I've complained before about the mainstream print media's obsession with what they call Trend Stories (a term no doubt coined at a "how do we get people to keep reading our paper?" conference somewhere). What they say is, a story about a trend is more universal and therefore more relevant. What they mean is, a "trend story" isn't exclusive to a particular readership and therefore is more likely to be syndicated. Money talks.
The trend story trend has produced some particularly craptastic "journalism" in my area and nationwide, for example the MSM's revelation that Hispanic people go to college. (If I had a nickel for every reporter calling me about this story...) And it's directly responsible for this laughable lead from the Wall Street Journal:
"While Hillary Clinton attempts to storm the Oval Office, some of her less renowned sisters are busy liberating one of the few other remaining male strongholds: the hardware store. Strange as it sounds in a country still steeped in Tim Allen reruns, gals are becoming fix-it guys. And at least in some places tools are replacing brass-studded leather totes as the newest female life-style accessory."
It's what my high school journalism teacher called a "rimshot lead," and she gave us F's for it. But I guess the WSJ knows best.
Tortured prose aside, the whole concept of this article is beyond condescending. Hey, women fix shit! But don't worry, patriarchy. It's only because we're "nesting" with our pink tools and all, and rest assured we'll stop as soon as Prince Charming rides his noble steed down the plumbing supplies aisle at Home Depot and whisks us away to a paradise where all we'll have to fret about is our pedicures.
F*ck this. My hammer's just plain wood, and the cases for my socket set, cordless drill and reciprocating saw are black 'cause that's how Craftsman and DeWalt made the damned things. I fix stuff around my house (which I own) because I like it, and because it's cheaper. It's how I was raised, and it has jack to do with my reproductive system. I don't have time to worry about Prince Charming and his tool belt; I'm too concerned with the appreciation of my house's value.
Yes, more single women own homes than ever before. This necessarily means that more women are having to concern themselves with home care than, say, a generation ago. But why does the Journal's coverage have to be so frickin' cutsy? Why can't they note that married women fix shit, too, or that the Girl Scouts have always offered patches for home or auto repair? (The alums of my Girl Scout troop - I know y'all remember the eventful road trip when we had to apply our recently learned tire-changing skills!) And what the f*ck does Hillary Clinton have to do with it??? Sweet Baby Jesus, this shit pisses me off.
It even manages to be condescending to men, too. (Good on ya, WSJ, marginalizing both genders at the same time. That takes some talent, right there.) Yeah, apparently men only fix stuff around the house because they need to impress their wives. Not, you know, because they just like to live in a place where things work as they should. 'Cause men are such Neanderthals and being around women is the only way to civilize them. (Yes...I'm actually getting more pissed off just writing this...)
Two weekends ago, when it was relatively warm and my cold hadn't yet hit, I set out to wrap up the terracing project I started in my front yard last fall. It took longer for Home Depot to cut my lumber (a good half hour convincing the cutting guru that, yes, I did in fact know exactly what kind of wood I needed and in what lengths I needed it cut, plus a ridiculous amount of time for him to actually do it - I had a diagram and everything!) than it did for me to put the three different walls in the ground. I guess having boobs makes me incompetant. Not like the crack woodcutting gurus at Home Depot.
Sure, there are things as a woman that I outright can't do, like pee standing up or impregnating someone. Building, painting, power-tooling, etc., aren't in that category. F*ck you, Wall Street Journal. I'd come up with something more articulate, but unfortunately my kitchen sink needs unclogging.
Feministing posted on this, too. Read the comments - I think my favorite is the guy who bought the tool set marketed to women because it was all-inclusive and cheaper than individual tools.
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