>snit snat wrote:
> >
> > this reminds me of when I was asked to speak at a conference. They wanted
> > me to talk about white working class women and the problem of sexism and
> > gender violence among our men. I showed up in polyester slacks, pink foam
> > rollers, a pack of smokes, snapping bubblegum, and slinging a six pack of
> > genny screamers.
> >
>
>An attempt to visualize "the working class" (however it is done)
>necessarily distorts the reality, and dangerously so. A suit & tie would
>'catch' or baggy shorts and torn shirts or the costume you describe are
>all equally good visualization of "the working class," and all equally
>distorting.
They were stereotyping! The response was to play to their stereotypes and then remind them that the data on gender violence suggests that it's not my fucking problem to educate them about. it's their's too. it's not beer guzzling guys in wife beater tee shirts who beat their wives, yanno?
They were stereotyping and it wasn't the first damn time it had happened to me. I was once asked to teach the section on affirmative action, giving the pro side in the plenary debate. Why? Because I would present an interesting view given that I was a woman and would support it, but given I was working class I would not. That must make me.... like the bearded lady at the Circus or sumpin'!
Sometimes, the only thing to do with this horse hockey is mock it. So that's what I did.
Kelley
"We're in a fucking stagmire."
--Little Carmine, 'The Sopranos'