Trickle-down theory

So I just finished watching a recent episode of "Wife Swap" (it's my weakness, forgive me), and there's a young-ish couple parenting two children who self-admittedly value appearances/looks above everything else. They even have their kids in beauty pagents -- both of them. The youngest is 13 months old & "competing" since she was 3 months old.

Ok, sick enough.

But during the course of the show, the father is questioned "do you want your daughter to just grow up and be someone's accessory?" (like his wife is to him?). His answer shocked me: "I fully expect my daughter will grow up and be someone's accessory."

That should be enough to re-awaken the spirit of women's lib in and of itself. Talk about a wake-up call! What are we doing to our country's daughters?

Growing up in the 60's & 70's, I watched the demise of "Barbie" and "GI-Joe". One small step for wiping out stereotypes... one giant step for humankind.

I watched the "girlie" frills, lace, big hair, big make-up, low-intelligence expectations, role-stamping of housewife (that word should be banned), subjective feminity diminish.

But it's back -- and with a vengeance. When? How?

And it isn't a matter of having it all. ie: you can be ultra feminine and a corporate power-house. Nope. Girls today are programmed to like clothes, dolls, bling, and not appear too smart. Boys must be aggressive, warlike, hyper-active, beer guzzlers who live in camo. Oh yes, I forgot, there's pink camo now.... my, haven't we progressed.

More than ever, it appears we continue to be a society which values, looks, money, prestige, celebrity, winning, and popularity much more than inner beauty, compassion, integrity, fairness, courtesy, humanity and the welfare of our own people and earth.

Is it any wonder we have arrived at this place? Talk about trickle-down theory.
Take a trip to Pakistan where men rule the home.... and women are mutilated and tortured for even suspicion of non-compliance. Look at Afghanistan and the price women pay for just having a female (un-touchable, un-lookable) body. Check out the statistics for female abortion and female baby murder/abdonment in China.

And then ask any woman who has risen to the higher ranks in the current business world what she has witnessed and been subjected to in the still very much alive "old boy network" of executive America.