Monday, July 12, 2010

Against gender stereotypes

Starry tagged me on this one. I hope I'm not repeating stuff that has already been said in the blogosphere considering that this tag has spread like wild fire, while I have been sitting around fanning myself. Anyway here are some stereotypes (none of which are ground-breaking) that I don't conform to:
  1. "Good wives wake up earlier than their husbands, wash hair and do Tulasi pooja before starting the breakfast routine". -- I have never ever woken up earlier than the GI.
  2. "Women do not talk about breast-feeding". -- I have educated a few men (including the father) about the benefits and difficulties of breast-feeding.
  3. "Women should not talk loudly and should mind their own business" -- I have shouted at queue jumpers, litterers, rude auto-drivers while other people looked on.
  4. "Girls are thrilled with branded gifts: dresses, bags, shoes, perfumes" -- I literally shouted at the GI for gifting me an LV bag for a milestone birthday and insisted on returning it. (I digress but he then spilled the beans and told me that knowing me he would never invest in a real LV. He had a friend buy a really good fake for me from Hong Kong. Reminds me of this saying in Kannada: "If I can slither under a carpet, he can slither under rangoli.")
  5. "Women are high maintenance" -- I'm extremely tight-fisted about money spent on self.
  6. "Women cannot promote themselves at work" -- I do not feel embarassed when talking about accomplishments at work when asked.
  7. "Girls cannot handle a joke and might cry" -- I can handle raunchy, explicit jokes and slap you back with a rejoinder or two when in the right company.
  8. "Girls lurrvee cute guys" -- No, thank you! I like my brooding, intense, smart-mouthed men in movies (and real life) than the goody, goody chocolate heroes.
  9. And these.
  10. And ahem last but not the least, "Girls don't like to to turn it on" -- ahem, if we were to take the analogy of a car, we not only know how to turn it on, we have been licensed to drive for years now and can drive on scenic routes and high-ways, in rain or shine, to heaven and back. ;-)
Some stereotypes that I conform to:
  1. I strive to be a good cook, organizer and host and beam when I'm complimented on these.
  2. I cannot eat until people with higher priority (children, older folks, preggies, guests of honor) at a party have eaten.
  3. Have so far been extremely lax in investing my money.
  4. Go all out to be a good daughter-in-law (or so I think).
  5. If I'm angry with the GI, it's his problem to be sensitive and figure it out. I'm not going to help him by clueing him in on what's going on in my mind.
Would be good to get the mom, mil and grandma to do this tag. Shall try. Meanwhile any one who hasn't already done this wants to take it up?

13 comments:

  1. LOLing at the last one...you certainly talk loudly :-D

    I match you on point 5...I just do not spend on myself...last weekend I blew a bomb on the kids...like 95% of my shopping!

    And I match you on the stereotype no. 3 too...Gawd I need to get more investment-savvy! And way to go on point 5 in the stereotypes...let the boys figure it out...they created it, they can unravel it too :P

    Thanks for taking up the tag!

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  2. still giggling at the last one :) I can relate to most you say except the one about waiting to eat till the kids and others are done. I have learned that I am way more likeable when my hunger pangs are satisfied :)

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  3. Amen on point 8 !

    Hope no one gets into a road rage on the last point ;-)

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  4. @ Sands - I am so very glad that there is someone who's like me in the "must eat when hungry else will growl" department

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  5. LOL!!

    Would be nice to know the saying in Kannada, who knows when it might come in handy

    If my 3 year old wants to know why I'm grinning (chances are he will), wondering if I should explain #10... I meant the car bit ;-)

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  6. #10 - you go girl! :)

    #4: I share your sentiment about branded stuff, but I would be more mad if someone knowingly got me a fake handbag :)

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  7. Starry: Let's have a goal to spend some 'X' monies on ourselves for Q3. :)
    Sands: Yeah, I get an earful from the GI everytime I wait for my turn in the order of eating.
    PV: Let's rank and compare our non-chocolate heroes sometime. :)
    Arundhati: Just tell the 3 year old, that he has got to wait at least 20 years to get a license. :)
    TPL: I actually thought it was very genuine of him to gift me a fake. :)

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  8. @10 : Way to go !

    @6: So wish I could promote myself ... I just can't :((

    And same pinch on 5 .. never can spend on myself... I think I should start working towards those Q3 spending goals ;)

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  9. Ahem! All 5 - conforming to stereotypes : same pinch:-))! And first of your list too - cannot get up early!! Office forces me to:-( But weekends I'm sleeping while he gets breakfast ready!
    Loved reading the post as always!

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  10. haha.. thats cute :)
    what is your email id?

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  11. CA: Promoting oneself.. I learnt it the hard way.
    Minal: Hi-five!
    TPL: mail/dot/averagejane/at/gmail/dot/com

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  12. LOL @ #10!

    Joining the gang on the spending monies bit, though I did myself proud recently. Spent two whole hours trying out outfits. Older kid was around goading me to try this or that (and believe me, thats something for a child who is least bothered about what she's wearing).

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  13. totally fun read! :)

    i dont driving and money! :( need to learn both fast!

    and i can spend on everyone incl myself! :D

    cheers!

    abha

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