“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”
In honor of Women’s History Month, I thought I’d post a little reminder of sorts.1
Can you say “backlash”?
This ad is dated 1972, thirty-six years ago…right in the middle of the Steinem Era, otherwise known as the Second Wave of feminism. And believe me, it’s tame compared to what was in print at that time.
I actually love ads like this. They are the perfect way to illustrate how far feminism has taken us to younger generations who have no idea what their lives would have been like without it.
I cringe every time I read that young women don’t want to be feminists because they associate it with “making trouble.” Holy mother of god.
Any action that challenges the status quo - whether it’s racism, sexism, ageism, or what - is going to be considered “trouble,” no matter how nicely and sweetly you do it. Give up the fantasy that you can insist on change without pissing someone off.
If I had a magic wand, I would transport every person - woman and man - back in time thirty, forty, fifty years, and make them live one full day as a woman then. Just one day.
I have no doubt that by the end of that 24 hours, they’d be thanking their lucky stars it was over.
But niether luck nor stars had anything to do with it. It’s the uppity women and men of past generations who had the guts to “make trouble” so the world could be a better place.
- Quote by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich [↩]
2 Responses to ““Well-behaved women seldom make history.””
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Screw one day! Make ‘em live A WEEK in that era. That would really shatter some idiotic notions.
amen sister uppity