Talking Post #7

Peggy Orenstein; "Anita Hill is a Boy"
Author's Argument:
Orenstein argues that each sex is seen as one way. She also shows and explains what would happen if the sexes switches rolls, so that each sex could view how they act.

Quotes:
1. "It disturbed me that although girls were willing to see men as heroes, none of the boys would see women that way."
In movies and in shows, the heroes of the stories is nine times out of ten a man. When you ask someone about a super hero they will most likely say, "Batman, Superman, or Spiderman." Then there are a rare few that will say "Wonder Woman or Catwoman." Many people see heroes as being men. Women can accept the fact that men are many times the hero, but men cannot accept the fact that women can also be heroes as well. It is tough for people to change the way that they view things because these boys for so long have viewed men as one way, heroes. For them to now have to think that women can be heroes too is going to expand their views on things because they will now see that men and women can be heroes. When you ask a boy who his hero is many times they will tell you their father or some kind of figure that is a male. Then when you ask a girl who their hero is they might say their mother or someone that is a female. It works so many different ways and now change is needs for these children to broaden their minds and how they view things.

2. "When I'm shopping, I think,'Would people think I'm a ho' if I wear this?' Girls, too. Would Shannon think I was a ho'? Would Alissa? I think about that."
Girls in today's society care very much about the way that they present themselves out in public. I do not care the way that I am presented out in public because I am who I am and if people do not like me for who I am then they are at a lose. When it comes to my girlfriend I see it all the time with her. She cares so much about the way that people view her. When I tell her that she is going to be meeting someone she asks me "what should I wear" and I tell her it does not matter how you are presented because as long as you are polite and courteous then that is all that matters. This is also seen with other ways people present themselves. If someone dresses in all black then many people would say that they are part of the Gothic community. If someone has a bandanna in their back pocket people would say that they are part of a gang. If people wear polos then they are considered preppy. All these are factors and shows how quick people are to stereotype other people.

3. "Although they try to comply with the boys' request, the girls simply have too much to say to be patient, and, once again, they begin blurting out their thoughts. The boys, meanwhile, continue to raise their hands whenever they'd like to speak."
The roles here of the boys and girls are switched. In my school experiences growing up and even when I go to tutor, the boys are always blurting out answers, laughing, and talking and the girls are quiet, polite, and raising their hands. When boys are blurting out the answers they can be seen as troublemakers because they can never keep quiet so therefore the boys are always seen as the ones that cause trouble. When I was in elementary school, the boys were always the ones that would be getting in trouble. We would talk to each other, laugh, and disrupt the class but it was not very often and when we did everyone was blamed for it. Then if a girl did something then the boys were the ones that would get blamed for it because it was typically the boys that would be the ones disrupting. The girls that were in my classes barely spoke a word. They would answer a question only if they really needed to, mainly because they were called on by the teacher. As Orenstein stated the tables were flipped so now the boys could see how they acted in class and the girls could see how they acted in class.

Questions/Comments/Points to Share:
Today women have more rights than they did back about 40 years ago. Men then and men now are seen the same way. The men then were seen as role models, important figures, and heroes. Then women then were seen as the keeper of the children and of the household. Men now are seen the same as they were back then, but the role of a woman has changed. Yes, women still maintain the children and the household, but they are also seen as role models, important figures, and heroes. Times have changed and so has the way that people look at each other. Just because people are of a certain gender does not mean that they cannot be heroes to all. To some people that I know, that are men, their hero is their mother. Their mother is their hero because she raised them all by herself with no ones help and they saw her struggle to send her children to a good school to help them stay off of the streets. Just because you are a boy or girl does not mean that your hero has to be of the same sex, it can be of the opposite sex.