Wednesday, June 08, 2005

 

B, on boys' duds and girls' duds

My blog buddy Bitch, Ph.D. has one heckuva thread going on over at her joint, on boy clothes and girl clothes.

Feel free to peruse. At last count, she has 109 comments; mine start at about No. 75. I am a lone voice over there!

I've kept it civil. I encourage y'all to go and do likewise.

--ER

Comments:
I just read the latest updates in the ongoing arguement over at bitchphd's place...I have to say, that for a democrat, you aint such a bad guy. i have a simular arguement over at my place right now(although not nearly as many comments) so i am not going to add my two cents at bitch's place. In fact, I don't think i will ever post a comment on her blog at all....It is kind of a pet peeve of mine when a woman refers to herself as a bitch, as if that's a good thing. I don't call women that myself so i have a problem with anyone else calling them that, even themselves. I broke my own rule about bringing Biblical principle into the discussion, because i have found you cannot win a theological arguement with someone who doesn't believe there is a God, because, for that person, if there is no God than the Bible means nothing. Once you eliminnate God from the discussion on sexual preferences, you really don't have much of a weapon to fight with. that is my current problem. I am losing the arguement mostly because i am, sadly, not as educated as my opponent.
 
I read all the comments that were up (a couple of new ones were posted later, but I couldn't get back to them.)

I say hooray for those who give kids choices. Most kids will sort stuff out soon enough on their own -- self-limiting behavior -- once they get into a preschool or school setting. It's a lot like thumb-sucking or loving on a blankie that way. But I don't see any big deal in letting a little boy enjoy a bit of sparkly color if it really catches his eye, or a little girl having overalls for carrying her frog around in.

Personally, I loved different clothes for different reasons. I loved my zip-up rompers because I could swing upside down on the clothesline poles without getting into trouble for showing my undies. They were easier for running with my buddies. But dresses -- well, my favorite dress had a big full skirt on it which was perfect for hauling rocks around in. I used it like an apron, and my mom's only objection was when I carried muddy things that left stains. Of course I didn't know or care that I was leaving myself exposed when I hiked my skirt up when I was 3 or 4. Wouldn't have made any difference to me at that time.

I was such a tomboy at times that it may have been hard for some folks to figure it out at first glance. Oh well!

Later I was forced into wearing dresses at school because that was school board policy. Life became much more difficult, especially on windy or cold days. It wasn't until I was a junior in high school in 1972 that we were able to wear "coordinated pants suits." And jeans were never allowed for girls. That's flat stoopid.
 
Hey, I don't wear shorts in public 'cause they make me feel like a sissy. I can barely stand to wear short-sleeve shirts. I freely admit that I might have a hangup. (Ya think?) Or two. :-)
 
We can cure that with a little bit of blue glitter nail polish! Free your inner child!!

And today was a perfect example of how stoopid gender-assigned clothes can be in "the real world." I was dressed in grown-up girl clothes (skirt, sweater, pointy-toed girl shoes with slick soles...) out at a new home/construction site, in the rain. Had to walk across a steep sodded lawn and went sliding downhill in those shoes. The only thing that saved me from disaster was grabbing a nearby tree. Next I found myself standing on a small pile of sand spilled on the street, while talking with the builder. Next thing I know, I was suddenly sinking as the rain washed away the underside of the pile. It was a little shocking to find myself even shorter than I had been just moments before.
Give me a pair of boots, jeans, sweat shirt and a slicker for days like this and I'll be happy. But nooooo, I had to drive home about 20 miles with wet clothes, including wet pantyhose sticking to my legs. YUCK!
 
I think you should dress approriately for the kind of place yer gonna have to be at. When I know I'm going to be at a dirty-muddy construction site, I put my boots on. When I know I'm gonna be in a nice office or house somewhere, I wear normal office attire. And since my ol' pate is gettin' nakeder and nakeder, when I know I'm gonna be out in the sun (or rain, actually, like today), I wear my trusty Resistol.
 
I tried reading it, but when my head started to spin I had to give it up.

Suffice it to say that retailers will market to the majority and what sells, so obviously B is in the minority according to the retailers' market research.

If she doesn't like what's available commercially, she could garner her kid's wardrobe the old-fashioned way and make it herself.

Oh wait, sewing would be too gender-specific for her.
 
I think y'all both are makin' assumptions that may or may not be true. But, I reckon she can defend her own self if she sees fit.
 
Thanks, Nick. ;)

Okay, ER, sorry for making assumptions. A lot of feminists just rub me the wrong way because they usually assume they speak for me because we're of the same gender. I think not! I may be blonde, but I have a brain between my ears. I don't need anyone else doing my thinking for me, thank you.

I'd go more into a theory/opinion along those lines, but I'm sure the exact subject will show up on this here blog eventually. :)
 
Hey, I caused a major stir in college, the first time, in the '80s, in a class on "Women in American History." I chose Phyllis Schafly as a term paper topic. The 12 feminst girls in the class -- I was the only dude in there -- wanted to run me out on a rail.
 
ER, seems to me the only reason you took such a class was to pick up them girls. Pervert.

Did it work? :-)
 
No way. I'm pretty sure they deemed me an absolute neanderthal. The bitches. (JUST KIDDING!!!!!)

I actually learned a lot in the class. About history and about my own presumptions.
 
Wimp. :-)
 
I can sew, and I have made my own clothes. And in point of fact, there are a *lot* of high-end retailers that do market gender-neutral clothing, so the presumption that market research shows that's what people want is a false one; it's just lowest-common-denominator stuff (and surely the number of folks who commented on this shows that there's unmet consumer demand for gender-neutral clothes. Plus, of course, a lot of us just buy "girls" stuff for our boys, which the marketers don't know, so they figure "oh, that girls stuff sure is popular..."

Whether or not you realize it, btw, if you enjoy voting and not being fired from your job after you get married, if you wear pants, if you use birth control--thank a feminist.
 
No matter what B says, ER, you were still a wimp for not takin' yer shot. Some feminist might've made you quite happy. :-)
 
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