Women and Gender Studies, 5/16/07

[getupanddoit]

Madeline twitched her lips and adjusted her glasses as she looked over the gathered students, counting them silently in her head. "All right, all right, is everyone here? Are we all met, as some guy once said? Good, good, welcome to Women and Gender Studies! Now, let's get started. . . ."

"We should introduce ourselves, Mad," Sylvia cut in, putting a gentle hand on her friend's arm. "I don't mean to interrupt,"

"No, no, you're right, I forgot!"

"It's okay."

"It's not okay, you're right, I'm wrong, I'm SORRY,"

"Don't worry about it, darling."

"I," said Madeline, pressing a hand to her ample chest, "am Madeline Samuels, and this is my best friend in the entire universe, forty three and a half wonderful years--"

"I'm Sylvia Dunleavy," Sylvia cut in again. "Nice to meetcha. Call me Syvvie. Everyone does."

"Everyone does," Madeline agreed. "And we are going to be your Women and Gender Studies teachers for this summer session. Now, I know, I know what you're thinking: 'what the hell do two old ladies like them know about Women and Gender Studies?'"

"A helluva a lot, that's what,"

"That's right, that's right. We've got the prerequisites right here!" Madeline gestured loosely at herself and Sylvia and continued on. "And we've taken lots of courses in the subject at the junior college, isn't that right, Syvvie?"

"That's right, Maddie."

"That's right. You should listen to us. You might learn something."

"That's why you're here, after all."

"That's right! So, boys and girls--"

"Ah, ah," Sylvia interrupted again. "MEN and WOMEN."

"Right, right! I forgot, I'm sorry!"

"Don't be sorry."

"No, no, you're right, I'm wrong,"

"You're not wrong, darling."

"I'm sorry, MEN and WOMEN. Let's get a couple ground rules in before we get started, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Okay! The first rule is . . ." Madeline paused for effect. "Respect each other. Respect. That means no making fun of anything anyone says in this classroom. If you do, Sylvia with get you with her cane."

"I don't need it, but I have it, and I'll use it!" Sylvia shook her fist in a mock threatening gesture.

"We're kidding, we're kidding, of course we're kidding. Lighten up! That's rule number two. If you take things too seriously, you'll only give yourself ulcers. My second husband didn't lighten up, and what happened to him? He died. That's right, right in the middle of dinner one night, just keeled right over. Stress, the doctor said. So laugh a little."

"Smile, sometimes!"

"Smile, and the whole world sleeps with you. Now, rule number three, and this is important, so listen closely. You can do anything you want to do . . ." Sylvia joined in, and they said the next part in chorus: "As long as you're willing to get up and do it!"

"That's right," Madeline continued. "And that's not just for this class, either. Live your life that way, and you'll be a happy person."

"As long as you're not hurting anybody."

"Right, right, as long as you're not hurting anyone, anything goes. Those are the rules. So, you know us, now, darlings, we want to get to know you. Introduce yourselves! Tell us your name, where you're from, and what gender you identify with the most. That part's important."

"That's right, you think you can tell--"

"But the next thing you know, you realize you're talkin' to a transvestitute." Madeline adjusted her glasses again. "And then, my darlings, the glares, oh, I shudder to think." She shuddered.

"When you're done with that, we'll have an exercise."

"That's right, that's right, an exercise. We want you to work together in partners,"

"Not sexual partners now," Sylvia snorted and laughed. Madeline joined in.

"We're just a class, after all, and not that class, it's being taught by someone else. Anyway, where was I?"

"Partners."

"Right, right, get into partners and I want you to make a list of gender stereotypes. You know what I'm talking about. Where ever it is you are from, I want you to think back, and list as many different stereotypes about boys and girls as you can. And then, when you've got yourself a list? I want you to ask yourself, say 'Self? Do I fit these stereotypes?' And then tell yourself why."

"Or tell your partner."

"Or ask your partner. Whatever floats your gazebo."

[OOC: OCD is up, have-at ye! I promise, they'll be moderately less babbly in classes to come.]

