Gender politics - in the arts and media.

The Crossing > Literature > Gender politics - in the arts and media.
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Sanduleak Wordsmith Posts: 81 (1/6/02 3:14 pm) Reply	Gender politics - in the arts and media. There's been an amazing and welcome change in the last couple of decades in the area of gender politics - as presented in the arts and media. I can still remember all those science documentaries as a kid that said 'man has done this, man has done that' as if women had contributed nothing to human history. Let's be honest, if it wasn't for the feminist movement pointing out the inherent pomposity and gender bias in such statements would the 'male establishment' even given the questioning of such dismissive terminologies a second thought? I don't think so. One unfortunate sideline is (as always) that there are deeply entrenched extremist elements in both camps, and (again as always) they seem to have the loudest voices and garner the most publicity. How far have women come in closing the gap to zilch (in terms of public perception, language systems and portrayals in the various media)? How far have they still to go? What areas need to be addressed first (from here on in?) Is that fact that I'm speaking in terms of men and women here contributing to the divisiveness and polarisation of the whole issue? At the other end of the scale - I had a woman snarl at me once for opening a car door for her. Just on a personal level, I think that's going way too far. Simply opening a door, as a matter of courtesy, is not some inherent and insidious sexist slight. Or am I too biased to comment without my bias (as a man) showing? I suppose though that in incidents like this - one person makes a value judgement of another's intent (both ways). I'd guess that there are wide variations in conditions and attitudes from region to region. (Think of the Talilban style 'Neanderthal' garbage for instance.) Your thoughts...? Edited by: Sanduleak at: 1/6/02 3:17:27 pm
Pete Earsman Traveller in the arts Posts: 9 (1/7/02 7:27 pm) Reply	Re: Gender politics - in the arts and media. I agree that is is way, way time that females took their rightful place. And this is happening. Maybe not as quickly as some would like, but nonetheless happening. But I think it is a pendulum thing. It is unreasonable to expect that the pendulum will swing back and stop at 'neutral.' It will swing the other way. Is swinging the other way to some extent. As far as I'm concerned, the only criteria are ability and opportunity. Straight up, end of story. (I agree that 'opportunity' is a grey area.) This may mean that change will happen more slowly, but at least it will be honest and permanent change without manipulation which by its very nature will leave wreckage. To do less is to be guilty of that which gave rise to the imbalance in the first place. cheers PE

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