“No one who likes women would wear those shoes.”

“I love these shoes.”

“You do women no favors by wearing those shoes.”

“My woman legs love these shoes; they look good in these shoes”

“You are no feminist, no supporter of women”

I was out with some folks from work this week when a female colleague disparaged my shoe choice, while doing so she threw in a barb about my commitment to a gender equal world. Consequently, I sit here trying to convince myself I’m a good feminist.

I routinely endure this critique of my shoe choices. I  have suffered through the opinions of those who perceive my love for  Jimmy Choo’s iconic 4.7 inch heel peep toe in black leather as an expression of my lack commitment to women’s issues.

I  love a good steel toed boot as much as the next girl, but there is nothing like the perfect heel. Nothing.  I will cling to that belief as tenaciously as my colleague clings to the belief that Andrea Dworkin was sane.

How dare anyone doubt someone who has a Google alert for “sexism”,  and not weekly or daily either, but as it occurs.

Peace

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I flipped over to the Scientology website site and took a test. I can get the results when I go to my appointment at their place off of Dupont Circle in D.C..

Speaking of Spaceships, I now know I am one, thanks to Quilly, who sent me on this transportation quiz.

You may wonder why I am taking transportation quizzes. I’ve come to the conclusion that becoming a soundbite online prevents one from becoming a soundbite in real life.

Pesky annoyances:

I don’t know if the NYT assigned this dude this piece, or if he viciously grabbed at it with both of his little new wave conservative man hands, but Liberated and Unhappy, where Ross Douthat calls for a need to stigmatize single mothers, and other commentary as likely to have come from my grandfathers barber as anywhere else, is a surprisingly shitty piece even for an op-ed. It’s based on this piece of work…The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness by Wharton School economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers.

A subjective study, when possibly objective data, such as over the last 35 years female suicide rates have declined, while male suicide rates have increased, is not included, and there is no way to know that the vastness of the line the “happiness scale” in on these days, as opposed to 35 years ago, , makes it most likely…not much of a change after all. Douthat notes that the authors “avoid floating an easy explanation for their data”. Oblivious to the fact that they avoided floating an easy explanation because there isn’t one, he makes up one that works for him, and the NYT actually published it.

Sotomayor:

Ah, someone who wants to never forget there are real world consequences to her decisions…novel. My life bud G is pulling for her.

G:”Finally someone with Type 1 (immune mediated) diabetes on the Supreme Court”.

PEACE

Before someone gets a bug up their bottom, although he was being sarcastic, G has had JD since he was 12.

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The new brand of the “no longer a toddler but a tween” Dora will, according to the brand owners, “capture girls’ existing love of Dora and marry it with the fashion doll play and online experiences older girls enjoy”. Yea, those tween girls just love fashion doll play, way to go Mattel. Cha Ching.

I love the idea of an exploring inquisitive bi-lingual female out saving people and finding cool things. It must have thrilled parents to have such a role model for their daughters. Having never played with a doll in my life I really don’t understand this assumption Mattel has about tween girls either. True, it took me a few years to go out exploring on my own, having been psychologically damaged by the illustrations in Where the Wild Things Are , but I did go, eventually. I assumed everyone did. I was ten years old or so when I ventured out alone to try and save people. I grew up reading ancient yellowed family copies of the Nancy Drew Mysteries. This lead me to believe I could be at the very least a detective, albeit one in an ugly uncomfortable looking old fashioned plaid skirt, bobby socks and saddle shoes. My parents never worried too much about media influence because TV wasn’t a mainstay, it was rarely watched until we moved back here, and I was cooked, almost done, by then.

Things are different for some people it seems. This Dora the Explorer show seems to have been very important in the lives of some kids, at least according to some upset parents. Some of these parents are so disturbed they’ve initiated a protest of sorts. They want Dora to remain on the same track, a role model for girls, not the same old same old product which clearly places a female in a category which limits her potential. There is a well intentioned petition called Let’s Go: No Makeover for Dora!, found here.

I’m all for exercising your rights in this very simple way, and why not. But here is the thing. Travesty that it is that Dora may soon be forced to wear skirts, uncomfortable thongs and starter make-up, you have control. If you don’t like it don’t let your kids watch it. Don’t buy their crap. Simple. The world isn’t going to end. Your power is in your pocketbook and in your kids viewing habits. Your kids don’t have to follow Dora to her grave. Get your precious Dora following tween up off the couch, shut off the TV. Buy your tweeney a color of her choice backpack, stuff it with some binoculars, compass, bag lunch, band aids, a decent cell phone with free text and picture messaging, get her some totally awesome four pocket camouflage pants, some decent hiking boots, spray her with some organic environmentally safe “will not cause seizures” bug spray, attach an electronic tracking device to her ankle, kiss her on the cheek, tell her not to come home until she’s helped someone or discovered something, and send her off.

If you are really ambitious, go with her.

It’s not the fate of Dora you need to be worrying about, it is the fate of your child, and that is in your hands. Even I know that.

Although your mind’s opaque
Try thinking more if just for your own sake
The future still looks good
And you’ve got time to rectify
All the things that you should

George Harrison

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