Friday, 27 September 2013
Children Feminism and Role Models: Too Many Links! - Children and Gender Part 2
Hi,
So my last post was about children, prejudice and dressing up. This post is about children, prejudice and feminism. But this is a little different; the last post was about dressing up in stereotypical clothes. This is about inspirational role models and dressing up.
This link is about a girl, whose mum encourages her to dress up as great women throughout history instead of Disney princesses:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2323795/Mother-shuns-Disney-Princess-ideal-dresses-daughter-REAL-heroines-history-commemorate-fifth-birthday.html
I think what I said in the last post, explains what I want to say about how important dressing up and playing pretend is to children’s development, and how it will affect who they become. So I will skip all that. But, what I didn't go into much detail about is the demeaning and prejudice (I am using that word a lot) characters that girls are encouraged, or even restricted to dress up as. Disney Princesses included.
This link is about the effects of Disney on society:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsy3BblcjCA
This link is called what Disney princesses teach girls but it is also about what Disney princes teach boys:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yAqgatzuT0
But it isn't just Disney who are using weak female role models. Celebrities and movie characters are often anti feminist and bad for body image.
Cameron Diaz talks about having body hair as a bad thing even though it is natural and OK. shaving etc. is a choice, and she is promoting the idea that it's not OK not to shave:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWcaM_Y9Xt8
This is a 'ThosePeskyDames' video about sexism in geek culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrVYDv7hhSQ
Basically young girls are dressing up as girly pathetic Disney princesses instead of strong capable women.
This link should some it up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei6JvK0W60I
This is interesting too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyJec7DZyoQ
Here are some good female role models throughout history:
Ada Lovelace: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ada_Lovelace
Amilia Earhart: http://www.ameliaearhart.com/
Hedy Lamarr: http://www.hedylamarr.com/
Marie Curie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Curie
Delia Derbyshire: http://www.delia-derbyshire.org/
Mary Seacole: http://www.maryseacole.com/maryseacole/pages/
Joan of Arc: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc
Emmeline Pankhurst: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmeline_Pankhurst
Boudica: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boadicea
Catherine of Siena: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_of_siena
Eva Peron: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Peron
Rosa Parks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_parks
Jane Austen: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/austen_jane.shtml
Jane Goodall: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall
Cleopatra: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleopatra
Beatrix Potter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter
There are so many more and also many modern day role models for strong girls.
http://www.angelfire.com/anime2/100import/
Bye.
Thursday, 19 September 2013
Kid's Toy Ads - Gender and Children - Children and Gender Part 1
Hi,
Today In our Kleeneze catalogue, we found a dressing up box for children. The ad lookes like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VqsbvG40Ww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZn_lJoN6PI
![]()
![]()
Have a nice day
Today In our Kleeneze catalogue, we found a dressing up box for children. The ad lookes like this:
The page on the right (Page 33) advertises a product called
"Dress Up Trunk" which sounds like a good idea; A dressing up box for
little children with 5 readymade outfits. You even have a boys or girls option.
But.... all the boy’s
clothes are adventure characters like a pirate, a Native American, a cowboy and
a knight. There is also a fireman outfit which is a career character as well.
The girls outfits on the other hand are all about looking pretty; a model, a movie
star, a princess, a bride and a Ballerina. Although the movie star, the model
and the ballerina, (even the princess at a push) are all careers, every one of
these characters is pretty, pink, and they all have something to do with looking
beautiful. The bride character usually relies on a boy to be groom as well. It
is sexist and demeaning, as it implies that being pretty and getting married is
all a girl should do, and being active and strong is all boys should do. Why can’t
girls be pirates, fire fighters, Native Americans, cowgirls or knights. And why
can’ t boys dress up as Grooms, Princes,
Movie stars, Models and Ballet dancers too. There are so many things to pretend to
be, yet the girls can only be pretty and the boys can only be action heroes.
I dressed up as a
strong action characters when I was little, and I know boys who dressed up as
weaker more dressed up characters, when they played pretend. Why is being a
strong girl or a pretty boy so unusual? Boys can be ballet dancers and girls
can be fire fighters so why can’t they pretend to be these people when they are
small? This is just one example of the way people are made to feel they have to
be a certain way ‘because’ they are male/female. This tells small children that
they must be a pretty and glamorous girl or a strong and adventurous boy; otherwise
they won’t be a proper girl/boy because they are wearing the wrong dressing up
clothes for their gender.
