Boys, Girls, Comics and Pamela Anderson

OK, so Pamela Anderson is getting married today, what is that about?

Moving on, I have spent many minutes clandestinely looking at my son and daughter in light of the discussion of feminist theory and whole idea of gender. Without a doubt, I see certain actions, activities and hear them say things that definitely put them in one camp or another (male and female).

I tried to get out of them what they think about certain things being ascribed to males or females and I was shocked to hear how "sexist" they were! This is a household of two working parents both of whom hold strong opionions on lots of topics and there is much discourse around our table. Chores are done according to likes and dislikes, (I truly abhor laundry, grocery shopping and ironing, but love to cut the grass and to paint, plaster, etc.)and even though my husband is a chivalrous guy (his mother made him be), it's not a sexist act. He knows I can take care of myself and not only accepts, but respects that fact. There is plenty of "gender bending" in my children's environment, not only from us, but from many of our friends.

How is it that my daughter claims certain books, movies and even COLORS are for boys?
Is there a "pink" gene???? She is a fond reader of books with strong female characters and talks about this, but somehow, someway the message is not translating.
My son told her (even though we all take turns on the monthly chore list), that she should really set the table, it's a "girl" thing. I almost clunked him with the wok!
What makes it a "girl thing" I asked and he said because it happens in the kitchen!!
What, there are rooms in our house that are for men and women . . . I had no idea.
I reminded him how much he likes to cook, but somehow cooking is "different".

Now I am ruminating about whether some aspect of this sex, sexual construction and gender stuff isn't also hardwired . . . I plan to keep the discussion alive.


On another note, our New Yorker arrived yesterday (why I ever thought I could keep up with a weekly magazine I will never know) and as usual I leafed through it quickly to look at all of the cartoons. In light of our reading/because of our reading I really noticed the different styles of cartooning -- Am enjoying the book, even though I had had my doubts, the history of comics and how the senses and brain are involved is very engrossing. There is a lot of art history, politics, marketing, sciene and a host of other stuff going on in this cartooning thing.