gender roles
A look at the evolution of gender roles, from Leave It to Beaver, paternity leave, female breadwinners and more.
Applying Piaget to Women Reinventing themselves
Have you ever heard of your favorite star (actress, singer, or something else) talk about how they got to a point in their lives where they had to "reinvent themselves"? I read articles (starstruck long ago) about some of my idols mentioning that phase or stage of their lives. I think it's very Piaget in thought or psychological consideration. Stages. Certain time periods of our lives. The childhood is different from the teenage years. The young adult life is different from the new mom and dad years. The empty nest or divorce years are different from the married grandma and grandpa years... Etcetera. For me personally, the past eight years have been challenging me in the harshest aspects of aging to "reinvent myself" --- and let me tell you --- for a stubborn 50-something woman like me who finds change uncomfortable, this "stage" or "phase" of my life and aging process has been utter drudgery.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman3 months ago in Viva
Finding your groove in the 50s
How come we don't have a show on television called 50-somethings? There are plenty of shows with the kiddies as stars, or the teens as stars, or the 20 and 30-somethings as stars. They even have movies and shows for the silver haired folks in their 60s and up club. What about the 50-somethings? Where's our movie or show? When I was younger I had all kinds of guidance. The Breakfast Club helped me through high school. Sex in the City helped me through my 20s. Comic books and movies helped me through the 30s and 40s. Now what? Whose representing the 50-somethings journey and pathways? I feel like I have no guidance. In a way, I like that. I'm too old to be listening to a drill sergeant or condescended to as if I haven't been around the block. Yet, there's still a piece of me that is uneasy and insecure about navigating on this new territory commonly called "over the hill" or "after the change". Big changes, big accomplishments, yet not much art or literature for guidance or reference as if the 50-somethings are in unfamiliar living situations. I trust my own instincts and judgements most of the time, but I do feel a discomfort of not having more movies and books to use as a reference for this phase/chapter of my aging experience.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman3 months ago in Viva
Penis Envy changed in the 70s
Did you think that Frued was a lunatic or just a sexist male chauvenist pig? Did you ever consider that as a woman you might have "penis envy" and that if you had been born with a penis all of the horrors of being a woman might never have occurred? I did. I thought maybe if I just had a penis I wouldn't be subjected to objectification, being considered property, or the disrespect that comes from those who still want to punish Eve's daughters just for having a vagina. Not only was I proud that I bore a son instead of an evil girl, I finally had my own personal penis. Or so I thought. But really it's not about the penis at all. Nope. It's not about the vagina either. This whole sexist thing is just a sado-masochistic game that both sexes have been playing since before 1908 when Freud published his "Penis Envy" theory.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman3 months ago in Viva
Grumpy Old Lady Angry at the Economy
I'm frustrated as hell today. Grumpy and snarky. I didn't have to fight the cat to get to the coffee machine, but I couldn't find a pair of pants quick enough, and when I organized the coffee station yesterday I forgot where the filters were. By the time I sat down with my coffee I was already grumpy. The other day my ex-husband/current roommate stood at the coffee station (that cost $400 and I'm making monthly payments on) as if he owned it (because he's a bully who is three times bigger than me and he knows niether of us want to go to jail) and forced me to ask him if I could get myself a cup of coffee (because he was in my f'n way) so I did while I shot him daggers from my eyes and poured the hot coffee into my cup when I really wanted to smash the glass pot against his skull. Whoever said I'm not a good actress, lied. He gets his jollies off by demeaning me with that passive-aggressive behavior. Does it in regards to the toilet also which is why I sometimes have to leak or poo in my own personal bucket toilet.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman3 months ago in Viva
Old lady grumbling about work
Happy October! May the leaves change colors in glorious autumn fashion and may you enjoy a tasty pumpkin spiced latte or donut this morning. I am here at my desk with a Maxwell House coffee brewed out of the cheapest coffee maker on the Walmart shelf. I like it. One button and will brew the cheapest coffee on the shelf. Good. I'm broke and I'm cheap just like my coffee maker.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman3 months ago in Viva
Body Image in Aging
As I mentioned in my previous article, my focus is on the topic of aging especially regarding women so I'm thinking about old ladies which is what I consider myself since I am "over the hill" (over 50 years of age). Though wise men will say that we ought not compare ourselves to others as it is a source of emotional havoc, I notice that sitting in front of a television or computer screen in a female aging body is a source of loneliness and restlessness. Though I may be wise like those men or other notable wise women in the famous stories, I see daily that comparisons are often made (intentionally or not) almost as if it is impossible to get through the day without doing so. Scroll on Facebook because you're bored and see a joke about sagging breasts. Lots of laughs but would it be funny without comparison? If we didn't have plastic boobs or 15 year old boobs to look at, would the saggy drooping old lady boobs be funny? I'll try not to compare us to animals, but when I get in a serious mood I tend to compare human behavior to the animals and the animals seem to be more civilized. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Maybe that was as cruel as laughing at your grandmother's breasts. Did you laugh at the porn stars breasts the same way? Oh right, it isn't wise to compare. What? The laughs or the breasts?
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman4 months ago in Viva
A Struggling Feminist
Thoughts are spiraling in my head- they are going through my spines, nerves and throughout my body. I am struggling to fit in with my current situation alongside with my own principles and beliefs. The principles and personality I built up- ummm- for around thirty-six years of my life! Well I was born and brought up in Global South. Global South- the polished term being used instead of third world country.
By A Lost Feminist 4 months ago in Viva
5 Things You Should Know About Dating a Sex Worker
Dating is complicated enough as it is. Add sex work into the mix, and it comes with an extra set of challenges, assumptions, and misunderstandings. While people are becoming more open-minded about sex work, there’s still a lot of stigma—and dating a sex worker isn’t for everyone.
By No One’s Daughter5 months ago in Viva
Why I Just Joined the “We Do Not Care Club”
This morning, I discovered the “We Do not Care Club,” inadvertently started by Just Being Melani. It’s sort of an unofficial club for women who have entered the perimenopausal era of their lives. You know, the beginning of the time in life when “women of a certain age” discover how tired they are, and how tired of being tired they are.
By Suzy Jacobson Cherry5 months ago in Viva
Whispers of Freedom: The Brave Women Guiding Tours in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, life has been very hard for women since the Taliban took control again in 2021. Many girls are not allowed to go to school, and women are told to stay at home. They are not allowed to work or even walk outside without a man from their family.
By Inzamam Ul Haq5 months ago in Viva
