Cracked: 5 Gender Stereotypes That Used To Be the Opposite

[fluttershies]

I mean with the job situation what it is here, I can't imagine just walking into a job after school and keeping it for years and years.

I imagine it was similar in the US in the mid 20th Century, though. Having two world wars so close together meant there was a huge labour shortage in the affected countries after the end of WW2.

[SayNoToMullets]

So much facepalm.

BTW awesome screenname and is the avatar from Horrible Bosses?

Thanks! Yep, it's from Horrible Bosses. Very defrauding ;)

[Glass Cowcatcher]

Thanks! Yep, it's from Horrible Bosses. Very defrauding ;)

Funniest movie I've seen in a long time.

[Daenerys]

I wonder if more gendered clothing might be to do with the fact that now, pretty much everyone knows the sex of their baby before it is born. Way back when I was in utero in 1991, this wasn't allowed because of the fear that it would cause selective abortion. So my parents had to buy gender neutral things as no one knew until I was born what I would be. Now you know that you're going to have a 'little man' or 'little lady' you can gender your child from the start.

[bananacat]

But my point is that we shouldn't need gender neutral clothing. Why can't a boy just wear a pink dress? There shouldn't even be different categories, just a lot of variety in the category of infant clothes.

[samurai_sarah]

On farms, everyone works their asses off. And if help is needed in the field then it is all hands on deck. My farming grandparents didnt differentiate too much except for skilled tasks like sewing. Remember the old "A MANS WORK IS FROM SUN TO SUN;a woman's work is never done."

Yes! My grandparents were farmers, and I remember getting dragged to the fields during potato season. And haying season. Everyone old enough to hold the required tools, had to pitch in. Granted, us kids got the "fun" bits, and were frequently allowed to run off to play, but on the whole- potatoes and hay don't care whether you're male or female, young or old. Neither does the cattle you feed that hay to. All that matters is that the work gets done.

[Deleted03]

Cracked is right, although I would argue that for the majority of women it happened even later, after WW2. Until then, unless they were part of a relatively wealthy family, most women HAD to work to keep the family going. The Industrial Revolution meant that the middle classes grew in number, but there were still many families where both parents had to work and children left school at 14 because having as many wage-earners as possible in the family was so highly valued. Access to contraception (fewer kids = less expense), more disposable income and labour-saving devices becoming more widely used all happened in greater number after WW2 and contributed to the rise of the housewife in traditionally 2-income families. Also, after WW2 women were encouraged to be housewives as there was some resentment towards women working in factories etc from returning troops.

Women worked outside of home during the Industrial Revolution... in great numbers! Just read Zola and you'll see women working outside of home. Middle class women maybe were not expected to, although I think this applies only to higher classes, because what we could call middle class had to work in their husbands' stores. Women have always worked on farms too.

I will always remember this reading I did in history class of that inspector of the mine that comes and one of the chiefs talk about that woman who yesterday started having contractions, went home had the baby and went back to work the following morning. He was explaining how strong those women were.

There is nothing linear about women working in or outside of home.

[Terrie]

But my point is that we shouldn't need gender neutral clothing. Why can't a boy just wear a pink dress? There shouldn't even be different categories, just a lot of variety in the category of infant clothes.

Historically, babies wore dresses. And, when you think about it, it makes sense. You could reuse the clothing every time, and it certainly made changing diapers easier.

[Kitty]

Historically, babies wore dresses. And, when you think about it, it makes sense. You could reuse the clothing every time, and it certainly made changing diapers easier.

I think Ilovetchotchkes explained why boys wore dresses at least until they were potty-trained, a few months ago. I can't remember the explanation, but I hope she sees this and explains again. *pokes*

[Nothing2CHere]

I wonder if more gendered clothing might be to do with the fact that now, pretty much everyone knows the sex of their baby before it is born. Way back when I was in utero in 1991, this wasn't allowed because of the fear that it would cause selective abortion. So my parents had to buy gender neutral things as no one knew until I was born what I would be. Now you know that you're going to have a 'little man' or 'little lady' you can gender your child from the start.

This is why even though we found out the sex for LittleBabyNothing, we didn't reveal it to anyone in the family until AT my baby shower this past weekend - because we had decided even before we conceived, boy or girl, we wanted to have a gender-neutral theme for the nursery, baby toys, outfits, etc. I told people that we didn't want to end up with nothing but pink princess or blue footballs, which is why we were keeping it hushed-hushed.

[Conuly]

Historically, babies wore dresses. And, when you think about it, it makes sense. You could reuse the clothing every time, and it certainly made changing diapers easier.

