Sunday, April 20, 2008

One small step for Indy car racing

As you might have figured by now, I'm a little bit of a third-wave-post-feminist which basically means I don't think feminism is dead but I wear lipstick and short skirts. (Is that the fourth wave? I've lost count.)


But I was excited to see this-

Yep, a woman finally won an Indy car race. 

And she's hot to boot.

In other news, I got a little flack for mentioning Ron Paul in the last post- that he was never taken seriously as a candidate. But I think my point was, he's still in Pennsylvania campaigning away. 

Sometimes, candidates stay in the race because, I dunno, they want their ideas to be heard? Also, perhaps Hillary thinks she owes it to history to stay in. I know I feel like in a room of men, I have to speak for my entire gender. Obviously, I like speaking for my gender. And when you've experienced sexism firsthand, you feel it's your duty.

Like the time I foiled a would be rapist by making a cell-phone call. Actually happened. A woman in plain daylight was jogging down a path in Minneapolis, a guy grabbed her and told police later that he was planning to take her under the bridge and have sex with her. (Never mind what she wanted to do that Sunday morning.)

Or less dramatic but no less scary, when I was applying for colleges, I had an interview where the interviewer actually lied to me about what the college offered (because the class I asked about was a main component of my extra-curriculars) and then said I didn't belong at his college. He then proceeded to ask me strangely personal questions (especially since he had made the executive decision I wouldn't be going to his ivy league institution.) He asked me whether my mother worked when I was young (she did) and how did I feel about it. Then he smiled and said he was doing a private survey.

This was at Columbia University, an institution that only started accepting women in 1983. I was applying in 1988.

I applied to Barnard College, got in early decision.  That way, I could go to a women's college where I wouldn't have to deal with that crap and still get a Columbia education. How do you like them apples?

My only regret is that I never reported that asshole. 




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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I say embrace the wave, no matter what number you assign it! I had a similar experience at Columbia, BION, and I'm just happy to hear someone call them on it, even if it is after the fact.