Contributed by Shelby Knox
A recently released book by Dan Kindlon, titled "Alpha Girls: Understanding the New American Girl and How She Is Changing the World" sounds almost empowering—despite the reference in the title to the incredibly overblown Alpha/Mean Girls debate of a couple of years ago.
Yet, a closer look finds the book claiming that obstacles have virtually disappeared for women of the current college age generation, with the apparent reason being that women are acting more like men!
Recently on the Today Show (watch video here), Kindlon claimed that the aims of the women's movement have been achieved, and we are living in a world where gender is no longer a factor. I guess you could say that…if you look only at wealthy, white women being educated at top universities who went to mostly private schools (which are the subjects of his study)…and conveniently ignored the wage gap, the very real glass ceiling, and continued sexual harassment. Yes, put on that veil of ignorance and it's easy to see we live in an oh-so-equal society.
Shelby Knox, 20, is the subject of The Education of Shelby Knox, a documentary that explores abstinence-only sex education, Texas style. She continues to travel the nation to speak out about sex education and women's rights.
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As a wealthy, white women who was educated at a top private university, I can tell you that discrimination, harassment, and sexism are alive and real, even for those of us at the top.
And just from observing classmates' and coworkers' struggles, racism's still kicking up here too.
It's a nice thought but in the interview, the author talks about women in college who *feel* like they're equal and can do whatever they want. Wait until they graduate, get their advanced degree and enter the labor market. The world has to change too. He should write a book about these girls in 15 years but he won't.
Is someone living in a world where reality is no longer a factor?Maaaaaaybeeeeeeee....
I'll bet Dan Kindlon and Tony Snow have great conversations when they get together over a six of Milwaukee's Best.
I participate in Ivy League intercollegiate debate, and last year (my freshman year) three of my friends were date raped or at least date-rape drugged. A woman was running for an executive office in the league, and during the public forum question-answer segment, she was subjected to questions about her sexual history (she had dated one of her opponents and a man running for one of the other positions). Naturally, none of the male candidates were asked questions like these. Geneder equality my ass, it's especially worse at the top, with rich white men thinking that they own the world.
I participate in Ivy League intercollegiate debate, and last year (my freshman year) three of my friends were date raped or at least date-rape drugged. A woman was running for an executive office in the league, and during the public forum question-answer segment, she was subjected to questions about her sexual history (she had dated one of her opponents and a man running for one of the other positions). Naturally, none of the male candidates were asked questions like these. Geneder equality my ass, it's especially worse at the top, with rich white men thinking that they own the world.
Yeah well, we all know the world begins and ends with America ... hell the rest of us don't really count, all 6248573567 of us.
It's so encoded into your language. Everytime some American standard is eclipsed it's hailed as "the - such and such - in THE WOOORLD!".
Don't be "almost empowered", the title oozes obscene with arrogance.
Someone should notify Britain that feminism is dead. Its equal opportunities commission has just found that 30,000 women are fired every year for being pregnant and 200,000 are discriminated against.
Poor Poms! Don't they have anti-discrimination laws??
The guy is so condescending. More women in upper management because they are so altruistic and sweet, they don't take large bonuses. And that's why it's good to have women in upper management? what bullshit. someone stop this guy before people think feminism is dead. it's becoming more prevalent and it'scary.
There's a big difference between having antidiscrimination laws and enforcing them. After all, murder is against the law, too, and there's still quite a lot of it in the US.
True, though usually there are tribunals, boards, ombudsmen and the like in place to safeguard rights and act on one's behalf.
You also have a lot of nut-cases with loaded guns ... legally sanctioned ... ooooh gives me the creeps.
You also have a lot of nut-cases with loaded guns ... legally sanctioned ... ooooh gives me the creeps.
Even scarier, most of them are in uniform, and are the ones who are SUPPOSED to be protecting you.
Wholeheartedly concur!