We here refers to women, but I think my discussion will extend to men to a certain extent.
What triggered off this post is an article on Today (omg! I’m quoting the dreaded MSM again!) two days ago, which attempted to draw on the positioning of female politicians, namely German Chancellor Merkel, presidential hopefuls and fashion or sex icon, Hilary Clinton (minus sex icon here), Ségolène Royal (oh yah she is said to be sexy).
So Merkel as the androgynous German lady (congruent with the ‘cultural stereotype’) is criticised as cold; Clinton and Royal are questioned over their ability to function competently plainly because they play up their feminine traits.
So…
where does this leave us, the women in the streets?
Are we to be the strong woman hated by men but admired by women?
Or are we the wiley females, adored by some women, looked down upon by men and with disdain by a certain fraction of post-modern feminists who extoll self-reliance?
But before we align ourselves with any of these stereotypes, there is a fundamental difference between us the everyday women, and them the high flying politicans.
That is, in the murky world of politics, stereotypes are played up for their own sakes.
They are not meant to be extolled as virtues, but rather should serve as markers of self-interests, at least in the eyes of a discerning audience.
For as much as androgynity serves Merkel’s purpose in the German context, ’sex sells’ for Royal, and the ‘wholesome American woman who stands for the errant husband’ works wonders for Clinton.
But we aren’t Merkel, Royal or Clinton for that matter. And to elevate them to the pedestral of role models for women in postmodern age serves no purpose at all – at least not for the public interest, perhaps only for the interests of selected elites.
Women should not have been considered as a single entity, despite how it is presented at times as distinct constituencies to suit the agenda of political savvy few.
The same could be said of our fellow beings from mars, or a race, or a nationality.
Let’s take a step back and embrace our individuality.
