<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Mar 7, 2009 at 10:54 AM, Elizabeth M Smith <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:auroraeosrose@shitennou.com">auroraeosrose@shitennou.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div><div></div><div class="h5">> Just a few comments about reinforcing 'girly' stereotypes in a group's<br>
> emblem.<br>
><br>
> * Pink: This has been the stereotyped 'girl colour' since around<br>
> WWII[0]. Not all girls like pink, and some girls and women will get<br>
> quite offended if it's suggested they wear it, let alone be represented<br>
> by it.<br>
><br>
> * Make up, nail polish: Some girls and women do not wear make up or nail<br>
> polish as they not feeling comfortable about having to alter their<br>
> appearance to be accepted, or resent the idea that they are expected to<br>
> decorate themselves for the viewing pleasure of men.<br>
><br>
> * Bows: Without the lipstick, the bow on Ms Pacman would make her look<br>
> like a 5 year old. (With the lipstick, she looks like those 50 year old<br>
> women you see in the mall with caked-on makeup, wearing the latest tween<br>
> fashions)<br>
><br>
> * Jewellery: Of all the girly stereotypes, this is probably the least<br>
> girly one. Jewellery such as rings, chains and piercings are commonplace<br>
> for both genders.<br>
><br>
> The Gnome Women project had the dilemma where their members did not feel<br>
> like they'd be taken seriously if they used such stereotypes[1].<br>
> Unfortunately, there's not much you can do to make a footprint girly,<br>
> without resorting to nail polish, high-heels, flowers or jewellery, and<br>
> afaik they ended up not getting anywhere.<br>
><br>
> Personally, I would react unfavourably to a pink or made-up elePHPant.<br>
> It just would not speak to me at all.<br>
><br>
> Taking the above into account, what I would react well to would be a<br>
> chain or leather thread around the elePHPant's neck, with a little<br>
> female emblem pendant. You could even do this *separately*, for the<br>
> existing elePHPants! Just get the chain/thread size right, and voila!<br>
<br>
</div></div>And quite frankly I would find THIS offensive - to each their own I<br>
guess. I find it silly to walk on eggshells all over the place to not<br>
offend this group or that group. You won't find something that makes<br>
everyone happy.</blockquote><div><br>I tend to agree with this, and while I understand where Melissa is also coming from, I think that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being feminine and a geek at the same time. Yes, I wear makeup and nail polish .. but it's not for the viewing pleasure of men (hell, I've been married for 11 years and I work at home - I have no one to impress ;) ) , I do it because it makes me feel good and the makeup covers up my blemishes :). Does that make me less of a geek? Does that make people not take me seriously? I'd like to think not.<br>
<br>I think putting the elephpant in a big frilly dress with a parasol might be a bit over the top, but I also think it's okay to give her a little bit of a feminine bling. :)<br><br>I also think that there's nothing wrong with breaking the "typical female geek" stereotype either :) Xeni Jardin seems to be doing okay.<br>
<br>Just my 2 cents.. if this is something we feel strongly about, maybe we could open up discussion on the forums. I think there are some deeper issues here that are interesting to discuss besides *just* the color of the elephpant- for me, at least, it's interesting to talk about what being a geek girl means to each one of us.<br>
<br>Cheers!<br>E.<br><br></div></div><br>