Maybe they should start selling pirate clothes for girls and
ballet clothes for boys. Restricting the character choices is like saying. You’re
a girl so you can’t be a pirate/fire fighter etc. Or you’re a boy so you can’t
be a Ballet dancer/ model etc. Would you tell a child that they can’t be what
they want to be because they are a boy/girl?
I hope that people start to sell dressing up clothes for
children that allows them to be whatever they want. Or maybe they could do
historical characters like black beard, Florence Nightingale, Shakespeare and
Joan of Arc.
This might seem like a small thing but this happens all the
time and people grow up to believe that being a girl restricts you to just
being pretty and sweet all the time and being a boy means you have to be active
and strong.
Links:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VqsbvG40Ww
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZn_lJoN6PI
Have a nice day
Bye!
Friday, 30 August 2013
25 Rules For Children and Computer Problems
Hi,
So I don't want to make a really bad excuse for not updating the blog for ages but this excuse is true. The computer was playing up. So I'm sorry its late but here is my 25 Rules For Children post, that I should have posted ages ago.
Hi,
So I saw this link:
And I thought it was so bad that I wrote my own. If its not completely obvious these are sarcastic, and silly, do not take them seriously.
I hope you enjoyed my rules.
Bye
So I don't want to make a really bad excuse for not updating the blog for ages but this excuse is true. The computer was playing up. So I'm sorry its late but here is my 25 Rules For Children post, that I should have posted ages ago.
Hi,
So I saw this link:
And I thought it was so bad that I wrote my own. If its not completely obvious these are sarcastic, and silly, do not take them seriously.
25
rules for Children
1. Never say please, as you don not want the grown ups to think that you are too good, as they may expect more of you - like doing the washing up!
2. Do not say thank you. If you are too nice they will not be disciplined enough to do whatever you want.
3. Interrupt whenever possible. It shows them who is boss.
4. Do not say things like "Excuse me". They will think they have a choice other than to listen to you.
5. If you want to do something, do not listen to the grown ups. They never understand anything.
6. Do not worry about what your parents like. Make sure they know what YOU like so you can get the best Christmas presents.
7. Do not let your parents know how good they are. Give them a rare smile or a mild grin if you think they've spent enough money on you.
8. If people say "How are you?" tell them all about it, but don't let them tell you about themselves - you haven't got all day.
9. When you have your friends' over instruct them in these rules and even give them a copy to keep.
10. Never knock before entering a room. You need to make people know how important you are and knocking is for small people.
11. When you phone someone make sure that you tell them exactly what you want and if you get interrupted - there is no worse crime!
12. Make sure that they are appreciative of your wonderfulness.
13. If your parents swear make them wash their mouths out. Your ears do not deserve such abuse.
14. Call your parent mean names to make sure they don't get overconfident. Write down the good ones so you can repeat them.
15. Make every day fun and exciting. You only have one life and your parents have already had most of theirs!
16. If a play or show is boring make sure that EVERYONE knows so that they don't make the same mistake again. It's for their own good.
17. If you bump into someone make THEM apologise.
18. Cover your mouth when you sneeze and always make sure that there is an adult nearby to wipe your hand on afterwards.
19. When you walk through a door someone should always hold it for you. If they don't kick up a fuss.
20. If you find your parents working on something, punish them. They shouldn't have time for that as they should be caring for you.
21. If someone asks you a favour you should refuse unless you can benefit.
22. If someone helps you do not thank them. They should do it anyway.
23. Make sure they make your food properly. Do not let them get away with burning or undercooking or any mistakes in anything YOU have to eat.
24. Keep yourself kitted out with an adult and a rucksack (that the adult carries, obviously)at all times so that anything you need when out and about is right at your side.
25. Make sure everything is within reach at mealtimes. You shouldn't have to reach out or ask for anything or risk dipping your sleeves in your perfect meal.
1. Never say please, as you don not want the grown ups to think that you are too good, as they may expect more of you - like doing the washing up!
2. Do not say thank you. If you are too nice they will not be disciplined enough to do whatever you want.
3. Interrupt whenever possible. It shows them who is boss.
4. Do not say things like "Excuse me". They will think they have a choice other than to listen to you.
5. If you want to do something, do not listen to the grown ups. They never understand anything.
6. Do not worry about what your parents like. Make sure they know what YOU like so you can get the best Christmas presents.
