From: Maia Cheli-Colando <maia_at_littlefolktales.org>
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:12:20 -0700

David,

I can understand why you might think this way, but it concerns me that you find female heroines the opposing equivalent to sports and bathroom humor. How exactly is a lack of interest in bathroom humor sexism? Are you assuming that only boys like sports or bathroom humor, or that all boys do? I do think it is sexist to say that you can't be interested in a book because it is about a girl -- just as it would be racist to say you can't be interested in a book because the protagonist is black. Those are not tastes, e.g. I like musicals while you like baseball, those are a rejection of people of particular gender or ancestry.

I would add to that that girls are forced to exist in a male world. I hungered for books by women growing up, while the canon was full of men, men, men. Just as it can be difficult for a white person to understand white privilege, I have known many men who find it challenging, and often painful, to understand their own gender privilege.

Cheers, Maia

-- Maia Cheli-Colando Arcata, Humboldt Bay, California -- blogging at http://www.littlefolktales.org/wordpress -- -- or drop in on Facebook! --
Received on Thu 22 Apr 2010 04:12:20 PM CDT