tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340684.post3808458751798354032..comments2024-03-24T09:36:51.494-04:00Comments on delagar: Fairy Talesdelagarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18197857250240640822noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340684.post-80628190327821267692007-07-17T15:07:00.000-04:002007-07-17T15:07:00.000-04:00Thanks! Next time the opportunity arises, JP and I...Thanks! Next time the opportunity arises, JP and I shall have a better patriarchy talk. I didn't explain it nearly as well as I would've liked but I was thrilled to pieces when he asked, "Mama, what's a patriarchy?"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340684.post-22300953766762850452007-07-17T12:17:00.000-04:002007-07-17T12:17:00.000-04:00Well, with the kid I've always let her direct our ...Well, with the kid I've always let her direct our dicussions (not just on patriarchy: on everything -- she was asking about circumcision last night, and what part of the male penis got snipped, and what FGM was, and how women urinated after, my, what a fun evening that was). I answer the questions she asks, and go from there.<BR/><BR/>But with a four year old, I'd stay simple. Tell him that it's been a way for some people to control other people (if he knows the word oppress, I'd say oppress -- a way for some people to oppress other people).<BR/><BR/>Then I'd say that the people doing the oppressing are powerful men.<BR/><BR/>I'd tell him they opress women and less powerful males, and they do it through all kinds of ways -- by force of all kinds. <BR/><BR/>I'd tell him it still exists, but that we have been taught, by our culture, not to see it or admit that we see it, except when we begin to look, we can begin to see it. (That fairytale about the emperor's clothing is useful here, though what I used was the shows the kid was watching on Cartoon Network, with all the characters doing actions being boys, essentially, maybe one girl here or there, and even those with girl characters having those characters controlled by men.)<BR/><BR/>Then -- well -- as you can tell from my conversations with the kid -- you'll find it keeps coming up. I don't bring it up, btw: she does. "Why do boys always win?" she asks, bringing a story to me. "Why are stepmothers always mean?" "Why do Mick's friends make fun of him for being friends with me?"<BR/><BR/>"I've got one word for you," is all I have to say to her now.delagarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18197857250240640822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340684.post-61008590030020363512007-07-17T11:02:00.000-04:002007-07-17T11:02:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.delagarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18197857250240640822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340684.post-64857333483263112282007-07-17T10:21:00.000-04:002007-07-17T10:21:00.000-04:00Out of curiosity, how would you explain the patria...Out of curiosity, how would you explain the patriarchy to a 2-year old and 4-year old. The 4-year old (boy) particularly wants to know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340684.post-48036911714498942772007-07-17T09:10:00.000-04:002007-07-17T09:10:00.000-04:00The kid hated Disney's Little Mermaid, but when sh...The kid hated Disney's Little Mermaid, but when she read the HCA version (she grew up on the films of Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbor Totoro and that, so she has a whole other mythology in her head), she was livid. Don't fret, I told her who to blame!delagarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18197857250240640822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340684.post-83129036036245777082007-07-16T23:18:00.000-04:002007-07-16T23:18:00.000-04:00I recently discovered that, since I'm no longer a ...I recently discovered that, since I'm no longer a glossy eyed little girl (ha!), The Little Mermaid is one of the worst fairy tales ever. Particularly the non-Disney version (which is bad enough) which involves the teenage mermaid sacrificing herself so her "true love" can be happy. Bleh.tonkeluhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17677023413938158629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8340684.post-48522230152294954842007-07-16T15:02:00.000-04:002007-07-16T15:02:00.000-04:00If you haven't found surlalunefairytales.com yet, ...If you haven't found surlalunefairytales.com yet, check it out. It's wonderful.Tree of Knowledgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14037710157338503215noreply@blogger.com