7. Do not let your parents know how good they are. Give them a rare smile or a mild grin if you think they've spent enough money on you.
8. If people say "How are you?" tell them all about it, but don't let them tell you about themselves - you haven't got all day.
9. When you have your friends' over instruct them in these rules and even give them a copy to keep.
10. Never knock before entering a room. You need to make people know how important you are and knocking is for small people.
11. When you phone someone make sure that you tell them exactly what you want and if you get interrupted - there is no worse crime!
12. Make sure that they are appreciative of your wonderfulness.
13. If your parents swear make them wash their mouths out. Your ears do not deserve such abuse.
14. Call your parent mean names to make sure they don't get overconfident. Write down the good ones so you can repeat them.
15. Make every day fun and exciting. You only have one life and your parents have already had most of theirs!
16. If a play or show is boring make sure that EVERYONE knows so that they don't make the same mistake again. It's for their own good.
17. If you bump into someone make THEM apologise.
18. Cover your mouth when you sneeze and always make sure that there is an adult nearby to wipe your hand on afterwards.
19. When you walk through a door someone should always hold it for you. If they don't kick up a fuss.
20. If you find your parents working on something, punish them. They shouldn't have time for that as they should be caring for you.
21. If someone asks you a favour you should refuse unless you can benefit.
22. If someone helps you do not thank them. They should do it anyway.
23. Make sure they make your food properly. Do not let them get away with burning or undercooking or any mistakes in anything YOU have to eat.
24. Keep yourself kitted out with an adult and a rucksack (that the adult carries, obviously)at all times so that anything you need when out and about is right at your side.
25. Make sure everything is within reach at mealtimes. You shouldn't have to reach out or ask for anything or risk dipping your sleeves in your perfect meal.
I hope you enjoyed my rules.
Bye
Friday, 2 August 2013
Regrets And Solving Them! Before You Die!
Hi,
Approximately 55.3 million people die each year. I have
written the top 5 regrets in the western world. I am not writing this post to
be sad, about the amount of unhappy people; I am writing it to explain what
people can do, to avoid becoming one of them:
5. I wish I had let myself be happier.
People seem to think that they have no control over their
emotions. This is not true, although people don’t have very much control they
do have some. For example when you smile (Weather you mean it or not.) your
body releases a chemical that makes you feel happy, so smiling (Weather you
mean it or not.) can help you feel happier. Also however hard it is sometimes
people just have to let go and have a good time, this is a choice that will
make people happier so they can “Let themselves be happy.”
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
When you have an old friend it can seem a bit unimportant,
but friends are so under rated and staying in touch can make life better in the
long run. “If only I had just called her/him once.” Basically take good care of
your friends because one day you could be the one regretting it. People need
friends; in Africa, some western people tried putting a basket of fruit on the
ground and having a race with a group of small children. The first child to
reach the fruit won it all. The children lined up and when the race began they
all held hands and ran to the fruit together, so they all won it. The western
people asked why they had done it, and they said ‘Ubuntu’ which means ‘I am because
we are’ they all depend on each other.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
Obviously people say ‘I will let them have what they want
for a quiet life.’ But is a quiet life better? Also, how many movies have
you seen, which would only have been half an hour long, if the hero/heroine had
just told the love interest how they felt. I know life is not like a movie, but
telling the truth can solve so many problems.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
This is a good one as people say that working hard all your
life is a good thing. It is but only if it makes you happy, how many people do
you know who don’t like their jobs. Another way to look at this one is ‘I wish
I had spent more time with my family.’ This is common since so many people work
and their children all go to school all day. Some guy wrote a song about it:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true
to myself, not the life others expected of me.
This is the most common regret which is sad because every
Disney movie seems to have this message. Be true to yourself. The problem I
always had with this, is that I didn’t know who ‘Myself’ was. I didn’t know who
to be, so I decided to be true to the person I want to be, rather than the
person I am. Who wants to be true to all their bad habits anyway? So the moral
of this story is watch lots of Disney movies!
Seriously though, if I want to work in McDonalds for the
rest of my life I will, and I’ll be happy. (I don’t want to work in McDonalds
for the rest of my life by the way.) And I will do what I want to do because I
can. What about you?
I got the top 5 regrets from this website, you should check
it out:
So live long and prosper!
