we were at regarding

those societal "norms"

(shiver)

and, come to think of it, it remains a bit chilling.

[omega minimo]

71. one look at the toy ads in the newspaper inserts makes it clear

[BlancheSplanchnik]

73. I'm glad you're a ccharles!

I always like your posts

:hi:

[wildflowergardener]

74. Satire?

One of the comments at the link says the cartoon is satire.

The comment:
"Whitney Darrow, Jr. (August 22, 1909 – August 10, 1999) was a prominent American cartoonist, who worked most of his career for The New Yorker, with some 1,500 of his cartoons printed in his nearly 50-year-long career with the magazine.

This is satire - a joke - not a real children's book - a cartoonist's lampooning of traditional gender roles.

You fell for it."

I suppose it could be a little like the Stephen Colbert thread someplace here - that people find their own views into something they see - I don't know if it's true or not.

Editing to add: An article after his death - he was a satirist.

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/12/arts/whitney-darrow-jr-89-gentle-satirist-of-modern-life-dies.html

[elizfeelinggreat]

75. Anonymous said... " if this pisses off one liberal then it is worth it"

Sheesh.