(no subject)
So, we now have our first female PM.
I had rather figured this day would come with more fanfare. I feel a bit cheated by the anticlimax, actually. When Obama got elected there was all this excitement about how there was a Black president for the first time ever, and now things were going to change forever. It was awesome--there was hope for the marginalised to finally be heard. Universal equality became an actual possibility. (Idealistic perhaps - but if the alternative is apathy, I choose idealism.)
Today we have a female PM and the vultures are already circling, saying this was a really bad move by the ALP and that now they might lose the election. I wondered why this disturbed me so, because hey, finally having a woman in the top job can’t be a bad thing, right? Then I found the following quote:
PETER BEATTIE, FORMER LABOR PREMIER: I think Australia will only reach its full potential as a nation when we are able to say, we’ve had a woman as Prime Minister of our country. (ref: Australian Story)
I have been trying to examine why this particular statement bothered me so much, and I have finally worked it out. In fact it’s the phrasing he uses - both past tense and singular. Like it’s something we have to do and get over with so the properly qualified (read: male) people can get back to important business of governing the country. Let her have a turn boys, then maybe she’ll shut up and leave us alone. He might not even have meant it that way, even unconsciously. It just so perfectly illustrates the sentiment of some of those who whinge about affirmative action making things unfair for their poor privileged white male asses (after all, a white man who is more equally* qualified might get passed over for an Indigenous person or a Woman in order to fill a quota! What a travesty!)
Some of the comments overheard in the lunchroom from male colleagues:
“Australia has its first female PM and no-one seems to care except the women.” (yeah, because 51% of the population is "no one" even ignoring the horrible generalisation there)
“There was a woman PM in Britain once, wasn’t there? Fletcher or something? She was a real ball-breaker, I heard” (this from a man easily 20 years older than me, btw. And I remember Thatcher fairly clearly.)
Various other comments that amount to “she’s gonna bust our balls like Margaret Thatcher, hur hur hur.”
So in short: good thing but bad timing and I want to smack many of the men I work with. Hand me a clue-by-four please?
*spot the Orwellian reference
I had rather figured this day would come with more fanfare. I feel a bit cheated by the anticlimax, actually. When Obama got elected there was all this excitement about how there was a Black president for the first time ever, and now things were going to change forever. It was awesome--there was hope for the marginalised to finally be heard. Universal equality became an actual possibility. (Idealistic perhaps - but if the alternative is apathy, I choose idealism.)
Today we have a female PM and the vultures are already circling, saying this was a really bad move by the ALP and that now they might lose the election. I wondered why this disturbed me so, because hey, finally having a woman in the top job can’t be a bad thing, right? Then I found the following quote:
PETER BEATTIE, FORMER LABOR PREMIER: I think Australia will only reach its full potential as a nation when we are able to say, we’ve had a woman as Prime Minister of our country. (ref: Australian Story)
I have been trying to examine why this particular statement bothered me so much, and I have finally worked it out. In fact it’s the phrasing he uses - both past tense and singular. Like it’s something we have to do and get over with so the properly qualified (read: male) people can get back to important business of governing the country. Let her have a turn boys, then maybe she’ll shut up and leave us alone. He might not even have meant it that way, even unconsciously. It just so perfectly illustrates the sentiment of some of those who whinge about affirmative action making things unfair for their poor privileged white male asses (after all, a white man who is more equally* qualified might get passed over for an Indigenous person or a Woman in order to fill a quota! What a travesty!)
Some of the comments overheard in the lunchroom from male colleagues:
“Australia has its first female PM and no-one seems to care except the women.” (yeah, because 51% of the population is "no one" even ignoring the horrible generalisation there)
“There was a woman PM in Britain once, wasn’t there? Fletcher or something? She was a real ball-breaker, I heard” (this from a man easily 20 years older than me, btw. And I remember Thatcher fairly clearly.)
Various other comments that amount to “she’s gonna bust our balls like Margaret Thatcher, hur hur hur.”
So in short: good thing but bad timing and I want to smack many of the men I work with. Hand me a clue-by-four please?
*spot the Orwellian reference