Christmas ... and New Year's ...the adverts, part 1

Ah Christmas. All merry and happy. But is it so? Are we ALL happy when Christmas comes around?

While I love Christmas, and I bet so does my mum, I have to say its quite a stressful time for her. All this running around, making sure Christmas is perfect, I find useless. I mean, Christmas is all about the family, while I only had my mum for Christmas, I think that instead of buying expensive gifts (that you might not use anyway) and cooking a big meal (that afterwards- especially with females- you'll feel guilty for enjoying it) we should instead all remind ourselves of those less fortunate than us, who don't have the money for all those expensive stuff we at this time, however have less with their families and still enjoy it.

With that out of the way, the adverts for Christmas really annoy me. I could have used worse words instead of annoying, but lets not go that far.

Has anyone (well those in the UK, I'm afraid I don't know other countries adverts) seen the Boots advert? (Boots by the way is a pharmacy that also sells perfumes and makeup, targeted especially at women) The, Here Comes the Girls 'I'm Fine' advert? Here's the link...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C4UVs3JD-g

I find it disgusting. The double standard in the advert is very clear. Two women. One called Rachael, who clearly has the flu (red nose, teary eyes etc etc) and the other one who we don't know the name (didn't say her name, so lets call her Anna) meet on the streets...and Anna has the flu as well, I forgot to add. Anna is telling her dear friend Rachael that she has to do the usual (and very traditional) women-ish jobs (in order): finishing the shopping, picking kids from school and then swimming, then people over for dinner, while Rachael is sympathetically listening to her dear friend.

When asked by Anna, "What about you?", what does Rachael answer? Oh, I'm going to the pub for a drink? Oh, I'm going home to sleep the flu away? Oh, I'm going to the pharmacy to get something for this stupid flu and then sleep, because I'm so tired of being used by my family to go out shopping while they stay in their f***ing bed and sleep?

No.

Because she's a woman. She's not allowed to rest, don't you get it?

What she says its completely the opposite of my rant above. She's went to work at freaking 5 am, and Pete's (her husband- ah, stereotype, it needs a male somewhere...she can't be single, can't she?) parents are coming for the weekend (I GOTTA GO AND COOK, OH MY GOD THEY'RE COMING) and...oh it gets better...she freaking went to get medicine for the poor, baby, little Pete because he is so sick with the flu...LIKE HER! She has the flu! She needs to rest.

But.

She's a woman. She's not allowed to, DON'T YOU GET IT?

Sexist adverts annoy me. Boots has so many I can't believe it, I want to take my eyes out whenever I see them on TV. I always change the channel or rant about how sexist they are.

I could use more examples, but I think this works just fine.

I wonder when it'll stop, this whole sexism at Christmas? Because women need their rest and peace, they're humans just like men. That's why I offer to do the Christmas shopping, or the New Year's, because my dear, over-worked mum needs some sleep and a good glass of wine.

I rest my case. Thanks for reading.

P.S: More coming, I just need to watch TV more. Bear with me, thanks.

Way to go!

Woop! I read in a newspaper that girls are STILL doing BETTER than BOYS! WOOP! That is very good for us, girls, so keep going! Girl Power.

Anyhow, tonight I'm going to speak about becoming young adults. You go into school, you learn, you see more stereotypes and more double standards and you're taught your gender role. How? By your teachers (for example, teachers are more likely to tell a girl off for misbehaving; while boys are not told off as much- boys will always be boys...yeah, whatever), by your parents (young ladies DON'T walk that way, they DON'T talk that way; men don't cry, man up boy, stop being a girl), by the media (Ohmigod, size 0 is the new fashion girls!; boys, using girls as sex object is cool) and etc.

You are taught all these inequalities. And maybe there are positives in society. I'm not saying there are not. But there are so many negative examples, like double standards and glass ceiling effect that us women have to face everyday, whether we are teens, babies or adults (women are more likely to face glass ceiling effect than girls). But we still face it. Everywhere in the whole world.

As you get older and move onto college you might be encouraged to choose subjects like Art and English if girl; and Maths or ICT if a boy. This shows stereotypes: if a girl you should be "artistic", "gentle"; if you're a boy you should be "hard-working" and "intelligent"- furthermore girls should choose careers like teachers or nurse; boys should choose careers like doctors or lawyers. And those careers encouraged for girls don't earn as much as those for boys. Meaning for a lifetime boys while earn more than girls. It will take a lot of years to catch up with boys just because of the unfairness in the society.

