You’re right, it is embarrassing. I just think we can all be better than this – and there is no weakness in, and nothing to be lost by being better, and as Tom Cruise said “putting our manners back in”…

I have been trying to work out why it seems more prevalent now than it was 10 years ago. I don’t think Australians are necessarily more sexist or racist than they’ve ever been, however, it now seems to have become socially acceptable to declare it. It is ugly in the street, it is ugly in the home and it is absolutely vile in politics. Of course, this is not *all* Australians, but a seemingly larger group is becoming more vocal about it.

I wonder how much social media has contributed to this brazen vocal minority; moving from behaving this way from the privacy of their screens in like-minded (hateful and hurtful) groups, through to their everyday lives and people they interact with face to face. I don’t like who Australia is becoming, and I hope that this sort of behaviour, on every level, from government through to my backyard wakes up and changes their attitudes because this sort of behaviour is appalling and embarrassing. If we cannot trust our leaders to model appropriate, unbiased behaviour that practices acceptance and inclusion, what hope do we have?

I don’t know why we all get so twisted up when we talk about gender. We go up these garden paths of judgement and all it does it take us farther away from where we should be. I think in 2013 women, (and men for that matter) should be free to choose how they live their lives – career, children, both, whatever, without having to be subjected to the ridiculous comments I’ve seen in the media lately.

I did wonder one thing: how did Senator Bill like giving birth and staying home to clean diapers and poopoo? His comment seems to suggest he’s ‘been there and done that’ all alongside his career to become where he is now…
But perhaps more disturbing is that there are women (somehow I always feel some extra weight if the comment comes from a woman, like I kinda ‘expect’ it from a man, which is sad in itself) who believe you didn’t act out your career-part properly unless you top it off with some kids!? What about women who choose to have kids and stay home, without the need for a career? Are they better than those who walk the other path..? Apparently kids are a woman’s Holy Grail and having a career is only justified if you managed to tick all the other boxes – like a nice hobby you can have on the side after you finished cleaning the kitchen…

What if we turn the tables? Note how some of these ‘great’ leading brands display rape, murder and abuse of women as advertising… Bravo Valentino, Jimmy and Calvin, bravo, you have managed to not want me to buy your products:
http://www.good.is/posts/intermission-what-if-gender-roles-in-advertising-were-reversed?full_site=1