I’m often called a leftard on Facebook by people who don’t realise you can’t use the word tard as an insult.
Apparently, being a leftard is a bad thing. It means, from what I’ve been able to discern from context, I care about the wrong things, such as, and again this is from context, people and the environment.
People who use the term leftard and I pretty much never agree. For one thing, I prefer to play the ball and not the man. I like to make points which relate to my argument instead of demeaning the rightwit (?) I’m defending my stance against. Whether it’s climate change, cleaning up our oceans, Hanson, Trump, Muslims, refugees, vaccinations, or what have you, the term leftard gets fired at me out of both significant orifices.
Meaning I’ve often worried I will find nothing in common with a significant portion of our population.
But this week – finally! – we’re on common ground. And while the topic isn’t what I’d term significant, it is at least a start. I mean, it’s not something I got fired up about when I saw it, I just sort of shook my head a little, half rolled my eyes in the direction of the screen and made a comment to Tracey about the silliness of the whole thing.
“There’s a push in Melbourne to change pedestrian crossing lights so there’s an equal amount of men and women represented,” I told her.
“Why?”
“Equality, I guess. Inclusiveness I think it says.”
Tracey looked over my shoulder at the photos with the article.
“I always thought that person looked like me,” she said, indicating the usual striding green stick figure you see about the place. “A fairly flat chested woman in slacks.”
I do get the push towards less sexual stereotyping in our communities, and I usually agree. Mainly because it matters when it comes to people being able to live their lives the way they want without being square-peg-round-holed into someone else’s preconceived idea of how the world should look. Why shouldn’t women be in construction? Why shouldn’t men be stay at home dads? Why shouldn’t women play contact sports professionally? Why shouldn’t men work in daycare?
We’re not suggesting we force anyone, but if people want to do a thing which is usually done by the opposite sex, FFS let them. Don’t be such a dick about it.
Back in 1980, when I was in grade 8 at Merrimac High on the Gold Coast, I wanted to do home economics. This was, at the time, a big thing because I had this additional appendage between my legs which meant I was suppose to want to make ashtrays. To the school’s credit, they let me. But it took a special meeting with the head master to explain myself.
So while I don’t see myself as having worked the coal front of freedom from sexual stereotyping (I so friggin do!) I do understand the idea of wanting to do what you want to do with your life and not understanding why people would want to stop you based on whether or not you need a bra – incidentally, something I’m eating my way towards.
But I’ll be honest, I don’t care about walk/don’t walk signs. I don’t think it matters. I don’t think it’ll help break down any barriers. In fact, same as any time petty nonsense bogs down a discussion, I think it’ll send the argument in the wrong direction.
Plus, I strongly feel if we’re going to change the little red and green people, let’s do it for the right reasons – to get a giggle. Have stick people reading their phones or dragging an unwilling donkey or something.
Make the new ones women if you like, but please don’t feel obliged to spend time and money and giveashitness changing any existing ones for the sake of a few people stamping their feet at a perceived slight which doesn’t actually help anyone live a better life. The main thing with pedestrian crossing signs is they stick with green and red so we all know what the hell we’re doing when we get to an intersection.
Well, that’s what I’d think if I really cared. Which I reiterate, I don’t. But I do care that I’ve now found something me and the people who call me names on Facebook can agree on.
I just hope that doesn’t make me a total rightwit in the eyes of my fellow leftards.
More reading:
How other countries handle it – News.com
Raising a family on little more than laughs
As usual, because I’m a leftard, I’m happy to listen to reasons I’m wrong. Reasons my argument is wrong, I mean, not poor breeding or people suggesting I was dropped on my head at birth. I’m even happy to change my mind if you’ve strong points.
Completely agree Bruce. Surely we have better things to spend our country’s money on. As you say, make the new ones women but don’t waste money on changing the old ones. Look after our pensioners, or veterans, or widows with young children. Bloody idiots!!!
I think its great for a couple of reasons
a) It is statistically clear that women are underrepresented in all visual mediums – film, media, and yes, little green men. Also in childrens books, where even if the story isn’t stereotyped, its still nearly always through the eyes of a boy. So as a culture, we are consistently promoting boys as the ones to be seen and the voices to be heard, while girls are not seen and not heard. None of these are overtly sexist, but the theme is there. While making the little green men into little green women isn’t a big jump, it does start putting women out there, being visible. No big statements, just hey, women are here too! Hello!
b) It is being funded by a group of businesses that have al put money in to fund it. Not the tax payer. Not a singe cent of government funding. And if they want to do that, why the hell should anyone care what they do with their money? Doesn’t cost me anything, so why is anyone telling them what to do with their money? Untwist your knickers, people!
I always saw it as an older sister taking her younger brother to school but what would I know??
That’s exactly what I see! A big sister and a little brother, walking to school, no parental supervision, how will they cross the road safely, what if a stranger approaches them and offers lollies? Obviously this sign is inappropriate and needs to be changed.
That made me laugh hard.
It’s crazy and so unimportant in the scheme of things. Daycaare centres are struggling and here’s money spent on such a ridiculous thing. If people are so unsure of themselves, surely a stick figure given hair and a dress doesn’t help. I worry about stranger danger for the school crossing sign too.