Benevolent Sexism

[Rum]

Me? Formal?
Where would you ever have gotten such an impression?

The number of 'bonjours' and 'mercis' one gets in France is like soft toilet paper on one's arse after having used newsprint for a month or two I find..

[Ronja]

Me? Formal?
Where would you ever have gotten such an impression?

The number of 'bonjours' and 'mercis' one gets in France is like soft toilet paper on one's arse after having used newsprint for a month or two I find..

That is true - but I found that all forms of traffic that would require keeping track of other people's/vehicles' movements, be it moving in and out of the metro, or driving cars, or simply walking, were a rather disorganized affair compared to, say, Finland, Sweden, (northern) Germany and Vienna. It's as if they are so concentrated on the talking part of interactions that they don't pay (IMO) enough attention to the physical part.

Or maybe they just aren't morbidly afraid of bumping into each other (like we in the protestant cultures are)?

[mistermack]

I don't care much about holding doors, but it's still a man's job to force the woman's head under the duvet, and hold it there, if he farts in bed.
The day a woman does that to me, I'll burn my bra.

[Gallstones]

I don't care much about holding doors, but it's still a man's job to force the woman's head under the duvet, and hold it there, if he farts in bed.
The day a woman does that to me, I'll burn my bra.

Some women have guns and they might use them.

[Hermit]

Glick and Fiske have shown the negative consequences of attitudes that idealize women as pure, moral, pedestal-worthy objects of men's adoration, protection, and provision. People who endorse benevolent sexism feel positively toward women, but only when women conform to highly traditional ideals about "how women should be."

So, we can be goddesses...just as long as we aren't whores?
Stale news!

Indeed. Anne Summers published a book titled Damned Whores and God's Police in 1975. It describes an aspect of Australian social history since white settlement, and how it has been carried over from the old dart.

Successive generations of women, it will be argued later, have collaborated in perpetuating this existential straitjacket but these women have been victims of circumstances which provided them with a fixed choice. Denied economic independence, unable to control their fertility adequately, and always aware of the reprobation which awaits the rebel, none but a handful of Australian women has had the opportunity to do any more than submit to living out their lives as dutiful wives and bountiful mothers; and having no alternatives and wanting some share of human happiness, they have accepted and enjoyed this as best they could.

Summers emphasised the "damned whore" aspect for historical reasons, but she was definitely aware of the problems inherent in its counterpart - women as "god's police" - and treated that at length as well.

[charlou]

Successive generations of women, it will be argued later, have collaborated in perpetuating this existential straitjacket but these women have been victims of circumstances which provided them with a fixed choice. Denied economic independence, unable to control their fertility adequately, and always aware of the reprobation which awaits the rebel, none but a handful of Australian women has had the opportunity to do any more than submit to living out their lives as dutiful wives and bountiful mothers; and having no alternatives and wanting some share of human happiness, they have accepted and enjoyed this as best they could.

Not with her use of "collaboration" or "victims" here (only because of the pejorative connotation which I don't believe she's using, but might be mistakenly inferred by readers), but the rest certainly describes my cultural trajectory going into adulthood. Only a hindsight view revealed this to be true to me.

[Berthold]

The number of 'bonjours' and 'mercis' one gets in France is like soft toilet paper on one's arse after having used newsprint for a month or two I find..

It's the context in which polite words are said that may differ between countries, and may be perceived with surprise or amusement. For instance, when in Britain the cashier of a shop says, "That's lovely!" when one gives her the money. In Austria or Germany, "thanks" is considered the normal response.

[Coito ergo sum]

Should women start asking men to marry them? http://jezebel.com/marriage/

According to one study, interviewing 277 men and women, not a single one stated they would like the man to propose in their relationship (men and women included).

[charlou]

marriage is an anachronism, so

[hadespussercats]

marriage is an anachronism, so

Depends how you define it.

[Kristie]

Should women start asking men to marry them? http://jezebel.com/marriage/

According to one study, interviewing 277 men and women, not a single one stated they would like the man to propose in their relationship (men and women included).

I think you got that backward. My hubby proposed, but I considered doing it myself. He kinda beat me to it.

[Coito ergo sum]

What did I get backward?

[Kristie]

You said not a single one wanted the man to propose. The article said not a single one wanted the woman to propose.

[Coito ergo sum]

You said not a single one wanted the man to propose. The article said not a single one wanted the woman to propose.

Crap! Typo! Yes. You are correct.

[JimC]

I proposed after it was made clear to me that it was time...