What is a Woman?

It seems so silly that this is a huge debate. Once again it is a polarized topic. A bunch of siths believing, "If you aren't with me, you're against me." I don't believe it is so black and white. Let me explain. 

First of all, there is nothing wrong with finding some common ground. That is how we come to an agreement. That is how we can learn from and understand each other. 

One side says, a woman is anyone with XX chromosomes. 

The other side says, a woman is anyone who says they are a woman. It is a social construct.

Yes! 100% a woman is a human being with XX chromosomes. Perhaps we should use the word female, to be more specific.

Here is where the controversy lies, which no one really seems to want to talk about.

Gender roles are what is really what the real controversy is all about.

The social construct is what our society has decided what is appropriate for women and what is appropriate for men. Before I go into that, let's talk about biology a bit. Just the simple basic biology everyone SHOULD have learned by high school.

Females can give birth.

Males are naturally stronger than women, they have a larger lung capacity.

In the mouth of babes, "Boys have a penis, girls have a vagina." (Thank you Kindergarten Cop).

Most everything else has nothing to do with that. 

Whether or not you like to wear dresses, make up, or high heels does not determine whether or not you are a woman. Whether or not you prefer your nails or hair long or short, doesn't determine your gender. 

So you have one side that has a very clear definition of a female (woman) because it is absolutely based on true biology. Then you have the other side that looks at the complexity of a woman's role and can't really define what a woman is because women are all unique and different and have their own passions. You can't say a woman wears dresses because some women don't like wearing dresses. You can't say they are mothers because some can't have children. 

Here's an example of what I am talking about. 

What is dinner?

Clear answer: A meal you have at the end of the day.

Subjective answer: Pizza

But here is the problem. Pizza can also be lunch, or even breakfast. So, not all pizzas are dinners. Likewise, not all dinners are pizza. However, if I were to tell you we were going to have pizza for dinner, that would be a correct answer because dinner is the meal you have at the end of the day and pizza will be our last meal of the day. We have people on one side clearly defining what dinner is and other people trying to describe all the different types of diners you can have and it is impossible to define all of them into a clear distinct answer. Try describing, pizza, pasta, chicken, hamburgers, and the hundreds of other possible things you could have for dinner into one statement. It is challenging and therefore they are stumped. So they say something like, "Dinner is what you have for dinner." 

Here's another example. 

If I were to ask you, what type of meal pancakes are, most people would say it is breakfast. However, some people have pancakes for dinner. That doesn't change the fact that pancakes are a breakfast food. It just means that sometimes we like to have breakfast food for dinner. And the fact that pancakes is a breakfast food is a social thing. There is not hard science as to why cereal is for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and pasta for dinner. It is how our society has evolved. 

So just because a person likes to wear a dress or makeup, that does not automatically make that person a woman. No more than eating pancakes for dinner makes pancakes dinner food.

It's gender roles, stereotypes, and opinions that we are really debating. That makes it difficult because there is no real answer to what all women like, enjoy, and do. Just like there is no way to describe all the different dinner possibilities into one statement. I hope I was able to explain that clearly. 

The real problem is what society is doing to the role of a man. That is a topic for another post.

A little kindness never hurt anyone.

So I was talking to my preteen about her friend's YouTube short video about how we need people to not be homophobic and the comments got very controversial. Then her friend asked why it is a bad thing to want to support homosexuals.

So here's the thing. Technically homophobic means you are AFRAID of homosexuality. Just because someone doesn't believe that homosexuality is morally wrong, that doesn't mean that person is AFRAID of homosexuals. 

Look at it this way:

If you choose not to drink alcohol (for whatever reason) that doesn't mean you are AFRAID of people who do. It also doesn't mean you can't be friends with people who do.

If you choose not to smoke cigarettes (for whatever reason) that doesn't mean you are AFRAID of people who do. It doesn't mean you can't be friends with people who do.

