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Is it just me, or does everyone else notice that women who make it to some reasonable level of power in North America are painted as either sluts, junkies, airheads, bitches, witches* or some other awfully negative female stereotype?
We attack and demean what we feel is threatening. So, 1) why is our culture so threatened by strong women? and 2) do we attack and demean women in fundamentally more harsh, shallow, callow ways?
Why the pressure on strong women to be “everything” and not just who they are. Remember Hillary being compelled to share her chocolate chip cookie recipe to somehow prove she was also a decent mom & wife? Blegh.
But this, from the comments, bothered me even more:
It’s a difficult balancing act to need to be seen as a pro-active, ambitious leader, yet a gentle and caring woman, and I think it results in some women with good intentions looking a lot more ruthless than they are.
Ok waiddaminnit. Do we ask our male leaders to pull off this sleight of hand too? Really? To the same degree?
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But of course we don’t ask the same from our male leaders. We still have a long way to go, baby. On the flip side, we women also do have to really, really get playing by their rules and not whine about not being invited. Let’s just go there even without the invite.
Comment by Kim October 14, 2007 @ 3:28 pm“Ok waiddaminnit. Do we ask our male leaders to pull off this sleight of hand too? Really? To the same degree?”
Exacty. Thanks for this response.
Comment by Miss Rogue October 14, 2007 @ 5:36 pmI’ve encountered this in my own life… as a female in a male dominated sport (drag racing). You are made to feel as though you must go above and beyond to prove yourself, and somewhere along the lines, you are made to feel that to “play with the boys” you have to “BE one of the boys”.
Its the whole reason I started my own website, Horsepower & Heels. Who says I can’t be feminine AND like racing cars? Why stereotype strong character as being only MANLY?
Comment by Erica October 19, 2007 @ 3:52 pm