Where have all the feminists gone? "Look like a girl. Act like a lady. Think like a man. Work like a boss."

 

 

 

I keep seeing this quote reposted daily on Pinterest, attributed to someone called Sheamnessy, and it makes me question where feminism is heading.

I want to shake all of the women that keep posting it awake. It's as though they've been pinning shoes and listening to Chris Brown songs so long that they don't even know what they are reading, endorsing and spreading.

Let's break this down shall we?

Look like a girl.

So no matter who you are, what age you happen to be, make sure you embrace youth and look young, look like a girl. Not a woman, but a girl.

I realize youth is king in our day and age, but I'm a woman and proud of it. My days of dressing, looking and behaving like a girl are firmly in the past and I'm more than ok with that. Hopefully, Sheamnessy can cope with Old Spice here.

Act like a lady.

What does that even mean? Who's telling me to act like what? How patronizing! Do I need to be reminded to cross my legs, be nice and do as I'm told? Acting like a decent human being should be price of entry for all. Let's start by not being condescending jerks to each other by writing poorly thought-through motivational quotes.

Think like a man.

The worst offender of the lot. I should think like a man because thinking like a woman isn't good enough? Sheamnessy, you've made an ignorantly misogynistic statement here. How do you expect to succeed in life if you assume you and all other women are second best? 

Work like a boss.

Why is the author presupposing that I'm not already the boss? Guess what, I am, and so are many other women. This is 2012; women entreprenuers account for 4 out of every 5 new businesses started.


Repinners, get your head out of the sand and wake up. If you insist on sharing and distributing such fake moivational junk to inspire yourselves, please try to make it sound like it wasn't written by one of the 60s era characters from Mad Men.

Here is a more current version I wrote for you:

Look like whatever you want. It's 2012 and you can dress however you please.

Act as you see fit. You're your own person and are only accountable to yourself and those you love and respect.

Trust yourself. You don't have to change into something you're not. Being a woman ROCKS. Our minds are actually physically different than mens' and there are many advantages to thinking like a woman – it's not a handicap that needs fixing.

Be the boss. If you want to be the boss, the choice is yours. You don't have to pretend.

 

Ok. Right. Back to pinning shoes.

 

 

Comments

[Material Archive]

Done!

[Material Archive]

Thanks Adair. I don't usually rage on this blog but I couldn't help myself! Maybe I'll make my own version of an "inspirational quote graphic" you can Pin later! ;-)

[Adair]

I wish I could pin this!