Bye.
Wednesday, 24 July 2013
Woman Has Baby! (As private eye put it.)
Hi,
So the royal baby has been born, and I would love to rant about the media coverage for that, but I will leave a link below, to a short news article about the media and the baby, and let you make up your own minds on that one.
One of the first things you are taught as a small child fighting with your friends is; don’t fight, just leave them alone and let them be. What parent hasn’t ever said “leave them alone love” to their child? And yet our government of fully grown men and a couple of women seem to stick their noses into other countries business all the time. When they are in the House of Commons they boo and hiss and generally cheer on their favourite politicians.
Remind you of anything?
Basically our country is being run by people who act like kids at a pantomime when they are in meetings. Who are so in touch with ‘ordinary people’ that they can waist more money than ‘ordinary people’ will ever own.
Something else all parents tell their children is don’t interrupt!
And just for fun, a cassetteboy link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwXr_-_vp9ESo the government are actually not so different from little children and yet they are our leaders. It is so frustrating to see that they obviously don't know what they are doing half the time. When George Osborne was asked how he would prepare for the job of chancellor he said he would buy a book.
Sorry for ranting and leaving so many links I hope they are interesting.
keep calm and carry on
bye
P.S. Hi, I don't know if you are supposed to put a p.s. at the end of a blog post but I forgot to leave you this link:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jul/23/jack-monroe-face-modern-poverty
It's an article about a woman who writes a blog on eating cheeply and benafits. Click the link above ^^^^^^^^^!!!!
Bye
Thursday, 18 July 2013
InkyFingers vs LessInkyFingers
Hi,
So you may have noticed that i changed the name of the blog, from InkyFingers to LessInkyFingers. This is because yesterday I googled InkyFingers and everyone and their dog are using that name. So I very imaginatively renamed it LessInkyFingers so that people can identify this blog. I chose Less Inky Fingers because it was simple and I didn’t have to think of anything good. But I would have liked to call it AnonymousInkyFingers except I don’t want to be associated with the group like that. But anonymous is a good name to use for lots of reasons.
Anonymous is the author of many good stories and poems, look in any good poem book and there will be at least one by Anon. Also I wanted to show that this blog isn’t about me, (Well I mean I write it and it is about my opinions but It’s not about me.) It’s about the opinions and ideas I write about. It doesn’t matter what my name is or what I did today. The important thing is, I have opinions and I would like to share them with people who don’t know me. (It sounds weird when I say it like that.) But there you go.
I hope you don't mind my random blog post today, or that i suddenly changed the blog name.
Bye.
So you may have noticed that i changed the name of the blog, from InkyFingers to LessInkyFingers. This is because yesterday I googled InkyFingers and everyone and their dog are using that name. So I very imaginatively renamed it LessInkyFingers so that people can identify this blog. I chose Less Inky Fingers because it was simple and I didn’t have to think of anything good. But I would have liked to call it AnonymousInkyFingers except I don’t want to be associated with the group like that. But anonymous is a good name to use for lots of reasons.
Anonymous is the author of many good stories and poems, look in any good poem book and there will be at least one by Anon. Also I wanted to show that this blog isn’t about me, (Well I mean I write it and it is about my opinions but It’s not about me.) It’s about the opinions and ideas I write about. It doesn’t matter what my name is or what I did today. The important thing is, I have opinions and I would like to share them with people who don’t know me. (It sounds weird when I say it like that.) But there you go.
I hope you don't mind my random blog post today, or that i suddenly changed the blog name.
Bye.
Sunday, 14 July 2013
When I Grow Up
Hi,
So Andy Murray won Tennis at Wimbledon! Every one has been so obsessed with his victory being 77 years since the last one that they are forgetting the obvious. Although Andy Murray is the first British men's singles champion in 77 years, he is not the first British singles champion in 77 years. In 1977 Virginia Wade won the British women's singles at Wimbledon. But of course she is a women so she doesn't count. Some news reports have said that Andy Murray specifically won the men's singles but they don't ever mention Virginia Wade.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jul/07/andy-murray-wimbledon-2013-novak-djokovic
But some news articles, imply that he was the first British person, to win Wimbledon in 77 years, by not mentioning that he was only the first man to win it.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/tennis/andy-murray-wimbledon-victory-british-2036191
Of course his victory is a historical thing, and he is still a great British Tennis player. But my point is barely anyone is mentioning the women.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/23217393
The men's singles have not been won by a British person in 77 years but the women have won it 4 times in the last 77 years.