You are also less likely to get a job if you're 21 and a woman; why? Because you might get pregnant at that age. And those companies don't want to lose money, do they? No, obviously not. So they won't choose you. They'll make some really random reason, because they are not allowed to do that. That? That is called glass ceiling effect which I mentioned on the 3rd paragraph. At the same time other factors could contribute: racism (if you're African, you might not get chosen) or because of your accent, etc. But more than less it's likely because of the fact that the nature gave you the ability to have babies. And it isn't even your fault. I mean, there is payed leave, but do companies want that? No. And you're less likely to get promoted.

So there's no wonder why women make less money that men. It's not even our fault; it's nature's way. We make babies because that's how we were born and made by God (if you believe in him, I don't know). This surely proves how unfair the society can be.

How does the media contribute to this? That's hard to say...maybe because when celebrities have babies they are not really put in a good light, being picked on weight and etc. This makes everything more stressful for women reading those magazines/newspapers/websites/watching news.

Why do more women choose not to have babies and concentrate on career than on family? I don't blame them, because I don't plan on having babies and being stuck in the house with less pay than my "future" husband/boyfriend/whatever. Because I don't like doing that. I like baking a cake...no, scratch that I can't. I like helping my Auntie/mum/whoever knows how to cook at home (by licking the cake mix? Is that even helping? Washing the plates...). But, unlike my mum/Aunties, I won't cook/bake for my husband/boyfriend, not just because I can't (I can learn), just because I'm not a slave. And that's why I help my mum, who is a single mum, because she is not a slave, and never will be. I won't cook, or clean up after him, because he has two hands, two feet and he can do it himself. If he can't? Then he can starve, smell like a bin outside in the summer rotting, I don't care because just because I'm a women doesn't make me his slave. End of. Goodnight.

****Next time? Who knows. I got a new hair-cut. Have a nice weekend everyone who reads this****

Comment. Follow. Tell your friends. Just do something, don't just read this! Thanks


(Yeah I'm just always going to say this even if people don't comment: don't insult, I don't insult YOU, I WON'T insult you, I'm just stating my opinion, i.e.: what I make of this world. I'm tired because I stayed up all night listening to music, so I don't know I might be even more harsher? Or I might make no sense. Whatever. I just HAD to write something.

~Miru)

Double Standards and the Media

I read once in a book that the worst thing to call a boy is a girl. Furthermore the worst insult to call a girl is a girl. What I'm saying calling a boy a girl when they get hurt and cry and tell them to man up encourages stereotypes. Furthermore what I mean is that if you call a girl a b***h which means female dog it is a insult. What's wrong in that? Whoever does that says that girl is an insult to society. Which isn't right.


Double standards. At first I didn't know what that meant, but I saw double standards in every media I read or watched. Double standards affects us all, both males and females, and in my opinion is a bad thing in society. 


What IS double standards? If you don't already know what it is, or you haven't used Google yet, then double standards is when, for example, if you are male you're allowed to sleep around and won't be frowned upon, but if you're female it's not the same thing, because you're called a b***h, a w***e and a s**t. But not males, oh no no.

If you still don't understand what double standards is, this is what Google said: 
                 Noun: A rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups


And the different groups/people we're talking about now are girls and boys. The media influences this a lot, and in my opinion it is unfair. It teaches teenagers that boys are powerful and don't have to be afraid of the bad consequences while girls have to be careful where they step so they won't get a bad reputation.


The media always brings to our attention of teens mum's, and they are always shown in a bad light. Truthfully there are more middle-aged women having children than girls. So, really, the media is over-exaggerating. We shouldn't really be so negative towards teenage mum's and we should really HELP them. Understand them. Not shun them.


The newspapers, in the sports area, are always portraying woman like sex objects. They call them "babes" especially in the Sun newspaper. And number 3 girls? Hah! I think that is very wrong, again showing us that women are sex objects and only those with beautiful bodies should be given most attention. 


That is another issue, as it is double standards and it does have something to do with teens. Girl teens. Because it is more likely for girls to die from anorexia or bulimia than boys, by suicide or starving or overweight. I myself am overweight and I'm always under pressure thanks to the media. I am happy with my body, but I'm pressured by my family to lose weight so I can be perfect like those anorexic models. I'm not saying my mum wants me to be anorexic, but maybe media does. Why? Because they always show photos of anorexic models as being the perfect way.

In every magazines, and I usually ignore those pages because they are *******, they show how to lose weight. OH! Look, this celebrity went from size 18 to size 10 in two weeks; this woman went to size 0 in one month and so can you! Yeah, sure. I can try dying or I can be happy with my body and enjoy my food. I would rather to the later, because that is healthier than being anorexic. So, magazines, no thank you. I wish others would feel the same, because I don't like reading about young girls dying from dieting. You look nice the way you are, but if your doctor says you have to lose weight, then I'm afraid you do. With a balance diet. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. You have to eat to be healthy, but not too much of too bad i.e.: sweets and fizzy drinks. And do exercise. Run, play tennis, swim. Don't go over the top.


