You guys!

I have overheard several debates recently about the expression 'you guys' and whether or not it is an exclusionary expression that overlooks women and elevates men.

You guys is something I say often, likely many times a day.  As in:

• Come on you guys!  We're late!
• Can you guys give me your opinion on whether this report is too wordy?
• Please take care of this task you guys.  I'm busy.
• Have a good weekend you guys!

Granted, I work with mostly guys so saying this is completely fitting a lot of the times.   But I'm pretty sure that I use you guys in reference to groups of mixed genders as well as groups of just women.  To me, it is the equivalent of saying you all or you people or I guess just you (plural).  I'm not from the south or the midwest so I don't say you all.  I probably do say you people, but it is a little less natural and can sound a little more pointed and authoritarian then the more casual you guys.

But recently, I've overheard several other women discussing how hearing and saying you guys offends their feminist sensibilities and strikes them as exclusive and lacking in acknowledgement of women.  They encouraged each other to find alternative ways of saying the same thing in a gender inclusive way and make a conscious effort to rid themselves of the you guys habit.

I would argue that rather than it being the exclusionary expression it may once have been, that the  evolution of language has resulted in you guys becoming a colloquialism striped of gender.  Just as certain groups attempt to co-opt words like feminist or gay or emotional or even curvy in order to change its meaning and render it anti-feminist or otherwise negative, an evolving, more progressive society has co-opted the expression you guys and claimed it as gender non-specific.  Is this not a feminist achievement?

Barefaced

I love cool makeup. 

Neon eyeliner, red lips, purple lips... whatever you want, I think its cool. I even try it myself with varying degrees of success. However, what I think attracts me the most to this world of cosmetics and makeup is the sense of artistry, design, and fashion. I like the interplay of bright or dark colors against bright or dark skin. I like the way cosmetics can inspire mood, fantasy, and feeling. I put all my cosmetic pins on Pinterest under the heading "Fashion/Art." These are not looks I will be wearing to class any time soon.

Everyday/constant makeup is another story.  I think ever since I was 13 years old, I have worn some form of makeup every day.  My mom has always emphasized the more attractive you are, the more helpful other people will be to you.  This Business Insider article reflects the same sentiment:

#8 Beautiful people are perceived as more likeable and trustworthy. 

Beautiful people are typically treated better by others. In a study from Harvard University, researchers found that wearing makeup, shown to enhance a woman's attractiveness, boosted people's perceptions of that subject's competence, likability, attractiveness, and trustworthiness.

People will ask you if you are sick or very tired if you do not at least wear mascara.  Maybe it is a sad and twisted system, but why not play it for what its worth?

Economic and Global Impact of the Cosmetic Industry

The cosmetics industry in the United States generates about $59 billion in revenue every year (and estimated to be growing).  That is 59 billion dollars worth of nail polish, anti-aging cream, concealer, skincare products etc.  L'Oreal is the current winner, valued at 10 billion dollars.  In recent years, the safety and origin of production of cosmetics has come up in conversation. According to the FDA,

Companies and individuals who manufacture or market cosmetics have a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their products. Neither the law nor FDA regulations require specific tests to demonstrate the safety of individual products or ingredients. The law also does not require cosmetic companies to share their safety information with FDA.

Made in a Free World, which allows you to calculate your Slavery Footprint, tells you that child laborers are used to mine mica for the shimmer and sparkle we expect in our cosmetics.   [Note: Some companies have subsequently discontinued the use of mica.]  Additionally, these cosmetics are added to our piles of wastes, eventually  making their way back into our environments.  I have not done exhaustive research into the economic and environmental impact of cosmetics and corresponding industry, but if you would like to know more... I would be happy to do some more reading.

Does ignoring trolls actually stop trolling? What realities does this create for women online?