Comments

Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

That's name, where you're from, boy/girl/man/woman/other.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[lovesrenoir.livejournal.com]

"ANIMAL! ANIMAL!"

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," Madeline said, giving the single sound four syllables. "Aren't you an interesting one, now. You say your name is Animal, then?"

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[lovesrenoir.livejournal.com]

"ANIMAL! ANIMAL"

There is much whipping of the head up and down in a head-banging manner.

Which is Animal's way of nodding 'Yes'.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[ktarian-wildman.livejournal.com]

"I'm Naomi Wildman," Naomi said, "I'm from San Francisco, California and I identify most with being a woman,"

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"It's very nice to meet you, Naomi. I especially like those . . . things on your forehead. Very attractive," Madeline said.

"Kids these days and their piercings," Sylvia muttered.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

"I'm Annette Hargrove and I'm from Kansas City, Kansas, though my family recently moved to Long Island just before I came here, which was...ummm...a while ago." She paused, grinning. "I am a girl. Thanks."

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"Ohhhhhh, Long Island!" Madeline pronounced it "Lawn Guyland". "Now there is a place very dear to my heart. How do you find it, honey?"

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

"I wasn't there for very long, but the time I was there, I liked it." When people weren't being mean to her and placing bets on her virginity.

"You're from there?"

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[cordy-80.livejournal.com]

I'm Cordelia Chase, from Sunnydale, California, and I am not a girl, but also, not yet a woman.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"But are you yet a man?" Sylvia asked. Then she and Madeline launched into giggle fits.

"Oh, darling, we're kidding, we're kidding, you're gorgeous," Madeline was quick to assure Cordelia.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[cordy-80.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, thanks." Cordelia looked at her teachers in bewilderment. This was going to be one strange class.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[imac-kenzie.livejournal.com]

"I'm Mac, from Neptune, California," she started. "And I'd say I identify myself as a woman."

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"Nice to meet you, Mac!" Madeline gave her a look over. "And I see you've got some of your own gender benderings going on already, I approve, what with bein' called 'Mac' which is very much a boy's name, you know, traditionally, and all,"

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[repeterpetrelli.livejournal.com]

"Peter Petrelli," Peter said. "I'm from New York City and I'd say I identify as being a guy."

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"Oh-ho," Madeline crowed.

"Oh-ho," Sylvia agreed.

"New York City," they said, at the same time, nodding sagely.

And they didn't say anything else.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[iftheseshadows.livejournal.com]

"Err, Neil Perry. I'm from New England in the 1950s and I'm a young man."

Who was blushing...a lot!

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

Well, now, wasn't that just about the cutest thing, ever!

"A real old fashioned sort of young man, huh? I tell you, I've met a lot of boys from the 1950s. Mostly in the 1950s, but what can you do. . . . Welcome to the class, Neil Perry."

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[likethegun]

"I'm Sam Winchester, I'm from Lawrence, Kansas, and I'm a guy. Boy. Whatever."

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"Welcome to the class, Sam Winchester!" Madeline crowed. "And we'll get that 'whatever' of yours all figured out, don't you worry, darling!"

". . . There's something to figure out?" Sylvia wondered.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I'm Cedric, uh, Diggory," he said slowly. This and the Jerries class had left him frazzled. "I'm from England and I'm pretty sure I'm a male."

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"Only pretty sure?" Madeline grinned. "Well, we'll get you positive of who you are by the end of our time here."

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[cutestripeyhat.livejournal.com]

"I'm Vi Hewson," Vi said, always a little nervous to have to talk in a class. "I'm originally from San Antonio. And, um, I'm a woman."

She made herself not say girl.

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[getupanddoit]

"And that you are, my dear! That you are. But we're gonna have to do somethin' about that shyness, there, can't be shy, not in this class!"

"Well, you can, but you won't get the most out of it."

"That's right, that's right,"

Re: Introduce yourselves!

[repeterpetrelli.livejournal.com]

Peter gave a smile and a wave to his cabinmate.