WYFP? is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?
Deepest apologies for the late diary, folks. I am NOT going to play the kid card...but I have twin 4-year olds.
I was speaking to one of them today. They wanted to play a game. They said,
"papa, let's play airplane. You be the pilot."
To her I said "Why don't you be the pilot?"
"Because I'm a girl"
Ok, so you can't launch into a spirited attack on sexism with a 4 year old...or can you?
So we googled "female pilots" and spent about an hour looking at pictures.
It got me thinking that even as a modern(ish) man, on the lookout for positive female role models for little girls, we are still really stuck.
Alot of diarists referenced Disney's Frozen a while back. The story is about two sisters, princesses (it's Disney, people) and, here I'm not spoiling anything for you, they find out that they need each other. Pointedly, no man comes to save them, kiss them out of a stupor, or slay anything for them.
Since the princesses were sisters, it was great for our girls. Even the biggest musical number from the movie, Let It Go, emphasized the need to be your own person and not live up to the expectations of others.
So, tonight MFP is: where are the female animated role models who a) aren't getting points for prettiness b) aren't waiting around for a man to save them and c) don't get punished for being warriors/strong/independent and effective. I'm looking at you, Mulan.
That's my FP tonight. Admittedly not earth shaking but when you're a father looking around for this stuff, it's huge.
What's yours?