I (haphazardly) follow the work of outspoken and feminist writer Lindy West.  West recently published a thought-provoking piece about ‘trolling’ and its effect on her.  West sums up her experience thusly:

“I’m a writer and a woman and a feminist, and I write about big, fat, bitchy things that make people uncomfortable. And because I choose to do that as a career, I’m told, a constant barrage of abuse is just part of my job. Shrug. Nothing we can do. I’m asking for it, apparently.”

The focus of the article is West’s decision to ignore the standard advice of ‘don’t feed the trolls’ and speak out about the pain caused to her by a particularly cruel act of trolling.  But beyond this, West uses the article as an opportunity to question the general acceptance that trolling is a fact of life and that the best way to deal with it is to ignore it.

Lactation Room

I was filling my water bottle before class at my Mid-Atlantic Public University, when I suddenly became aware of this:

A Lactation Room!

Here is how my reaction unfolded:

1. A lactation room?! Do we really need this? What's next, a meditation space?? Oh wait, this building already has one of those. . . 
2. Of course we need this!  Mothers shouldn't be hiding in bathrooms or other semi-public spaces to pump their breast milk!
3. I didn't know this was here.  How long has this been here?  Does anyone else know this is here??  If I was a lactating mother would I even think to ask if the building had one of these?  Who would I ask?
4. That sign seems really hostile . . . was it preemptive or did someone have a really bad experience?
5. Yay! Feminist progress points for lactation rooms!  But, errrrr, no one knows about it and we're already yelling at people. Not sure how to feel!!!!
6. I should write a blog post about this!  But will people think I'm weird for taking a photo of this door?  I'll come back later . . .

I was going to leave things there, but then I felt guilty.  Who arranged for the lactation room?  Was it an epic struggle?  What feminist heroine should I be contacting to say thank you?

Birth Control Baggage

I've been naive about birth control.

Not naive in the sense that I believe I won't get pregnant under a full moon, but in the sense that I'm an engineer raised by a biology professor.  The safe sex talk with a bio professor is remarkably straight forward: chemical X starts activity Y in cells Z.  To stay safe, use physical or chemical means to disrupt the process.  Engineering logic says pick the means that best fits your body, your preferences, and your budget.  Simple, end of story.

Of course,  the real world isn't that simple.  Technology isn't just the object or process at hand.  It comes with expectations and meanings that vary from person to person and culture to culture.  A light bulb isn't just a light bulb.  It's the child in a developing country who can do his/her homework.  It's the woman who don't die tipping a candle onto her nightdress doing sewing at night.  It's the wonder of Times Square and safety walking to your car at night.  The same goes for birth control.

I realized this after reading about a new rhythm method thermometer whose algorithm estimates fertility periods based on daily temperature readings.  My inner engineer thought this was a positive addition to the various means of managing the X-Y-Z process.  It fits my body, my preferences (Health Data Tracking! No Hormones!), but sadly not my budget ($375!!!!).  It won't work for everyone but its another option.

Then I read the comments section.  If there was ever a class of technologies that comes with social baggage it's birth control.  That's not even counting the baggage that comes with sex, abortion, or sexuality generally.

The article I read positioned the product as an alternative to the pill.  This didn't bother me since hormone-based contraceptives don't quite fit my personal preferences.  However, I forgot how the pill has transcended it's stated function to become a strong symbol of women's liberation.  Challenging the pill is like challenging women's freedom in some circles.  Needless to say, there were many strong opinions in that regard.

I also forgot the similarities between the rhythm method employed by the thermometer algorithm and the Catholic church-sponsored natural family planing method.  Anything that smells remotely like the Catholic church invading the bedroom provokes many more strong opinions . . .

We could have endless discussions about this phenomenon.  Why is there so much baggage surrounding women's contraception, but not men's contraception?  Why do various birth control methods have such strong proponents and/or detractors?  How do we transcend the baggage and get to a point where contraceptives are a commodity just like any other?

I cannot begin to answer those questions, but from now on I'll remember that birth control is more than just a technical solution.  It's very much a socially constructed phenomenon.