History of Feminism
In reply to the discussion: The Little Girl from the 1981 LEGO Ad is All Grown Up, and She’s Got Something to Say [View all]BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)At a friend's baby shower, I gave a gift that I thought was gender-neutral. It was absolutely lovely and my friend cried when she opened it. But her mother-in-law shrieked that some of the design was too "girly" and eeek! was that coral color PINK? I couldn't believe that this woman was so afraid of a baby having anything touching him that might be somehow feminine. I asked my friend if that meant she thought he would turn out gay? If his baby blanket had a swirl and something in the range of pink, he might not be a manly man? Mon Dieu!
So I do see gender norms as getting more rigid in much of the country, just as we have had this strange backlash of fundamentalism. I hope it's just a small backtrack before we move forward. In places like Santa Cruz, I saw the future as I hope it will be: the coolest, gender-neutral, multi-racial beauties I have ever seen, not helicopter parented, just all chill and happy as sunbeams. This didn't include the yuppies who are taking over the area, where it was very clear that the intense competition for ivy league colleges and money also fueled intense gender stereotypes. So I hope, as equality goes forward in all walks of life it pervades advertising and the way we deal with kids.