Also, dresses are easier to let out and take in than pants, and up until relatively recently mobility wasn't considered a concern for babies until they were toddlers (when they still wore dresses). You know the long christening gowns? Yeah, those are just fancy versions of what every European baby used to wear. Long gowns meant they couldn't crawl on the dirty floor like an animal.

[dawbs]

Historically, babies wore dresses. And, when you think about it, it makes sense. You could reuse the clothing every time, and it certainly made changing diapers easier.

I think that *part*of this change is the velcro-based diaper.

Cloth or disposable (esp. disposable) I can't put my munchkin in a dress and a diaper (unless I add tights/pants/onesie/something) because she can unfasten those suckers in no-time flat. Then I"m chasing a peeing-toddler across the house as she somehow manages to do a fire-hose-impression and destroy books (I didn't know little girls could aim their pee that well...but apparently they can).

Pins would have made them less removable.

[Terrie]

I think that *part*of this change is the velcro-based diaper.

Cloth or disposable (esp. disposable) I can't put my munchkin in a dress and a diaper (unless I add tights/pants/onesie/something) because she can unfasten those suckers in no-time flat. Then I"m chasing a peeing-toddler across the house as she somehow manages to do a fire-hose-impression and destroy books (I didn't know little girls could aim their pee that well...but apparently they can).

Pins would have made them less removable.

Apparently, the peeing thing is cultural, just like if you should squat or sit to do your business. I sqw a sign from somewhere in Africa, Nigeria I think, that had a warning not to pee in the alley and showed both a male and female figured standing to "pissth against the wall." Gotta wonder what PP would have thought of that.

[Mountain Girl]

My grandma worked at a canning factory in the 40s and 50s. When I was 10 or so I asked her if she had worked because she was a feminist (I was reading books on feminism and didn't quite grasp the big picture). She said she worked because they needed money and the only thing around was a canning factory but she wanted her kids and grandkids-girls included- to choose a job we liked. She said if that made her a feminist, then sure. It just wasn't unusual for her to work even though she had babies at home.

[jaynie]

My grandma worked at a canning factory in the 40s and 50s. When I was 10 or so I asked her if she had worked because she was a feminist (I was reading books on feminism and didn't quite grasp the big picture). She said she worked because they needed money and the only thing around was a canning factory but she wanted her kids and grandkids-girls included- to choose a job we liked. She said if that made her a feminist, then sure. It just wasn't unusual for her to work even though she had babies at home.

My grandmother worked in a factory in the 50s and 60s because she was *bored* being a housewife. My grandfather briefly worried that people would think he couldn't provide (which he could) but was generally fine with it. My point is, she didn't have any trouble finding work and succeeding in it even though she came from a fairly well off home and had three kids to raise, so obviously no one in the area was shocked by the concept of a woman -- a mother, no less! -- working. (My other grandmother worked as well, for a while out of necessity and for a while because she enjoyed it, and both of my grandfathers were progressive enough to do an even share of housework and cooking, so this whole fundie dreamland of the gender-segregated 1950s has always seemed bizarre to me.)

[bellicosebroad]

My grandmother worked in a factory in the 50s and 60s because she was *bored* being a housewife. My grandfather briefly worried that people would think he couldn't provide (which he could) but was generally fine with it. My point is, she didn't have any trouble finding work and succeeding in it even though she came from a fairly well off home and had three kids to raise, so obviously no one in the area was shocked by the concept of a woman -- a mother, no less! -- working. (My other grandmother worked as well, for a while out of necessity and for a while because she enjoyed it, and both of my grandfathers were progressive enough to do an even share of housework and cooking, so this whole fundie dreamland of the gender-segregated 1950s has always seemed bizarre to me.)

It isn't just a fundie dreamland, though. My parents were a classic case. Married in 1960, my mom stayed home and raised four kids (and we got to hear just how awful that was, every second) while dad worked and was the breadwinner. By the 70s, lots of moms worked, but not mine (she refused to except for a little volunteering), and I so wish she had. We'd all have been happier. Meanwhile, my dad could only make tuna and potato chip casserole (in a pinch), scorched the boiled potatoes when he did try to cook, and burned his shirts the few times he had to iron them himself.

Fast forward to after their separation, and we kids were invited to his apartment for dinner. We walked in to a bright, shiny, sparkling clean apartment with smells of roast beef and fresh boiled potatoes emanating from the kitchenette. "You can cook?" I said, thunderstruck. "Of course; I was a cook when I was in the Army," said Dad, completely nonchalant. So why hadn't he done it before? Apparently "learned helplessness" and braindead behavior are alive and well even outside of fundie land, in this case for both spouses (she could have gotten a job and refused to even though she just hated being a housewife, and he knew how to take care of himself -- and us, if need be -- and refused to do that, too). It made me ever more certain that I'd always have a paying job, and that any husband of mine would bloody well know how to take care of himself and the kids if we had them so that he couldn't just play helpless.

