Women: listen to your mothers/don’t just succumb to the wishes of your brothers
From The Age web site
The fact that there are only two "hollow women" in the series, the PM's senior media adviser (Jacquie Brennan, City Homicide) and the unit office manager (Nicola Parry, Thank God You're Here), reflects the real-life gender imbalance, says Cilauro.
"I've always been of the opinion that the women that succeed in politics have probably got more male chromosomes than they'd like to think," Cilauro says. "They compete almost as males; they almost have to get rid of a bit of their femininity and be a bloke in many ways to survive in the place."
Dear Santo Cilauro,
I’m intrigued by your recent observation that “women that succeed in politics have probably got more male chromosomes than they'd like to think”.
Have you been misquoted? Is it really your position that women, now, in this day and age, have to remake themselves as men in order to get ahead in politics?
What is it about politics that is, to you, inherently gendered? Is it possible that if politics is nasty or backstabbing or careerist or whatever else you think it is that in fact these are just negative character traits, not gendered ones?
And what does “they compete almost as males” even mean? I’ve been turning that over for a little while now and I can’t seem to figure it out. Do you mean they run around with their tops over their head and do a little fist-pumping dance? That they chuck a whammy and blame the umpire when they don’t win? Or do you merely mean that “they compete”, and that this in itself is distasteful?
I agree that it is, sadly, appropriate to include less women than men in a program which features the political process. But I would observe that other films/programs which have sought to depict the experience of women in politics have not fallen into the trap of believing that some women – by virtue of their biological make up – are UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE unless they grow some extra male chromosomes.
Is it also your position that men, in order to be nurses or aged care workers or childcare workers or any of those other jobs that have traditionally been held by women have to "get rid of a bit of their masculinity" in order to perform at a competitive level? I'm just curious.
Honestly*, it’s 2008, not 1958.
It’s a bit disappointing to me, frankly, that a program which is supposed to be revealing something true of politics and the process seems to be operating from the premise that if women “get rid of a bit of their femininity” then they’re somehow untrue to themselves. You are of course assuming that the way some women may or may not behave in the workplace is the sum total of their being, which is about as appropriate as claiming that the only thing that defines women is motherhood.
With best wishes for your reconstruction,
Gigglewick
* You wouldn’t believe how hard it was not to type “dude” just now.
The fact that there are only two "hollow women" in the series, the PM's senior media adviser (Jacquie Brennan, City Homicide) and the unit office manager (Nicola Parry, Thank God You're Here), reflects the real-life gender imbalance, says Cilauro.
"I've always been of the opinion that the women that succeed in politics have probably got more male chromosomes than they'd like to think," Cilauro says. "They compete almost as males; they almost have to get rid of a bit of their femininity and be a bloke in many ways to survive in the place."
Dear Santo Cilauro,
I’m intrigued by your recent observation that “women that succeed in politics have probably got more male chromosomes than they'd like to think”.
Have you been misquoted? Is it really your position that women, now, in this day and age, have to remake themselves as men in order to get ahead in politics?
What is it about politics that is, to you, inherently gendered? Is it possible that if politics is nasty or backstabbing or careerist or whatever else you think it is that in fact these are just negative character traits, not gendered ones?
And what does “they compete almost as males” even mean? I’ve been turning that over for a little while now and I can’t seem to figure it out. Do you mean they run around with their tops over their head and do a little fist-pumping dance? That they chuck a whammy and blame the umpire when they don’t win? Or do you merely mean that “they compete”, and that this in itself is distasteful?
I agree that it is, sadly, appropriate to include less women than men in a program which features the political process. But I would observe that other films/programs which have sought to depict the experience of women in politics have not fallen into the trap of believing that some women – by virtue of their biological make up – are UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE unless they grow some extra male chromosomes.
Is it also your position that men, in order to be nurses or aged care workers or childcare workers or any of those other jobs that have traditionally been held by women have to "get rid of a bit of their masculinity" in order to perform at a competitive level? I'm just curious.
Honestly*, it’s 2008, not 1958.
It’s a bit disappointing to me, frankly, that a program which is supposed to be revealing something true of politics and the process seems to be operating from the premise that if women “get rid of a bit of their femininity” then they’re somehow untrue to themselves. You are of course assuming that the way some women may or may not behave in the workplace is the sum total of their being, which is about as appropriate as claiming that the only thing that defines women is motherhood.
With best wishes for your reconstruction,
Gigglewick
* You wouldn’t believe how hard it was not to type “dude” just now.
posted by gigglewick at
12:27 pm
9 Comments:
Well said, Gigglewick. I'd only just read the article online this morning and also saw that quote and thought, "Now hang ON one second...DUDE...!"
Did you watch 'The Gruen Transfer' last night? They have a segment inviting two advertising agencies to mock up ads for unsellable issues - this week was child labor. In one ad, the kid said 'dude' in nearly every sentence!
Oh man! There's a gaping chasm between having a thick-enough skin to cope with politics as a female and 'growing male chromosones' in order to compete as a male... Does this mean that EVERY male is strong enough to withstand the nastiness?
grrr....
Ms KL,
thank you. I know!!
No, didn't see Gruen as was indulging myself in an extended remix of old friend visit which was awesome.
AB,
Yeah - d'ya'think?
Yeah, more info required I reckon. Does SC think it is this way but is also unfair...? Or does SC just want a darn good slapping?
At least it wasn't Rob Sitch saying this stuff. We'd really have to ask some questions about where he got his medical degree.
I can well understand how hard it was to not type 'dude' there. What I can't understand is why you would resist something that is so obviously right.
That comment also jarred with me. For all their "we're hip, we're pc" The Working Dog crew do appear to add "token women". (Why do I keep using "these"?) There has never been an episode of "Thank God You're Here" that features more than one woman to the three male guests.
I've noticed that Salam Cafe SBS is one of the only shows I can think of that actually has equal or more women on the panel than men.
I think Julia's chromosomes are just perfect and I don't think there's anything remotely gender-specific about the way she handles the verbal jibes from village idiot Tuckey.
EB,
option 2, or at least a darn good reconstructing, as I have suggested.
INCraig,
Indeed. And no, I'm done with it (I think).
Leilani,
HELLLOOOOO!!!!
I gave up on the notion that they were PC some time ago.
Also, you're spot on re women's participation. Other harsher critics might call this a "pattern"*.
* see what I did there?
Oh dude....
Enough said.
Dude is SO not over until we have something better! And that article is just disgusting. Masculinity or femininity is not the issue. Neither is the proportion of men or women participating. What matters is who is the better candidate. That is ALL!
Dude.
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