A Good Feminist Read

Susan Faludi is one of my favorite authors! She wrote an incredible book entitled Backlash. I read this brilliant book when I was in college. It really opened my eyes to gender discrimination.

Well, Ms. Faludi has written another brilliant book, The Terror Dream. It was a quick, entertaining read, taking a look at gender discrimination since September 11th. Faludi illustrates how our country reacted to 9/11 is just how we have done historically when our country has gone through tough times. Our country, our leaders, and our media copes through the creation of “captivity narratives” and the idea that the men of our country will protect and take care of us. Faludi also asks some great questions on page 259 of the book…
• Why was the attack reconceived as a threat to the American home and family?
• Why were independent female voices censured and a bugle call sounded to return to Betty Crocker domesticity?
• Why were our political and cultural stages suddenly packed with Lone Ranger leaders, Davy Crockett candidates, and John Wayne “manly men”?
• Why, in short, when confronted with an actual danger, did America call rewrite?

Below are some examples exposed in the book. These examples surprised and upset greatly.

• Feminists and other liberals caused 9/11 to occur…women’s liberation had feminized our men making our men/country weak and vulnerable to attack.
• Following 9/11 feminist-minded writers, editorial writers were disenfranchised; women speaking on media news shows shrank by 40%, female newspaper executives decreased by 26%. When news executives were questioned about this, they responded, “Listen, this is a war situation” as if the voice of women no longer had a role.
• When the Bush Administration wanted people to buy into the war they talked about the “repression of Afghan Women”. Once the bombs dropped they suddenly had other priorities and negotiated away the rights of women.
• The continuing role and theme of protecting and rescuing women.
• Women rescue workers were not honored as their male counterparts.
• The EEO suspended their practices regarding women in rescue worker roles. They noted that after 9/11 we had to have “realistic standards to protect the public” inferring that women couldn’t do the job.
• By 2005, the Bush Administration reduced sex discrimination litigation by 40%.
• Media reflected that the women’s role was to be a stay at home mother, be dependent, and to trust government.
• If you spoke out against the war or resisted marriage women were portrayed to be selfish and un-American.
• Media told women that since 9/11 had occurred that they needed to reassess their priorities. It was reported that there were surges in marriage, engagements, and pregnancies that were simply not true.
• The Media portrayed Bush and our leaders as Cowboys who could rescue a nation and protect our women and children.
• The media myth of the “security/soccer moms”…women worrisome and anxious, only focusing on family and safety.
• The myths surrounding Jessica Lynch and her “rescue”.

Faludi did another great job capturing and showing evidence of how our government and our media continues to create gender discrimination and why our society feeds into it.

I strongly recommend the book.

Girl, What Are You Doin’?

Several weeks ago I was honored for my work. It was a big deal for me and I was surprised (embarrassed) by how I handled the situation.

I thought to myself that I would take the day off of work and honor myself, getting ready for the afternoon event later in the day. I began to think about the event and what I would wear. I obsessed over it so much that I phoned the event planner to ask what would be appropriate. I suggested for myself a business style trouser jean, a nice blouse, and a little casual jacket. The event planner literally gasped and told me that I would be embarrassed if I wore something like this, that I needed to think about my image, and that others (mostly men) would be wearing suits even though it was a business casual event.

The panic set in. I stared into my closet and selected two separate outfits. One outfit I put on, the other went in my car as a backup. I could scope out the other award recipients and change if needed or if I spilled something on myself, or something like that, I would have a back up. Of course, I had to have two professional looking bags, matching jewelry and accessories for each outfit. I also had my hair professionally done and gave myself a pedicure. In the middle of all of this, I did two loads of laundry for my family that needed clean clothes for other events going on that week.

Now, I’m running late! I finally show up and I notice that many of the men show up in kakis, a button down shirt and a jacket and of course some in suits. Some of them hadn’t even shaved….I had to shave my legs! The men have on no make up, no hairstyle (most didn’t have hair), and none seemed concerned about their accessories, etc. And I would bet you money none of them had been doing laundry prior to the event!

Men can show up to an event like this all disheveled and it’s ok. It doesn’t hurt their image because they are hard workin’ men. For some reason, women have to look good, all done up in the work place to be considered “organized, professional, and together”. Women have to have an “image of appearance” to be considered professional. I looked around thinking how fantastic I looked yet disappointed that I fell into this gender trap.

Women are paid less than men (and I believe) do more work than their male counterparts in the home and in the work place. Then they are further held back with the cost and time constraint of hairstyles, pedicures, make up, hand bags, and matching accessories and jewelry. At an event where I would be celebrated for my work, I almost damaged my image because I wasn’t wearing something appropriate for a female professional….what?

I am a no-nonsense, grass roots but professional woman. My image does not lie in what I wear, my hairstyle, or my accessories. My image is the person I am and the work that I do. Don’t forget that ladies!