[fluttershies]

Women worked outside of home during the Industrial Revolution... in great numbers! Just read Zola and you'll see women working outside of home. Middle class women maybe were not expected to, although I think this applies only to higher classes, because what we could call middle class had to work in their husbands' stores. Women have always worked on farms too.

I will always remember this reading I did in history class of that inspector of the mine that comes and one of the chiefs talk about that woman who yesterday started having contractions, went home had the baby and went back to work the following morning. He was explaining how strong those women were.

There is nothing linear about women working in or outside of home.

That's what I meant, haha, I think it got lost in translation :) The move to women not working outside the home happened later than the Industrial Revolution.

[fluttershies]

I wonder if more gendered clothing might be to do with the fact that now, pretty much everyone knows the sex of their baby before it is born. Way back when I was in utero in 1991, this wasn't allowed because of the fear that it would cause selective abortion. So my parents had to buy gender neutral things as no one knew until I was born what I would be. Now you know that you're going to have a 'little man' or 'little lady' you can gender your child from the start.

I was in utero in 1988 (in the UK) and it was perfectly OK for my mum to find out my sex? My mum knew I was a girl to the extent that she didn't bother choosing a 'just in case' boys' name. I still got hand-me-down clothes from male cousins though.

[Kitty]

I was in utero in 1988 (in the UK) and it was perfectly OK for my mum to find out my sex? My mum knew I was a girl to the extent that she didn't bother choosing a 'just in case' boys' name. I still got hand-me-down clothes from male cousins though.

I was in utero in 1991 (and was actually due that December) and yeah, my parents had the option to find out but chose not to. This was in Ohio.

[ellerigby]

Thanks for linking that article. I had already known some of the things but I learned some things too. One of my biggest peeves is the way kids clothing, toys, and everything have become so gendered. I started to notice it 5 years ago when my nieces were born and I couldn't even find a freaking red and green Christmas ornament for babies. They were only available in pastel pink or pastel blue. It's not that I'm against them having pink; it's just that it's freaking Christmas and I wanted red and green instead.

But anyway, I realize that retailers do this so people can't reuse as many things and they have to buy more stuff. But I really don't see what the big deal is if a baby boy wears a dress or a baby girl wears a shirt with a truck embroidered on it.

Yeah, I'm currently 12 weeks pregnant, and, although I've only told a few friends and family members about my knocked-up status, almost all of them have immediately asked "when do you find out the sex?" and when I say "when the baby is born..." they freak out. "But what about shopping??" they say.

I just want a healthy baby. I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, and my husband really loves surprises. I also don't want a ton of princess/"tough boy" crap. I LIKE yellow and green. ;)

[Rosa]

Even though women could work, work was usually gender-segregated (and race-segregated, with different jobs being classified as White or Black, informally or formally.)

When I worked at the newspaper my supervisor found an old newspaper from the 1970s and brought it in to show us, because it straight up had a "men's jobs" section and a "women's jobs" section. I worked with a woman who'd been the first woman in her job (car ad sales) and a bunch of other women who started in the Classifieds department when all the phone answering jobs were women and all the print side jobs were for men.

[Wolfie]

There's a Lego store in the mall I work at, and not too long ago, a mom who came into the store I work at remarked that "they make girl Legos now." Funny, when I was a kid, Legos were Legos were Legos, and they didn't have to be pastel for a girl to play with them.

http://jezebel.com/5317672/why-cant-the ... this-today this.

[Wolfie]

I think that *part*of this change is the velcro-based diaper.

Cloth or disposable (esp. disposable) I can't put my munchkin in a dress and a diaper (unless I add tights/pants/onesie/something) because she can unfasten those suckers in no-time flat. Then I"m chasing a peeing-toddler across the house as she somehow manages to do a fire-hose-impression and destroy books (I didn't know little girls could aim their pee that well...but apparently they can).

Pins would have made them less removable.

This is why my nephew's covers are snaps and not velcro. Not as easy to get on and off for the parents, but it means it's also not as easy to get off for the little one either.

[saraelise]

I'm surprised they're publishing this article, Cracked usually reeks of misogyny.

[Kitty]

I'm surprised they're publishing this article, Cracked usually reeks of misogyny.

I think they've been moving away from that, now that more contributors are female and some of the more chauvinist writers are getting called out in the comments. I know some articles have been written by women, and there was an article published recently called "5 Ways Modern Men are Trained to Hate Women" or something like that. That one was rather misguided and not taken very well by either side, though :?

I like Cracked's lists when they're not sprinkled with sexist jabs. I don't watch the videos much, though.