Wednesday, April 20, 2011

I Enjoy Being A Girl

        
Like anyone, I have my share of pet peeves. I can’t stand it when people, trying to sound intelligent, use “I” when proper grammar calls for “me.” Loud cell phone conversations in public places drive me bananas, and don’t even get me started on the whole “It is what it is” phrase. (When will people stop saying that?) But all of these are nothing compared to the one thing that not only irks but infuriates me beyond all others – when a fellow female, in a tone dripping with snideness remarks: “You’re such a girl.”

Allow me to explain. I love pretty things. I love dresses and cute shoes and delicate necklaces and rings. My favorite colors are – and always have been – pink and purple. My favorite way to spend an afternoon is by watching an Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe movie, and I find nothing cozier than curling up with Jane Austen or Jane Eyre. The only thing that gets me more excited than the scent of a new celebrity perfume is the scent of a new Coach bag. In the cooler months, I’ve been known to dress my dog in argyle sweaters with sequined hearts. I think the most beautiful creature on Earth is the butterfly, and if I could get away with wearing those gorgeous hats that Kate Middleton so often dons, I absolutely would. I am the girl that I am.

Yet somehow, being drawn to feminine things has become taboo in today’s society. If a woman likes pink, she is not to be taken seriously. If a woman enjoys reading books – or, God forbid, writing books - about the issues women her age go through, well, that’s not real literature, but mere fluff. If a woman wears dresses, she can’t be a feminist. And these stigmas are not coming from men, but from fellow women. Forgive me, but I always believed that being a feminist was all about female empowerment, and doing anything (and more) that a man can do. I don’t remember there being any stipulations such as, “I am woman, hear me roar…but only if I’m wearing a pantsuit.” You’ll never hear a man say to another man, “You’re such a guy” (actually, you may hear this, and then they may high five, because to a guy, acting like a guy is pretty awesome), but listen closely any day of the week and I guarantee you will hear at least one comment from a woman putting another woman down. Correct me if I’m wrong, but if a woman must renounce all things girly in order to be taken seriously, isn’t that a sort of ­anti-feminism?

I’m not saying that all women have to like leather clutches or lipstick or lavender candles. I’m saying that female empowerment is about being who you are and enjoying the things you like. I’m saying that I can look forward to new fall boots and also have a brain in my head.

And so, with this blog, you can expect me to write about all of reasons why I think it’s pretty awesome to be a girl, why women should stop hating on other women, why Disney princesses are not the Devil’s work, and why we can wear pink, and still rule the world.

No comments:

Post a Comment