jacquelynn:
Over the weekend, Sara and I spent a bit of time in Barnes & Noble perusing the wares and came across this gem of a title, 4,000 Years of Uppity Women by Vicki León. Before I go on, let’s ask the OED for a brief definition of “uppity,” shall we?
uppity, adj. colloq. (orig. and chiefly U.S.) above oneself, self-important, ‘jumped-up’; arrogant, haughty, pert, putting on airs
Okay, Ms. León. I get what you’re trying to do. Highlighting badass women in history? Fine. I’m sure Hatshepsut, Queen Elizabeth, and Marie Curie all appear and that there are some teenage girls who have never encountered these figures before. But listen. Insinuating that women are self-important, arrogant, or haughty is undermining the message. Why must we shame women into believing that if they choose to be strong, clever, or brave, that they’re outliers “putting on airs”? I’ve had enough of the message that real women are too dainty and feminine to actually be those things and frankly, I’d expect better from a female author, even if she is trying to sell books with a catchy title.
None of this even begins to address the complicated racial implications of the word “uppity” either which does this conversation no more favors. We’ve got to get beyond this kind of thinking if we’re ever going to get real gender equality.
9 months ago · 2 notes · Source
