I don’t know about “cute and little”. But I think as anyone–including women–mature, they see stuff that they didn’t see when they were younger.
I was in my late 20s when I started noticing sexism. Before that point, it had only existed in the abstract for me. But when I began working in a lab with a predominately male staff, under a male PI who had a certain way with female employees, I started noticing stuff. Not just targeted at me, but also towards other women. I became aware just how much we stand out in our particular field. “Standing out” can be good sometimes, but usually it is not.
The evolution of the online Dem narrative is interesting. Bernie supporters are a bunch of misogynist frat boys. More like Bernie Bros amirite?
A ton of women like Bernie too? Oh, they’re young. See, they don’t know what’s about to hit them. A conservative is a liberal who got mugged by reality, so they’ll understand Hillary soon enough. I mean if they really understood the weight of institutional sexism they definitely wouldn’t be so stupid as to support someone who calls for a political revolution.
My thought would be that young and cute women face more sexism (from both men and other women), because they’re more sexual desirable – also that they’re in their fertile age, so there’s the issue with motherhood. When the sex attraction becomes more subdued with age, women should be able to have people focus more on her abilities. Well that would be my first impression, perhaps I’m wrong, or perhaps this older women just forgot what it’s like to be younger. Wouldn’t be the first time, an older person forgot the troubles of youth.
:smack: Speak for yourself - it’s 100% wrong to state this as fact. Most guys are not looking for bubbleheaded trophy girlfriends or fetish objects out of a Japanese cartoon, and I’d lose respect for any other guy that does.
So, did you just equate younger women (in their 20s presumable) with bubbleheaded trophy girlfriends and Japanese cartoon fetish objects? No wonder younger women face sexism.
No, it was just a response to the posts putting “younger women” (whatever that means) on a weird pedestal - just because some men fetishize them doesn’t mean everyone does. I don’t really have an opinion of younger vs older women in the workplace either way.
I think their 20s is a bit late for the OP’s definition. I would imagine pretty girls aged 12-16 made up to look hot. Examples will be Natalie Portman in “Leon,” various Linda Blair movies when she was a teenager, young Carol Lynley, even Judy Garland.
It depends on which way the wind is blowing my three daughters can go from cute to pit bull in a matter of seconds, I usually retreat to my office and let them sort it out and only speak out if it is going to cost me money.
She’s a great poster child for overcoming sexism. She positively owns overcoming sexism. This is because she towers above every single previous President who’s a woman.
That’s how early we are in this process. Imagine we were talking about the first woman to enter the workplace, or the first woman to vote, or the first woman to drive.
I do think attractive young women get “protected” alot by the older males around them more than they would a young man of the same age because protecting women is just something we do. Notice how man dont use as much foul language around women or they will offer to lift heavy loads?
You see this alot in maintenance where women are damn rare.
So if I understand the argument correctly, young women are stupid and can’t be trusted to make good decisions, as opposed to young men who are the model of reasonableness and sanity. Sure, that makes sense.
There are pitfalls with this as well. You’re young and cute? Must be dumb and incompetent. Fighting this notion for years is incredibly frustrating.
See MILF.
Sure, in 1939.
I’m a 46 year old woman with a little bit of power in a male dominated industry. After just spending 3 days with 150 of the top contractors in the US, I can confidently tell you 50%, minimally, would fuck me. If I actually flirted, or encouraged them, you could increase that percentage significantly. I’m average looking, in decent shape. These are very successful guys in our industry and I’m sure can get some play.
My power came from being successful, smart, confident, knowledgeable and experienced.
You’re right though. People will tolerate more incompetence from young and pretty. Of both sexes. If you want to talk about ignored, be a 50 year old, overweight, bald middle manager male.
Let’s just say success, confidence is more important.
Most men know what it’s like to be ignored. That’s true for a male 50 year old, overweight, bald middle manager, as much as it is for an ok looking & fit 18yo college guy. They’re not turning any heads walking down the street, or have girls coming up to the hitting on them, complementing them, etc. The thing with women, according to their own words, is that being ignored and invisible is something they’ll have to learn and come to terms with as they grow older. Apparently it is not always easy. But for a career pov I should think not being noticed for being cute as a button/sexy would be a plus.
I don’t know that I would call it a “cute & little” phase, but in my observations of the business world, young women do seem to experience a phase in their 20s and early 30s where they both enjoy a certain manner of protection, favoritism and mentorship for being “young & cute” while at the same time struggling to be taken seriously in their role. Think Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada or any of the girls from Girls.
Whenever a woman asks me to change the heavy Poland Spring containers for the water cooler, I have to explain to them that is why they get paid less than a man.
I had a really long post about this article, which just got eaten. Grr.
Suffice it to say, that an article full of statements like this:
is simply replete with what I call Corporate Type A Blinders. Only some very small number of people of either gender are ever going to get into the type of leadership positions she’s talking about. Not that bias against female leaders isn’t a thing - it is. But if being in a leadership positions sounds like a Big-Ass Pile of Suck to you (which, to tell truth, does actually describe quite a lot of people out there in the big world), should you really care all that much? To the extent of changing your vote? Is she really reflecting here on young women as a whole? Or only a certain type of person. People like she was when she was twenty. People like all her friends were when they were twenty (since people tend to have friends who are like themselves)…
I agree with this. One of the advantages I’ve had is to just be average looking. If I had been gorgeous, or had a huge rack, it would have made much more of an uphill battle for me in construction. It would have made it incredibly difficult.
I feel bad for the gorgeous women who aren’t aging that well. I don’t get the same random attention as when I was young, and I can’t imagine if you traded on your looks, how being ignored would suck now.
Just like going from rich to poor. Or being the star quarterback. Things change.
Most of the attention when you are young is worthless.
