I've almost never met a rule I liked.
In fact I have a rebellious streak about the size of Texas. My sister once asked me why I have such a problem with men, and I assured her that I don't -- I love men. It's just that they seem to end up in more positions of authority than women do, so when it LOOKS like I'm rebelling against them, I'm really just rebelling against whatever they're trying to enforce.And to be completely honest, it's not just rules. Societal norms sometimes chafe me like an ill-fitting shoe. If you tell me what to do, I'm not gonna like it.
That's one of the reasons I think I would not have been a good housewife in the 1930's, 40's, or 50's.
By the same people who brought you tires, interestingly enough
Be glorified, indeed
Several words here to hate: proper, foundation, and manners all in one topic
Being strapped into a contraption to suck my stomach in and force my breasts up at an unnatural tilt would have made me really cranky when it was time to starch and iron piles of my husband's shirts and cook three full meals per day.
I was thinking of this because I came across a small feature entitled "What Do You Do with Your Little Finger?" in the October 1936 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine.
The very idea of worrying about such a thing made me want to make an obscene gesture with my little finger, if such a thing were possible. (I toyed with the idea of inventing my own. So if you cut me off in traffic and then see me do something strange with my pinky . . . well, draw your own conclusions.)
Anyway, the article said, "When you pick up a glass or cup, you know from watching others that charm and poise can be destroyed instantly by the misuse of hands."
Charm and poise my foot.
I'm just glad we have more important things to worry about now.And more important things to do with our hands.
Don't we?! We're not still worrying about stupid things like that, right? Please tell me we're not busy heaping loads of impossible expectations on ourselves and our daughters,
because that would be a real shame, considering that we've finally arrived at a place where we no longer need to worry about things like perfectly sculpting our jello.
Seriously . . .
Yup.
Must be Monday.
Susan's rebelling against laundry again.
(At least I don't have to look for my self esteem
in a box of detergent. And that's a relief.)
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7 comments:
....no doubt, I would have instigated the first girdle burning! Thanks for the monday morning wit. : )
*gasp* You don't sculpt your jello??? *snort* Another great post Susan - I would not have made it in that era either, much as I have a serious case of nostalgia for it. Well, PART of it. Girdles, not so much.
I LOVE these old ads. It's nice to know we have come so far, not only in our clothing and our subservience, but also in our jello skills! Ugh, that lemon jello looks positively disgusting.
Yay for not letting some bunch of marketeers in an ad agency tell us what we are supposed to be. Yay for knowing self esteem doesn't come in a box, or a Goodyear Airfoam Bra. Those old ads are funny and sad at the same time.
I get such a kick out of most television commercials--"call withing the next few minutes and get a special deal!!" And you hear the same promise later and the next day. Etc. Etc. It's scary to realize they get results or they wouldn't sink so much money into such idiocy.
You, rebellious???
I'm with Anne re girdle-burning, but now let's toss in the Spanx and the Botox while we're at it -- because to some degree, the instruments of our perfection/oppression have just morphed into newer forms, and too many women still buy into it.
I actually can't believe the way we seem to be giving back ground -- it makes me look at all the young women I see and want to scream "where's the outrage?!! Don't give back an inch because they'll take a mile!!" And they are. I think things are going backwards at an alarming rate, actually, and women seem to be doing it to themselves. Just my personal soap box.
Well said! I completely agree, and I just don't get it.
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