Fashion: You Heard it Here First

Despite my turtle pin and pink glasses,
many students fear  wearing non-uniform socks in my classroom.

 “That people equate being girlie with being nonthreatening … I mean, I can’t think of a more blatant example of playing into exactly the thing that we’re trying to fight against. I can’t be girlie? I think the fact that people are associating being girlie with weakness, that needs to be examined. I don’t think that it undermines my power at all.” --Zooey Deschanel, in New York Magazine


Just remember, you heard it here first...

Fiction: New Girl addresses Deschanel Haters

I heart Zooey, and I don't care what you think.

Yesterday’s episode of New Girl addressed something I’ve been personally raging about for weeks: liking girly things doesn’t make you dumb.

Nick’s new girlfriend, Julia[1], acted as the voice of all those who hate Deschanel’s signature quirk.  She essentially called Jess’s personality a shtick, and then made it clear that shtick or not, it was not a personality type she wanted to have anything to do with.

What I think the episode did particularly well was pointing out that this hatred of Deschanel types stems out of a prejudice against the feminine.  “You do like a lot of girly stuff,” Jess’s lesbian friend remarked, as if femininity should be a liability.  While the episode played for laughs (not even Zooey herself would wear that ribbon hat), the point it made was spot-on.  People don’t hate Deschanel because she’s dumb.  They hate her because she’s girly, and they think that makes her dumb.

We may think we’ve become liberated because Chelsea Handler[2] can act like a “bro” on national television, but championing women who act like idiotic men is not my idea of equality.  It’s like we said, “Oh no, women aren’t inferior.  Just everything about women is inferior.  Stop acting like a girl, and you’ll be cool.” 

This anti-girl mentality is very popular in the media right now.  The new romantic comedy heroine is a cold, emotionally damaged career girl who has “no time” for girly things.  Think of Natalie Portman’s hideous character in No Strings Attached, Rachel McAdams in Morning Glory, and Sandra Bullock in The Proposal.  These characters wear suits, have tight pony tails, never have fun, care more about their smart phones than people, and are very serious, therefore very intelligent.  While they are eventually whisked off their feet, they never drop their iPhone in the process.[3]

All we’ve done is taken characteristics usually associated with men and superimposed them on women.  Now that our women act like men, we like them.  It’s utterly ridiculous.  We may have gotten rid of sex discrimination, but we still have gender discrimination. 

If the difference isn’t clear, let me refresh you.  Sex refers to biology.  Gender refers to culture.  So while we may no longer discount people on the basis of their biological identity as women, we certainly have a bias against women who act too feminine:  women who bake, wear dresses, and like kittens.

I could spend all day going on about the issues of gender stereotyping in America,[4]  but the point I’m trying to make in this post is that hating Zooey Deschanel because she’s cute is just 2012’s version of sexism.  Cute does not make her stupid.  Femininity does not make a woman inferior.

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[1] Lizzy Caplan, AKA JANIS IAN!  Who knew, right?

[2] Or Laura Prepon as Chelsea, whatever.

[3] The fact that these women all let down their hair and jump into bed by the end of the movie makes it clear that American culture will never reject the idea of insatiable female lust.

[4] I’m likely to find a way to work it into class tomorrow.

Fashion: Polka Dot Peplum Top

I think that "Spring 2012" should be changed to "Kelly Season."  I say this because pretty much everything in stores right now screams my name:  bright colors, polka-dots, stripes, nautical inspiration, and cat/bunny prints.  I think I could boost the economy single-handedly with all the purchases I've been making. 

I've promised myself I'll slow down, but how could I say no to this peplum top from H&M?  It's so beautiful, so retro, so perfect.  The peplum is a great shape because it exaggerates my hips, thus making my waist look smaller.  All my favorite skirts do the same.  Many women are afraid of making their hips/butt look big, but ladies, that's where it's at!  The hourglass figure is so feminine. 

I'd really love a peplum skirt too.  I've seen a few online, but I really need to try things on before I commit.  Let me know if you see one in stores for a reasonable price!