Chick Flick vs Man Movie

My son and I were discussing movies today.  My son wanted to have my mother watch the movie, thinking she would enjoy it since it was in part filmed in her hometown.  I thought she probably wouldn't want to watch the whole thing.  My son wondered why not.  I explained that it wasn't a chick flick.  That got me to thinking.  Why was I assuming that she wouldn't like the movie just because she is a woman?  And why am I even encouraging that type of thinking with my son?  Do you ever catch yourself applying a gender stereotype like I did?

Cat Woman

I watched "The Dark Knight Rises" with my son again today.  I was thinking that the Cat Woman in that movie was rather unrealistic.  Of course it is a superhero movie, so how realistic is the movie anyway?  But to see this young, thin little thing high-kicking and slamming grown men all over the place just seemed over the top.  So is it my bias toward an antiquated stereotype that makes it impossible for me to believe that a woman can overpower a man?

Beauty is the Least

I loved that Disney princesses cartoon that I posted yesterday.  It is so true.  What is the message to young girls?  Your physical attractiveness is what defines you, it is what makes you strong?  You would think that the princesses would have evolved into something more modern . . . someone who is a strong woman, one who is self-assured and independent, one who doesn't have to get the guy to be happy.  I always sort of felt that "Belle" of Beauty and the Beast seemed to be more that way, independent and self-assured.  But it seems when it gets right down to it, the role models for girls do seem to send the message that it is beauty that is favored and all that matters.  It looks like very little has changed, at least with Disney princesses.  Beauty is appealing of course, but it is truly the least important thing about a person, unless you are talking about internal beauty.  We like external beauty so much though, we are apparently willing to push aside any thoughts of internal beauty.  As long as the princess is physically beautiful, what more do you need?

Great Cartoon from gender320.blogspot.com/2011/11/disney-stereotypes-for-villains

http://gender320.blogspot.com/2011/11/disney-stereotypes-for-villains.html

Who's In Charge?

Okay, so again I was talking with my mom, and we were talking about another one of those stereotypical gender roles, where the woman is responsible for taking care of the man.  So the man isn't taking care of himself, and it's the woman who is expected to be taking care of the man for him.  So for instance, say this man is supposed to be eating healthier and losing weight.  The woman has made every effort to help the man accomplish these things.  But the man really just doesn't want to be bothered.  He'd rather eat his sweets.  The doctor tells the woman that the man really needs to lose weight, as if it is her responsibility to take care of this.  The woman tells the doctor he's preaching to the choir.  She tells him that she has tried many ways to help the man, but nothing is working.  And she points out that she also needs to eat healthy and lose weight, but you don't see the man helping her to do that for herself.  So why is she expected to help him do it for himself?  It's so true.  Men aren't babies, they are responsible for their own actions and their own lives.  Do women feel the need to baby men and take care of them?  Are men used to having women take care of them, so they don't bother to do it themselves?  It really makes you wonder.

RIP Ann B Davis

So sorry to hear of the passing of Ann B Davis, best known as Alice in "The Brady Bunch".  I always enjoyed her in that show.  She seemed like a great lady.  I hope she rests in peace.  My condolences to all her loved ones.

After Changes Upon Changes

My mother and I were discussing how men still seem to set the lead in terms of what happens with the relationship and the family.  For all the changes that have occurred, we are still basically the same in that the women will usually defer to the men, at least in terms of where to live.  It reminded me of a line from an old Simon and Garfunkel song that says, "after changes upon changes, we are more or less the same".  Such a great line, it is so true.