When I woke up this morning, I fully intended to put on my Hippie-Love-Shack pants but I got dressed in the dark and put on my Alarmist pants instead, so I have been jumping at everything all day. I would have an easier time relaxing if the advertising industry did not make it so easy to over-react though.
Cue the poster that pissed me off this morning. As I wandered through the University this afternoon, a hot pink poster caught my eye and since I must know everything at all times, I stopped to peruse its barbie-flavoured information. The headline read:
"Punch the one you love"
I can not even make this up.
It was a poster for Edmonton's Defining Eve gym/yoga loft/workout space/feel-good space, encouraging people to sign up for their St. Valentine's boxing classes with their loved ones because as anyone who has brought a love interest/spouse to the gym knows, there are plenty of opportunities for romantic moments, looking deeply into each other's eyes as you hork up a lung and contemplate murdering your spin class instructor. (This is obviously a joke. Do not bring your loved one to the gym unless you are not serious about one of two things: Your fitness or your chances with this person. [P.S. Do not post to tell me about how you and your snookums are the perfect gym soulmates - I do not care])
Now, a judicious reading of the poster reveals the slogan to be one of two things: an incitement to domestic violence or a castrating belittlement of female strength, "Go on, punch him! It won't hurt!"
Oh Girl, you are so overreacting! I realize you have The Pants on, but really?
No, Dear Reader, I will not be calmed on this one. With male domestic violence just beginning to come out of the woodwork, the last thing we need is some insensitive garbage like this plugging the idea that women can just beat up on guys and that is "okay" or "normal". Can you imagine if it was aimed at men? "Hey guys, slug her one in the jaw!" My Alarmist pants would have exploded into a pair of Infuriated Short Shorts (One step further is the Incandesent Thong because sometimes a girl has to have her butt hanging out to kick some serious ass).
The other option is just as bad. As a lady with some guns hanging off her (I am totally flexing right now; my bench-mate thinks I am a lunatic.) I have experienced the occasionally sexist attitude (Alright, it was just the once, but it really annoyed me) and it is completely demoralizing. Weight training, self-defense, and other forms of aggressive training are classically considered something women do not get "serious" about. It is typically treated like a hobby, not a serious endeavor, and that is bothersome. Most of these, when one commits, require a pretty serious lifestyle adjustment, and it is tough to fly in the face of public opinion when most people feel comfortable telling you whatever they have on their pea-sized brain. (I hear child-rearing is another topic that everyone is an expert on) It is even worse when your hard work, effort, and commitment are reduced to the kind of accolade given to Farmville accomplishments. So go on, punch him ladies, just mind your manicure! TEE-HEE.
Now that I have calmed down sufficiently to do some looking into it, further information has come to light; their motto is "Because sometimes love hurts" so I guess they are going to go with condoning domestic violence. Capital.
This is just as bad as that whole City of Edmonton "Only whites are racist" program.
Cue the poster that pissed me off this morning. As I wandered through the University this afternoon, a hot pink poster caught my eye and since I must know everything at all times, I stopped to peruse its barbie-flavoured information. The headline read:
"Punch the one you love"
I can not even make this up.
It was a poster for Edmonton's Defining Eve gym/yoga loft/workout space/feel-good space, encouraging people to sign up for their St. Valentine's boxing classes with their loved ones because as anyone who has brought a love interest/spouse to the gym knows, there are plenty of opportunities for romantic moments, looking deeply into each other's eyes as you hork up a lung and contemplate murdering your spin class instructor. (This is obviously a joke. Do not bring your loved one to the gym unless you are not serious about one of two things: Your fitness or your chances with this person. [P.S. Do not post to tell me about how you and your snookums are the perfect gym soulmates - I do not care])
Now, a judicious reading of the poster reveals the slogan to be one of two things: an incitement to domestic violence or a castrating belittlement of female strength, "Go on, punch him! It won't hurt!"
Oh Girl, you are so overreacting! I realize you have The Pants on, but really?
No, Dear Reader, I will not be calmed on this one. With male domestic violence just beginning to come out of the woodwork, the last thing we need is some insensitive garbage like this plugging the idea that women can just beat up on guys and that is "okay" or "normal". Can you imagine if it was aimed at men? "Hey guys, slug her one in the jaw!" My Alarmist pants would have exploded into a pair of Infuriated Short Shorts (One step further is the Incandesent Thong because sometimes a girl has to have her butt hanging out to kick some serious ass).
The other option is just as bad. As a lady with some guns hanging off her (I am totally flexing right now; my bench-mate thinks I am a lunatic.) I have experienced the occasionally sexist attitude (Alright, it was just the once, but it really annoyed me) and it is completely demoralizing. Weight training, self-defense, and other forms of aggressive training are classically considered something women do not get "serious" about. It is typically treated like a hobby, not a serious endeavor, and that is bothersome. Most of these, when one commits, require a pretty serious lifestyle adjustment, and it is tough to fly in the face of public opinion when most people feel comfortable telling you whatever they have on their pea-sized brain. (I hear child-rearing is another topic that everyone is an expert on) It is even worse when your hard work, effort, and commitment are reduced to the kind of accolade given to Farmville accomplishments. So go on, punch him ladies, just mind your manicure! TEE-HEE.
Now that I have calmed down sufficiently to do some looking into it, further information has come to light; their motto is "Because sometimes love hurts" so I guess they are going to go with condoning domestic violence. Capital.
This is just as bad as that whole City of Edmonton "Only whites are racist" program.
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