If you don't believe in God (for whatever reason) that doesn't mean you are AFRAID of people who do. It doesn't mean you can't be friends with people who do.

Society has turned the word homophobic into describing people who believe that homosexuality is morally wrong. They have lumped them into the category of people who have an unnational fear of homosexuality and with people who discriminate against people who are homosexual. That is simply not fair. 

It is okay to like or love a person who does not have the same moral standards as you do. We have turned into a polarized society. We have turned into a society of siths where the motto is, "If you aren't with me, you're against me." It is possible to be friends with someone who has different beliefs or lifestyle than you do. In fact it makes the world a better place when you can talk to someone about their experiences in life. It helps you gain a different perspective of life and a better understanding of the world and people around you. 

We need to stop being so close minded. We need to be open to hear the ideas and views of others. We need to stop being so offended. We need to listen to each other. We need to agree to disagree. Sometimes we can't convince another person to see things the way we see them but maybe we can help them understand why we see things the way we do. A little kindness never hurt anyone.

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Snow White

So a while ago I wrote a post about The Little Mermaid but I never finished writing it and so it is in my drafts. Eventually, I will finish it.

Today I want to write about Snow White. I am a huge Disney fan, or at least I was a huge Disney fan. They're live action remakes and their lack of being able to produce new wholesome content is turning me off from them. 

When Walt Disney was alive he had high values and held his employees to those same high standards. The Walt Disney Company today is disrespecting Walt Disney's legacy.

So I, like so many others, am extremely disappointed with the negative comments made toward the 1937 Disney Classic, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. There are so many times I just want to say, "The Prince was not a stalker" and "The seven dwarves did not live in a cave."

Many people have already spoken about this topic. I don't need to repeat what has already been said. 

What I want to talk about is the Daily Wire's version of Snow White that they are making. "Snow White and the Evil Queen." One of the things they have claimed is that they are sticking to the original content from the Brothers Grim. This made me realize I had never read the original. But in reality, I think I did, decades ago. But it was worth reading again because I couldn't remember the exact story.

I found the story online and read it. To be honest, I laughed when I read the story. First of all, I thought the original Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarves did a very good job adapting the original story making the necessary changes and keeping true to the story. Due to the fact the movie was intended to be a family movie, I am so glad that Disney omitted the part where the queen eats what she thinks is the lungs and liver of Snow White.

When the Daily Wire says they are keeping true to the original text, I'm not sure I really believe that. Will they include the part where the queen eats what she thinks is Snow White's lungs and liver? They say they are including, "true love" in their movie but the "love story" is a love at first sight and marrying right away type of movie. Given the fact it was written in the early 1800s most people didn't really marry for love - it was more for status and political alliances and such. Don't get me wrong, people did marry for love, but for many, many years that was the exception, not the rule (i.e. Fiddler on the Roof) - especially for the ruling class - and men of high ranking usually married whom ever they liked and solely based on their wealth, they were rarely turned down - the women wanted to be well provided for (i.e. Pride and Prejudice).

If a movie was made today following the text exactly, it wouldn't be a classic. The prince doesn't awaken Snow White with loves true kiss. Nope, the poisoned piece of apple gets dislodged in her throat and she was revived. 

Now we all know the quote about how the "original" was written in 1937 and that the prince was a "stalker." Well, the original was in 1812/1819 and that prince is more of a stalker than the 1937 Disney version, especially the 1812 version - the 1819 version was toned down a bit... a bit.

Anyway, I am all about the prince saving the princess and love's first kiss and living happily ever after. No, that it is not real life. It is pure fantasy. But isn't that why we go to the movies? To leave the real world for a bit and experience a bit of fantasy? 

That's what I want. . . Where's my Mr. Darcy? I'll even settle for a Colonel Brandon. Most women want to be swept off their feet. (okay not those so called "feminists" but those who embrace their femininity do - you can read my article about femininity for more info about that.)

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