Apparently riding a bike isn't "woman-like"
Do you like cupcakes? Do you squeal at the sight of kittens? Perhaps you have colourful hair or maybe still wear converse? Does your blog CSS contain pink hexes for links? Does this make you immature? Does it mean people take you less seriously? Does it matter? I don't think it does.
Apparently Julie Klausner thinks it does.
Apparently it's all for men, or in her words "women are trying to broadcast to men that we won’t bite their dicks off". According to her the reason I like wearing hair clips from when I was six is because I feel it makes me more attractive to the opposite sex. Not because, oh you know, I might like wearing bows in my hair. No, it's cause I want guys to think I'll be at their side at all times and make them plenty of sandwiches.
(I'm also on a relationship detox so attracting men isn't high on my agenda right now. If Klausner has any tips on what repels men then, please, share.)
God forbid don't even think about wearing one of these!
Furthermore it means men are more likely to demean us if we wear our hair in pigtails rather than a tight bun. I think a true sexist will judge regardless. If a man believes women should be in the kitchen then I don't think it matters whether she bakes cupcakes or grills salmon. He'll still be sexist.
Have I ever had men look and me and assume stupidity based on my appearance? Yes. One boy always made me feel stupid in school 'cause I was squeally and smiley but he ended up in prison so his opinion is irrelevant. Recently I've had a male tell me I couldn't do his programming course and that I should "leave it to the smart people" not realising I have all the correct grades to make it onto his course (I'm overqualified for my own course).
But is putting my hair in a bun, wearing a brown pants suit and carrying a copy of The Economist around (which I do read btw!) really the right way to get my male counterparts to take me more seriously? I don't believe we women should have to. If someone wants to judge me by my leopard print converse then that says more about them then it ever will about me.
It shows they judge a book by it's cover. They might ignore a fabulously capable potential-employee because they wear a hand-made ring. Maybe they might cold-shoulder a life-changing business opportunity because their female partner wore a sun dress. And one day they'll get pwnd by a giggling blogger they underestimated. And I won't be there with a shoulder to lean on.
Ahh Michelle Obama, what we should all inspire to be...
Truth is people are more dynamic than Klauser portrays them to be. Women do not fall on either side of a "girl-like or women-like" brick wall. Just cause someone likes to bake pink macaroons doesn't mean they can't balance a cheque book. Just cause someone has a Tumblr full of bunnies doesn't mean they don't have a job with responsibilities. Wearing jewellery from Etsy doesn't mean you don't understand what 'inflation' means; it might actually mean that you're making a political stance in defence of small businesses.
So do what you want! If you do wear a brown pant suit daily then good for you! If you wear playsuits all the time then good for you! This is about being who you want to be and that no one should tell you otherwise. Also to remind people that thinking a women is a 'moron' because she has a pink stripe in her hair makes you the short-sighted moron.
All images taken from the article in question.
All images taken from the article in question.