2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session 2013 special election arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration international internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

Quite honestly, I can't relate to may of the posts here.  It's sad to know that just 30 years after burning bras, women are still experiencing what society expected of them at the turn of the century.  When I was in middle school and high school, I never had dates to the school dances.  And I knew why: I was so opinionated and outspoken about how I felt about everything that I think boys were actually scared to ask me out--and I can see how it would be easier to ask the girl who is conforming (whether she knows it or not).  I was still friends with guys, but I was easy enough to become a romantic option for them.

As the guests on the show explained, I considered myself to be "popular," I was tall, not overweight and kept up with the "latest fashions." I was in Honor Society and active in every extra curriculum possible (ranging, yes, from horses to swim team to speech and debate).  But I was also hunky dory with the nerds, the jocks, the cowboys, the good girls.  I loved everyone, but I can't say that everyone loved my opinion and my tendencies to speak out in things I believed in. :-)  

At college and in the film program I was enrolled at at USC, I felt I spoke my mind so that those good girls can hopefully release what's on their mind in a positive exchange.  One of the serious backlashes to my outspokeness in my film classes, however, was that I quickly was labeled a "feminist" and therefore people considered me completely opposed and biased to convetional forms of media.  

I will say that at college, possibly one of the most conformist, non-individualistic programs at USC was the Greek Life.  Fraternities may work, but sororities definitely don't.  I found them to be the epitome of sisterhood gone wrong--they dressed the same, chose the same major, overdrank and overdrugged themselves, and all took to the same techniques to please their boyfriends.  Sigh.

Enough about me, I wanted to post a question for Ms. Simmons: can she please elaboarte on how she feels that this complex that young girls are still experiencing today is specific only to girls and not boys?  How is this an engendered complex still?

Secondly, what kind of remedy or recommendation can Ms. Simmons provide for the girls themselves and any parents who get a hold of her book? 

Overall, a great topic, thanks Think Outloud!

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
view in context