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Empower Me:
But what's with the pro-women everything?
First and foremost, I am a feminist and all for equality (if not more!). But seriously, what's with the abundance of books entitled The Modern Girl's Guide to Life, The Daring Book for Girls, The Modern Woman's Divorce Guide, etc.? Not to mention the overstocked bookshelves full of romance novels. It is no wonder that men feel threatened by the idea of empowering women! I wonder what little girls are thinking when they see all these books. I might note, my boyfriend thinks it is amusing that I am currently indulging myself in the pages of The Daring Book for Girls. Inside, you can even find out how to build a zip-line! What modern woman needs to know how to build a zip-line? Unless you are Jungle Jane, of course.
To play devil's advocate, it almost seems as though women are saying we are inferior to men and need to have a pro-woman approach to everything – from books to music to dating guidelines – to prove that we are equal to men. How come you don't see pro-men books lining the bookshelves? Interesting thought. Of course it's great to know how to follow sports and play poker, but those are wonderful hobbies, not necessities in life! Gosh, have we dumbed down so much that they have indeed become necessary to our survival!?
Are women helping other women by publishing these books? Or are they hurting us, by making women look inferior, that we have to publish these types of books in the first place? Maybe they sincerely think they are helping individual women to become daring and learn how to change a tire in stilettos. It could also be writers who want women to be empowered and know how to do all the things a "man" knows how to do, like how to "man" a barbecue. How barbecuing became a man's job is a great question. Maybe we should thank… err, I mean blame, the cave men for this macho behavior (if you want charcoal clogged pores and smelly hair, by all means, go for it ladies!). Personally, I choose to let someone else handle the BBQ business, not because I'm incompetent but rather because I choose to be the one who relaxes and reaps the delicious benefits! What sistah doesn't love the occasional easy meal (we're working just as much as men these days anyway, we deserve a break!).
Like I said previously, I am a feminist and enjoy reading my fair share of these kinds of books. I think they are empowering to read and very informative. However, it was seeing the smirk on my boyfriend's face when I told him I learned how to build a zip-line that got me started on this entire topic. Then again, I don't know, maybe it is empowering; I bet he couldn't build one on his own... ¤ Erica