Lastly, because I really need to go and have something to eat, is that half of the teenagers thought that it was Rihanna's fault for getting beaten up by then her boyfriend Chris Brown. And I blame all that on media and what they teach us. More on that later:


****Next? More teens and now going onto to young adults...and the media****


(Like I said before, leave a comment etc but don't insult me in any way as this is my opinion and I'm not insulting YOU by writing on here. I'll just ignore your comment. However feel free to comment and question my ideas, I will try and reply.


~Miru) 

The Colour Pink

I'm sitting here, on the sofa, debating about what to write in my first blog. I must confess, I'm terribly shy and self-conscious. But, this idea came over me. Right now I'm actually pretending I speak to a friend, because I guess whoever reads this is a friend and a feminist. And all feminists are friends, right? Hopefully, because if it's not so, then it's weird. Pretending to you are writing to a friend.

My name is Miruna, as it says on my profile. And my spell-checker just said I misspelled it. Yeah, just because it's a foreign name it is misspelled. Well, it's not.

Anyhow, I was speaking about the debate I had with myself. What should I write for my first blog? Well I'm going to start with the fact that I hate the whole shit that just because you are a girl you should wear pink; and if you are a boy you should wear blue. By the way I'm speaking of babies. I mean, when you're a teenager you get to choose what colours you wear right? (For some anyway, because my mum thinks brown suits me. NO IT DOESN'T!!! Especially pale brown. I like R-E-D because it's sensual, like me. Roar...).

I actually started thinking about this when I took sociology (and I only got a B...*sigh* four marks away from an A...). My first lesson was about how parents treat their babies, by their gender/sex. We also learned the difference from the definition of biology (sex) and of sociology (gender). But that's something else. (If you REALLY want to know, leave it in a comment I'll try and get back at you, but you can also use Google).

The booklet said that when we are born, the things in our life come from stereotypes. What I mean, for example, if you're a girl then you're made to wear "pretty, little pinky dresses" and you are given dolls and other girlish stuff to play with. While, if you're a boy, you're given "masculine, blue and green" trousers and T-shirts. You are given cars and figure men to play with.

It is also known that it is more likely for a girl to be taken to and from school by their parents/guardians while if you are a boy you are less likely. Really? Can't parents trust us, females, too? Does EVERYONE think we are weak? Not my parents anyway, because even in Romania I went to school by myself. Now, in London, I take the bus by myself and if it's snowing and the buses don't work anymore I have to walk. And am I alive? Am I well? You bet I am. Parents need to trust their daughters more, give them more freedom, or at least treat us equally.

I'm not saying my family is not stereotyping gender. Nup. Because they are. But what I'm saying it's that it's time for a big change. Because we can look after ourselves too, like boys.

What I also learned that day is that we learn our gender roles (i.e.: what the society expects of you if you're a boy and what the society expects of you if you're a girl), from our parents. We see our mum cooking, so us girls should stay home and cook. We saw our dad coming home from work, being breadwinners, so boys should do the same when adults. We copy what we see at our parents because when we're small they are our role models. And I'm not saying it's their fault...No-no-no-no, just a little bit, but what I'm saying it's the society's fault. Society, you suck. Media, you suck (expect your magazines. Man I love reading those magazines). But you still suck. Encouraging stereotyping, *tut tut*.

Media does encourage sexism. Both against male and females. But more against females. And it angers me, all the adverts encouraging the idea that the job of a woman is to stay at home, cook, have kids and have no freedom. I mean, my mum had freedom but now she's a single mum so obviously she has to work. My dad was sexist. (So am I apparently. I was told since I was in primary school. I'm a F-E-M-I-N-I-S-T. Ok?)

It was found that in cleaning adverts it is more likely for a man to do the voice-over while the woman does the cleaning. What does that mean? That men control women. And maybe they do. It's called a patriarchal society. Do I believe in that? You bet I do. And I believe it has to change. Quickly. Because us females, even though some might disagree, are important to the society. And by stopping treating us unequally the society can save money. The society will be a better place with equality. Because you DO need the man's competitive spirit, his business mind and his confidence, but you also need a woman's caring, understanding and empathy. Without a woman, there would be NO man, and vice versa.

We are born into this world and then we are stereotyped. We are taught our gender roles, and that we are not equal. We are taught to accept this, but I don't. And I bet there ARE people who don't believe in that. And I'm here to speak our mind, and to maybe educate people.

****Next time: Double standard and teenage years. How does media contribute even more?****

(PS: All opinions are welcomed, all comments and suggestions are read. I'll try and answer some, but if you insult me don't wait for my answer. You're not worth my time. You can have your opinion, you can be against feminism, but don't insult me because I won't insult you back. Thanks,

~Miru)