Comments on: A couple of posts to radicalise your motherhood http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/ thinking + motherhood = feminist Thu, 31 Dec 2009 09:36:56 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: If parents can stop it, why don’t they? « blue milk http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-13928 If parents can stop it, why don’t they? « blue milk Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:10:37 +0000 http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-13928 [...] parents are buying this stuff. They’re buying the bra-lettes for their five year olds and the knickers for ten year olds with “who needs a credit card” written across the crotch, and so, yes, they are to some degree participating in the sexualisation of [...] [...] parents are buying this stuff. They’re buying the bra-lettes for their five year olds and the knickers for ten year olds with “who needs a credit card” written across the crotch, and so, yes, they are to some degree participating in the sexualisation of [...]

]]> By: bluemilk http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-11286 bluemilk Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:43:16 +0000 http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-11286 Kris, thanks for the link for the princess post, will check it out. chaos - thanks for blogrolling me, of course I don't mind. I'll do the same for you, I can't believe I haven't got you and your feminism there already. Kris, thanks for the link for the princess post, will check it out.

chaos – thanks for blogrolling me, of course I don’t mind. I’ll do the same for you, I can’t believe I haven’t got you and your feminism there already.

]]> By: chaos http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-11172 chaos Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:41:05 +0000 http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-11172 Thanks for writing this post. I loved all the informative links. I hope you don't mind I am gonna put you on my blogroll. Thanks for writing this post. I loved all the informative links. I hope you don’t mind I am gonna put you on my blogroll.

]]> By: Kris http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-11169 Kris Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:49:34 +0000 http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-11169 Sweet Juniper (http://www.sweet-juniper.com/) has a very cute post on the "Princess Industrial Complex" today - fairy princesses in particular - and why it's not enough just to be a fairy anymore. Quoting: "Is not enough just to be a fucking fairy? You've already got effervescent butterfly wings and a magic wand and pointy shoes and a toadstool couch and two little tiny ponies to pull you around the forest in a wee cart." A happy read to start a feminist's day. Princesses weren't big when I was a kid oh so many years ago - we wanted to be witches, which have a very different and to my mind more empowering symbolism, even though we did spend most of our time casting love potions in the general direction of Justin Wilkins' house. But the consumption, the prettiness and the implicit born to privilege was totally absent. You didn't buy witch paraphenalia at Toyworld, you made wands out of paddlepop sticks and potions out of flowers and tank water (and then we walked five miles in the snow to go to school and were grateful for the privilege.) On the undies issue, when Lu was toilet trained she got to choose pants as a special treat. I was taken aback by the pictures and stars and glitter over the crotch areas - it's not just the words it's where they are placed - surely we do't need to draw the eye to a three year old's v**va - it's not a sex game. Lu was drawn to these - all that sparkle but then she caught sight of the Thomas the Tank engine ones over in the boy section and oh! she just fell in love. Now we've picked up some Bob undies and she's just so pleased, being a big Bob the Builder fan. I won't allow that other crud in my house, I find it so offensive, more so than most other issues re: kids. Now when I were a girl (do you suspect I'm actually an eighty year bore telling you what it was like in the good ol' days?) I went to a school where the uniform requirements extended to undies - navy blue full briefs only. I'm not even sure if they had the equivalent to today's offerings back in the 70s. I remember undies as being purely functional and not really a topic of interest to myself as a child. I guess that's my point - and I know I run on - I wasn't a kid that long ago but thngs have changed so dramatically and so horribly in many ways - it's such a shock. Sweet Juniper (http://www.sweet-juniper.com/) has a very cute post on the “Princess Industrial Complex” today – fairy princesses in particular – and why it’s not enough just to be a fairy anymore. Quoting:
“Is not enough just to be a fucking fairy? You’ve already got effervescent butterfly wings and a magic wand and pointy shoes and a toadstool couch and two little tiny ponies to pull you around the forest in a wee cart.”
A happy read to start a feminist’s day.

Princesses weren’t big when I was a kid oh so many years ago – we wanted to be witches, which have a very different and to my mind more empowering symbolism, even though we did spend most of our time casting love potions in the general direction of Justin Wilkins’ house. But the consumption, the prettiness and the implicit born to privilege was totally absent. You didn’t buy witch paraphenalia at Toyworld, you made wands out of paddlepop sticks and potions out of flowers and tank water (and then we walked five miles in the snow to go to school and were grateful for the privilege.)

On the undies issue, when Lu was toilet trained she got to choose pants as a special treat. I was taken aback by the pictures and stars and glitter over the crotch areas – it’s not just the words it’s where they are placed – surely we do’t need to draw the eye to a three year old’s v**va – it’s not a sex game. Lu was drawn to these – all that sparkle but then she caught sight of the Thomas the Tank engine ones over in the boy section and oh! she just fell in love. Now we’ve picked up some Bob undies and she’s just so pleased, being a big Bob the Builder fan. I won’t allow that other crud in my house, I find it so offensive, more so than most other issues re: kids.

Now when I were a girl (do you suspect I’m actually an eighty year bore telling you what it was like in the good ol’ days?) I went to a school where the uniform requirements extended to undies – navy blue full briefs only. I’m not even sure if they had the equivalent to today’s offerings back in the 70s. I remember undies as being purely functional and not really a topic of interest to myself as a child.

I guess that’s my point – and I know I run on – I wasn’t a kid that long ago but thngs have changed so dramatically and so horribly in many ways – it’s such a shock.

]]> By: Lisa @ Corporate Babysitter http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-11152 Lisa @ Corporate Babysitter Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:32:58 +0000 http://bluemilk.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/a-couple-of-posts-to-radicalise-your-motherhood/#comment-11152 Great minds think alike? I'm also having a hard time keeping up with the blogging during Christmas -- can't wait until January! Great minds think alike?

I’m also having a hard time keeping up with the blogging during Christmas — can’t wait until January!

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