FIRSTLY: Did anyone else see that commercial during the Superbowl advertising the search for the sexiest people in America (or somesuch)? They begin it by saying things like "He has an IQ of 180" ... "She's a world famous musician" ... "He's won four gold medals" ... and then say "So What? Is he hot? Is she hot?"

I didn't see it, but it sounds like a horrible show. No, that is not the values that I think young people should learn.

SECONDLY: Observing commercials lately, and reading something somewhere (I forget exactly what and/or where), it seems apparent to me that the pendulum of gender discrimination in the media has swung to the other side. Once upon a time we belittled females in several commercials. This was wrong, undoubtedly. Yet in today's "enlightened" society, we still need to make fun of someone to sell something. We can't make fun of women anymore (rightfully so), but ... we can, it seems, make fun of men. Look at some commercials the next time you watch TV. A fair number of them portray the male as the dumb one. If it were women being portrayed this way in many commercials, you can bet there would be a fuss thrown ... so why is the opposite any better?

Okay, so I don't pay alot of attention to commercials, but I haven't noticed what you're talking about. The only ones I can think of are men being more absent-minded than stupid. But if you've seen them, I believe they're there. (I'm always the last one to see the commercials everyone talks about!)

Anyway, even when its making fun of women, if they're funny - I laugh. Sometimes its just a joke, not a statement about sexism in either direction. I just don't like it when it implies that you can't do something because of your gender.

However, when we look at bands where a female is the lead singer, the opposite seems true. Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, Jewel, Shania Twain, again the list goes on. There are once again exceptions (No Doubt, Dixie Chicks, Destiny's Child, for example), but ... does anyone else see the pattern here? Are men more willing to remain anonymous and give credit to everyone in the band, while women are not? Do women change band members all the time and thus not name the band as a whole? Are women just glory-hogs? This is not to criticize anyone ... I just find the difference interesting.

Umm...most of the ones you mention are singers, not band members. But my theory is that if it's a woman, she has member of both sexes idolizing her. The men lusting after her and the women wanting to be her. You just don't hear that many men going around saying "That [insert male band member's name here] is so hot! I wish I looked like him!"

So ... what do you think of this? Personally, I think the woman got what she deserves, and has no reason to complain about it. If a man did the same thing, the same would be done to him, made naked in view of the other prisoners (both male AND female, remember). Would he have sued? I don't know; but it's likely that this situation has happened before, since there is a procedure for it, and I've never heard of any legal action resulting from it (at least not any successful legal action; the procedures are still in place, right?). Should women be treated differently than men in such situations? Wouldn't this be discrimination, the very thing feminists fought against for so long? Do women only want to be equal in things that are to their benefit, but not equal in anything else?

Well, if that's their normal procedure, then they did correctly. However, was she in a cell alone? If not, she could argue that they put her in danger of being harassed or molested by her fellow cellmates. (And yes, a man could do the same.) There can't be someone watching the camera every second, can there?

My opinion on equal treatment is a little harder to put into words and is likely to get me in trouble with certain people here. See, men and women are not the same, and it's more than just a little extra meat. Therefore, they can't be treated exactly the same. But there should be equitable treatment.

Let me try to clarify a little. I'm a woman who is just as capable, intelligent, and strong (although in different areas) as any man. But I don't want to be treated like a man. I want to be treated fairly.


Lady Mystery
Proud mother of Peanut!

Well-behaved children are overrated.

"That's not rude. That's anti-social. It's a disorder." Jason