…Like A Girl
by Miki SaxonDid you watch the Super Bowl today?
If you’re a guy you may not have paid much attention an ad from Always.
It looks at how #like a girl has always been an insult and an effort to change that perception.
“In my work as a documentarian, I have witnessed the confidence crisis among girls and the negative impact of stereotypes first-hand,” said Lauren Greenfield, filmmaker and director of the #LikeAGirl video. “When the words ‘like a girl’ are used to mean something bad, it is profoundly disempowering. I am proud to partner with Always to shed light on how this simple phrase can have a significant and long-lasting impact on girls and women. I am excited to be a part of the movement to redefine ‘like a girl’ into a positive affirmation.”
But the insult goes far beyond the days of puberty.
“Will it work for your mom?” and “so simple your mother could do it” are catch terms, especially in the software industry, to indicate the product is simple (AKA, dumbed down) enough that anyone can use it.
The interesting thing is that if you call these same guys out asking if they are referring to their mom/sister/girlfriend/wife they usually say no.
The disconnect starts early. In the Always video at 1:06 the dialog is as follows:
Voiceover: “So do you think you just insulted your sister?”
Boy: “No, I mean yeah… insulted girls, but not my sister.”
There is a giant mental disconnect for most males between ‘women’ and ‘my women’.
And it is that disconnect that needs to change.
Image credit: Always