This is a common situation, women have plenty of winners, but they aren't taken seriously because they are women. Although sports are a kind of entertainment, for the people who play, manage and aspire to play it, it's a career. And as with any job, sexism is completely out of order. So then why do people think its ok to dismiss female athletes, and only count Britain's sport successes when they are completed by men. Women are told they can do anything, but because of prejudice, and the way sport is organised it separates women and men, and forces women to stay in the shadows just because fewer people accept women's sport as completely legitimate and worth watching.
Of course, our current feminist issues are not all this clear cut. Malala Yousafzai, is currently fighting for the right for girls to go to school in Pakistan, and other countries that don't allow women and men, to live equal lives. She wants girls to be able to have a fair chance at life and a career. She wants girls to go to school! This is a difficult situation because although I completely agree that girls should have the right to an education. I don't think that school should be the only type of education, they have access to. Children in this country are often complaining about the boringness of school and the 'one size fits all' education system, makes it difficult for individuals to grow. So although its incredibly important for Malala's cause to succeed. It is just as important to allow the education system to help all children, including creative individuals. And not just let the children who work well with the current school system strive while the others fail. So feminism and freedom to be your own person are both important to me as I want to be able to choose to be whatever I want when I grow up. I don't want to be limited by crazy sports fans not taking me seriously, or not having a choice of education, or the facility's to learn the skills I need, to pursue the career I want. So although there are people like Malala, fighting for the right for girls like me, to be whoever, and do whatever, we want to. There is still a long way to go, before every person on our earth, can say with full confidence that whoever they are, they have a fair chance at life and careers.
I hope that when I grow up I have a fairer chance.
Bye
So Andy Murray won Tennis at Wimbledon! Every one has been so obsessed with his victory being 77 years since the last one that they are forgetting the obvious. Although Andy Murray is the first British men's singles champion in 77 years, he is not the first British singles champion in 77 years. In 1977 Virginia Wade won the British women's singles at Wimbledon. But of course she is a women so she doesn't count. Some news reports have said that Andy Murray specifically won the men's singles but they don't ever mention Virginia Wade.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2013/jul/07/andy-murray-wimbledon-2013-novak-djokovic
But some news articles, imply that he was the first British person, to win Wimbledon in 77 years, by not mentioning that he was only the first man to win it.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/tennis/andy-murray-wimbledon-victory-british-2036191
Of course his victory is a historical thing, and he is still a great British Tennis player. But my point is barely anyone is mentioning the women.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/23217393
The men's singles have not been won by a British person in 77 years but the women have won it 4 times in the last 77 years.
This is a common situation, women have plenty of winners, but they aren't taken seriously because they are women. Although sports are a kind of entertainment, for the people who play, manage and aspire to play it, it's a career. And as with any job, sexism is completely out of order. So then why do people think its ok to dismiss female athletes, and only count Britain's sport successes when they are completed by men. Women are told they can do anything, but because of prejudice, and the way sport is organised it separates women and men, and forces women to stay in the shadows just because fewer people accept women's sport as completely legitimate and worth watching.
Of course, our current feminist issues are not all this clear cut. Malala Yousafzai, is currently fighting for the right for girls to go to school in Pakistan, and other countries that don't allow women and men, to live equal lives. She wants girls to be able to have a fair chance at life and a career. She wants girls to go to school! This is a difficult situation because although I completely agree that girls should have the right to an education. I don't think that school should be the only type of education, they have access to. Children in this country are often complaining about the boringness of school and the 'one size fits all' education system, makes it difficult for individuals to grow. So although its incredibly important for Malala's cause to succeed. It is just as important to allow the education system to help all children, including creative individuals. And not just let the children who work well with the current school system strive while the others fail. So feminism and freedom to be your own person are both important to me as I want to be able to choose to be whatever I want when I grow up. I don't want to be limited by crazy sports fans not taking me seriously, or not having a choice of education, or the facility's to learn the skills I need, to pursue the career I want. So although there are people like Malala, fighting for the right for girls like me, to be whoever, and do whatever, we want to. There is still a long way to go, before every person on our earth, can say with full confidence that whoever they are, they have a fair chance at life and careers.
I hope that when I grow up I have a fairer chance.
Bye
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)