Saturday 14 May 2011

Chauvanism is still alive and well

down under anyway.


Yesterday I mentioned to a male neighbour that I was applying to do some work at a nearby University.

He looked at me somewhat surprised and said, "What kind of work would you be doing there?

Before I could answer he said, "Flower arranging or something like that?"

I laughed at him - thinking he must be joking.

Alas, he wasn't.

I am off to hang my MBA on the front door and go arrange some flowers. Clearly my skills in this area are far more professional then I gave myself credit for and sure to get me noticed in all the wrong places.

A Flower Arranger.
Bloody idiot!



Tell me do you ever still experience attitudes like this? Personally I think its worse the older you get. Apparently once you are middleaged you also lose your brain and are limited as to what jobs you can do.

Photo: Flowers in Hong Kong and no, I had nothing to do with their arranging....just took the photo....really.

20 comments:

  1. Unfortunately, I'm not as beautiful as you are, so they don't automatically assume I'd be doing feminine type things. Fortunately... sort of... since I'm older than you, I'm retired and don't have to worry about finding that perfect job.

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  2. Oh no... I couldn't comment on your East Meets West post. How fabulous that you got to take that trip with your daughter. That looks like an amazing place. I've never been there. I shall have to add it to our bucket list.

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  3. @ Kay - no, no you gorgeous thing, I think he thought thats all women would be capable of doing somehow, or at least this woman, lol. Plus in some peoples eyes, blonde equals dumb perhaps.

    Yes, I won the trip to Hong Kong a while back thanks to Virgin and we went over at Easter. It was amazing and I will be going back again. We had the best fun and strangely did not shop that much which is what Hong Kong is known for. We do too much of that here. Very surprising place! I posted it yesterday but with blogger going down the post got lost for some reason with all the comments so I just had to close them.

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  4. very maddening attitude Lilly, and it's alive and well. Just some of them keep it inside and just think it!
    Hopefully things are changing slowly..hopefully. Or do sons learn from their father's attitudes?

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  5. I hope you gave that guy a piece of your mind! Attitudes like that infuriate me! Unfortunately we get that here a lot. Especially where I work, a woman is not allowed to be the boss, some "guy" is always over her (in positions) and she never has the freedom to act as she sees fit. It´s something I live with daily, and I can just hope that the next generation will be more for equality of the sexes.

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  6. even if he was trying to be funny - that one was not funny. Full disclosure - I enjoy a dumb blonde joke at times. The funny part is just the dumb things people do. Dumb actions are NOT linked to hair color, gender, or birth place. (BTW the dumbest blonde I can think of right now is Donald Trump). I see the attitude toward women changing in most of the world. In many ways I feel women are superior to men. The changing attitude is a generational thing.
    Have you ever thought a dumb blonde joke was funny?
    This comment maybe an example of a dumb action on my part.

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  7. Oh Lilly .... I left my part time marketing job in late 2007 after my mom passed away. I really regret that ~ my city is small and though I have tons of experience I am 'over the hill' and out of the competitive arena. I am going to have to relax and enjoy retirement, ugh!

    You go get 'em.

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  8. Oh yes... I've experienced that nasty attitude far too many time after I stopped working a few years ago. Apparently earning the right to "retire" (literally-- earning the right financially to be able to retire) translates to an immediate loss of purpose and brain power.

    If I'm never going to see the offending person again I usually give them "attitude" right back, but if it was a neighbor, hmm, I guess I'd have to be a little more diplomatic about kicking him to the curb. Sheesh.

    Hang in there and good luck with the University.

    xoxo jj

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  9. @ Christine - you know what? I think sons learn from their mother's actions too actually. I still know plenty of mothers my age who do everything for their sons and unfortunately dont do the rest of us or their future partners any favours.

    @ Betty - oh thats sounds not good at all Betty. A woman can never be boss? mmmm - actually I keot my mouth shut, the older I am getting the more I learn that sometimes its better saying nothing. I pick my battles and this guy is nice enough anyway just has strange attitudes about females.

    @ Lilseman - thanks for leaving a comment - you are the lone male here, lol!! So funny about Donald Trump. I love jokes dumb blonde ones included. Shame this guy wasnt having a joke though - he was dead serious. Ah well we all have our issues.Kind of sad though for the females in his life though.

    @ Helen - yes it is a shame but you did the right thing at the time I bet given your situation. Not sure about there but our government encourages people to keep working until their 70s at least. I have a bit of a way to go...

    @ Joanna - yes I bet you understand. It is pure jealousy on others part to put you down for what you have achieved. Hopefully one day people change but not keeping my fingers crossed!

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  10. Wow--that's amazing. As it would generally take too long to explain how faulty his reasoning is to him, and any well-deserved insults would probably be lost on him, it would be best to walk away.

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  11. Oh my, how old is this guy? I was at a family party the other night and my gret uncle who must be 70 or so, grabbed my hand and said, "Arh, no ring, so I see you are now on the shelf". I did not know what to say so didn't say a thing. Mid twenties and now am on the shelf, ha ha. I am hoping all of this is a generational thing, but unfortunately ignorant people exist in all age groups. You just have to shake your head and smile. Because it is quite funny really.

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  12. Lilly, I also hope you gave this neighbor a piece of your mind.

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  13. We-ell... Yes, the jerk obviously has no idea of who you are or what you can do. But, there's not actually anything in there (if that's the full story) that says he thinks of you as "a lightwieght" because of your gender, is there?

    He's just a prat who apparently thinks he's superior to EVERYONE and he has as much right to be stupid and pathetically wrong as anyone else ;)

    Good post.

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  14. Hello George! Yes it could be true except, why would he think I would be a flower arranger? I suggest he said it because I am female as opposed to him just being an idiot. I will guarantee he would not have said that to a male. I do not know him that well but perhaps one day I will ask how he came up with that possible career at a University is also telling. Doesnt matter what his point was I have no time for idiots in my life. Nice to see you here - you must be blogging again so I will be over to check your blog out soon!

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  15. Hubby and I went canoeing last week and were talked too as if we were children, even to the point of being told where we could stop and phone them to get us out of the river if it all became to much. We were the first back, with half an hour to spare. Just because we are grey and round people think we can't do anything.

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  16. I keep finding myself scrolling back up to the post and then back down to the post a comment box and then back up again, and i just don't know what to say. I'm literally lost for words, but i will agree with Kay's comment you are Very beautiful. :d

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  17. Chauvinism and ageism and other isms are alive and well. I fight not to stay in the boxes that others project upon me and not to let such comments infect me and lay the eggs of self-doubt or self-pity in me. I still have to learn a living and still have much to contribute. Sometimes when things have been going swimmingly, a small ugly thing like your encounter with your neighbor will happen and I'm reminded not to get too comfortable in Candelaria land where I am the queen.
    Thanks, as always, for your insight.

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  18. @ Gran, Nah it wasn't worth giving him a piece of my mind. I just smiled and moved on, lol.

    @ Lom - love it! "Just because we are grey and round people think we can't do anything." Well you proved them wrong. Tawanda!!!!

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  19. Very true regards the flower arranging - of course, that in itself is a skill and an artform for which such a dipstick is unlikely to possess any talent.

    Nice to see YOU back - and seemingly your old self too... G ;)

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  20. @ AF1 blog - thanks and yep, just about my old self again!!!

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Thanks for your comments.