Off-Topic Stereotype Observations

[Susan McGee]

No: HPFGUIDX 3937

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, Amanda Lewanski <editor at t...> wrote:
> Susan McGee wrote:
> 
> > We should not denigrate men. Why did you get that from my post 
about
> > Starship Troopers?
> 
> No, you didn't say that, just that since it mentioned a movie it 
reminded me
> of how they changed Jurassic Park to be p.c., too, having the 
little girl
> save the day.
> 
> This is an old item of discussion in our house, because my husband, 
who went
> to college in the 60s, was shouted down in some sociology class or 
something
> when he suggested that it was not correct to balance years of male 
dominance
> by substutiting female dominance. His example was topless bars---if 
it's
> wrong for men to go and ogle scantily clad females, why is it okay 
for women
> to go watch male dancers? The ladies in the class had the "get 
even" mindset
> and totally missed his point, and I've found many female friends 
over the
> years who totally miss it, too.

I agree. There are those who think that the solution to using
women's bodies to sell everything is to use men's bodies, too, but
I don't like either.



> 
> > I'm afraid I don't watch commercials so I can't comment, but I 
don't
> > support generalizations or stereotypes of any kind.
> 


> Actually, radio commercials, sound bites, just about anything that 
modern
> media produces: switch the genders (or the races) in the exchange 
and ask
> yourself--would this form be acceptable? Would there be an outcry? 
Our
> latest favorite--the "World's Sexiest Bachelor" show they ran, 
presumably to
> balance the Miss America or Universe or whatever that also just 
ran. There
> was no complaint about the title "World's Sexiest Bachelor," but 
what about
> "World's Sexiest Woman" instead of Miss America...? Can you imagine 
the flak
> (justly so) from the women's groups? But Sexiest Bachelor is fine. 
Even
> greeting cards: I read a list of "humorous" cards that promoted 
males as
> idiots or worse (What do you do when a man says you're smothering 
him? Push
> down harder on the pillow); if the gender-roles were switched, 
they'd be
> banned.
> 
> --Amanda


And actually there was just a post on this list that I thought was
anti-male, the Feminist Veela thing.

I had a problem with it, but quite frankly am tired of bringing up 
concerns. As a feminist, I don't do anti-male jokes. I don't like
them. But then I don't like anti-Mexican jokes (had to walk out of a 
local fundraiser recently because of them).

Humor is wonderful, but I prefer humor that is affirmational rather 
than destructive.

Susan