Subliminal Chauvanistic Messages

Check this website out:
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/goodwife.asp

Now I know where the messages came from: The website above is an actual article that was printed from the 1955 Goodhousekeeping Magazine. When you're done falling on the floor from laughter, forward this to some other women friends of yours!


(From and Editorial I wrote for the Concordia Newspaper back in 2004)

Whatever happened to “all men and women are created equal?”

You may be thinking, “Here we go again; another complaint from a woman who feels she has not been treated as an equal.” However, there are messages I hear embedded in everyday comments communicating subliminal messages that women are not equal intellectually or in status, whether in the home, church or workplace. Though these comments made by men may not be intentional, they need to be addressed.
Case in point: I was at a Christian concert a couple of months ago when the male recording artist talked about how excited he was that his wife was pregnant with their first child. He blurted out that he hoped that their first child was a boy and proceeded to act out his fantasy of playing ball with his son. But then, jokingly with a little tongue and cheek sarcasm, he added, “Well, I’ll be glad whatever sex the baby is, even if it’s a girl, because a healthy baby is what is really important!” What if his first baby is a girl and she wants to play baseball? Will he be disappointed?
My sister was more interested in sports than I was and really liked to play softball. My dad worked with her for hours and she became an excellent pitcher! What if the recording artist had the boy he wanted, but his boy wanted to be an artist or ballet dancer? What then?
I probably wouldn’t have been as bothered by his comments, if the singer hadn’t already made fun of his own voice because he was a tenor. He kept apologizing for sounding “like a girl.” I thought, “What’s wrong with sounding like a girl?”
Another male tenor at the same concert had previously mentioned, somewhat uncomfortably that he sounded like a girl, too. I began to wonder if there was a conspiracy against male tenors who might “sound like women.”
After I purchased a new car, another interesting experience occurred. Yep, that’s right. I, a woman, went out without my husband and purchased a new car. I wanted a safe car that was going to be dependable, got good gas mileage and had 4-wheel-drive. I didn’t really care about the color of the vehicle because it was more important that the car would be equipped with all the things I needed. At one point, the salesperson asked what color I would prefer and seemed a little surprised that I didn’t really have a preference. After my car purchase, my husband began talking about what is most important to women when purchasing a vehicle. He said, “When women are looking at cars, the first thing they do is find one in the color they like!” I said, “Whoa…wait a minute, you mean ALL women think the color of a car is most important?” He said, “Yes.” I asked him where he got his information. Much to his chagrin, he answered, “I read about that in my advertising class back in college!” I quickly asked him, “What year did you take that class?” He replied, “1983.” Twenty years ago? I don’t believe that color is the most important priority to all women when purchasing a vehicle.
These stereotypes imply that women don’t really put much thought into buying a car. In reality, most women and men put much thought in major purchases such as cars. Every day, I researched information, visited several car dealerships, and spent a lot of time reading and comparing information between before making my purchase.
Pointing out these negative messages can make a person unpopular. However, there are subliminal messages that minimize women that we become conditioned to hearing and accepting. Women need to recognize these messages and speak up when sweeping generalizations or preferences are made. To women and men who think that women are being treated as equals when very subtly we are being “slammed” by chauvinistic comments, I want to say, “Wake up! And listen to what is really being said!”
There are men who recognize positive gender differences and appreciate contributions and see the importance of female voices in shaping future generational thinking. This mutual respect is critical by men towards women.
If women just sit back and let words go by without questioning the thinking behind the comments, then maybe we are foolishly perpetuating the stereotype that women are less intelligent!