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

Exercise time!

[getupanddoit]

List them gender stereotypes! And decide which, if any, fit you!

Re: Exercise time!

[lovesrenoir.livejournal.com]

"WOO-MAN! WOO-MAN!"

Animal might be confused by the assignment.

Re: Exercise time!

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

Annette pulled out her notebook and wrote down, Stereotypes:

Then she tapped her pen to her paper and looked around.

Then she made a paper airplane and threw it into the air.

Re: Exercise time!

[likethegun]

"I thought girls didn't like paper airplanes," Sam teased lightly. "Or is that a bad stereotype."

Re: Exercise time!

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

"Girls like paper airplanes, Sam. Girls like paper airplanes very much. I think I should add that to my list." She grinned over at him.

Re: Exercise time!

[likethegun]

Sam snickered. "I think I'll add it to my list too. So far, all of my stereotypes are the negative kind."

Re: Exercise time!

[misshargrove.livejournal.com]

"That's almost typical, I think." she looked down at her list, which she hadn't even started yet, then grinned at Sam. "But this is gender sterotyping so maybe I should have a go at it. Number one," she said aloud as she wrote, "Boys are hairy."

Re: Exercise time!

[likethegun]

Sam made a face, but then thought about his dad. "Okay, good point," he said. "Boys are also physically stronger than girls. When the girls don't have superpowers, that is."

Re: Exercise time!

[cordy-80.livejournal.com]

Cordelia wrote "Stereotypes and me" at the top of page. She quickly began to make a list:

1. Blondes are dumb.
2. Brunettes are sexy and intelligent.
3. Rich girls are just out to meet rich boys.
4. Most girls only care about hair, and clothes, and makeup and shopping.

She smiled to herself. She may have the craziest teachers she had ever seen, but at least she knew that she was still one smart cookie.

Re: Exercise time!

[repeterpetrelli.livejournal.com]

Peter nodded at the girl who was new to him. "Hey. Wanna partner?"

Re: Exercise time!

[cordy-80.livejournal.com]

Cordelia smiled at the guy sitting next to her. "Sure. I've already gotten started. Want to add anything?"

Re: Exercise time!

[repeterpetrelli.livejournal.com]

Peter leaned over to look at her list. "How about 'all guys are into sports'?"

Re: Exercise time!

[cordy-80.livejournal.com]

Cordelia brightened and wrote it down in her notebook. "Ooh! That's a good one! Are you telling me that you're not into sports?"

Re: Exercise time!

[repeterpetrelli.livejournal.com]

"Not obsessively," Peter said. "I'll take in a Knicks game from time to time."

Re: Exercise time!

[imac-kenzie.livejournal.com]

Mac looked around for a moment for a partner, sciribbling down 'Women can't park cars' while she was waiting for someone. With a big X by it, because she could park perfectly well, thank you.

Re: Exercise time!

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

Cedric came over and said, "Would you like to partner for this exercise?"

Re: Exercise time!

[imac-kenzie.livejournal.com]

Mac stopped decorating her X and smiled at up at him. "Sure," she repled. "Cedric, right?"

Re: Exercise time!

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"Yes," he said and took a seat. "And Mac?"

Re: Exercise time!

[imac-kenzie.livejournal.com]

"You got it." Mac grinned recapping her pen. "So, is it true all men can't multitask?"

Re: Exercise time!

[chasingsnitches.livejournal.com]

"I think it might depend on the situation," he said. "I've been able to read and write at the same time. That's not too bad, right?"

Re: Exercise time!

[iftheseshadows.livejournal.com]

Neil looked down at his piece of paper and then facepalmed.

If any of his female classmates saw this list, they'd pummel him.

Re: Exercise time!

[cutestripeyhat.livejournal.com]

Vi scooted her desk toward Neil's. Her own piece of paper was still blank.

"Want to work together?" she asked, not sneaking a look at Neil's list. At all.

Re: Exercise time!

[iftheseshadows.livejournal.com]

Neil looked up sharply and somehow he managed to smile in a way that was both friendly and also had a quality of omgeek! to it as well.

He might have also tried to cover his paper with his hands.

"Hi! Uh, sure, Oh! I'm Neil, Neil Perry. Are you new?"

Re: Exercise time!

[cutestripeyhat.livejournal.com]

Now Vi really WAS curious what he had written.

"I'm Vi," she said. "And yep. I guess it still shows. I got in last Friday."

Re: Exercise time!

[iftheseshadows.livejournal.com]

Neil blushed a little and shook his head.

"Not so much shows as, it's a pretty small island and you get to know or at least know of everybody in a couple of months."

The list reflected his 1950s up bringing and said things like,

Women - Housewife, mother, hostess, secretary.
Men- Breadwinner, head of household, civic leaders... etc