Tuesday, March 9, 2010

I Probably Need Therapy

Really Life & Style magazine? Really?





Apparently you can’t give a little girl a “boy’s” haircut or let her wear pants without the world having a complete meltdown and possibly exploding. Sure the kid has some tomboy tendencies.  According to the article she only responds to the name "John". Which, of course, means there is something deeply wrong with her upbringing, possibly evil, and definitely worth consulting a panel of stylists and psychological experts over.  *rolls eyes*  It had nothing to do with the fact that she wanted to be John or Peter from Peter Pan.  Holy shit the kid has short hair and watches Disney movies...quick, someone alert the media.  Hmm, my 4 year old niece Kambree when in trouble tells us all that it wasn't her, it was Crazy Helen who was bad.  She also refuses to wear pink, and would prefer blue or camouflage (like her PawPaw).  Maybe we should have her evaluated too.  My 3 year old nephew put on his Wolverine costume as soon as he got home last night and refused to take it off.  This child is obviously unhinged.  When I was 3 I was constantly stripping naked just because I hated being in clothes.  Also, I had short hair as a child because I was a pain in the ass and didn't want anyone brushing it.  And there was that one incident where I cut my own hair.  It's a miracle I'm not a nudist hairdresser today.

But back to Life & Style....I wonder if they really think Brad and Angelina are attemping to turn Shiloh into a boy or if this was just all calculated to cause controversy and boost circulation.  I am not linking to the article, but if you wanna read it in it's entirety I'm sure google can help you out. Some of the things that jumped out at me were that they called her haircut “shockingly short” and that it pushes the boundaries into “cross-dresser territory”.  They even quote an “expert,” though I can't stomach calling him that, from of all places Focus on the Family.  I may have to go take a vomit break in a moment.

Are people's views so limited, their definitions so rigid that they can't see that life is wonderful because of our differences...not in spite of them? Life to me, would be unbearable without variation and possibilities and freedom. If a little girl wants to cut her hair short, run around in cargo pants and avoid ruffles like the plague, why should you even care? What is so threatening or scary or wrong with letting children just be themselves? I  personally don't have any children, but I feel that if more people let their kids express themselves freely....wear what they wanted, pursue what they wanted, be who they wanted, love who they wanted...this crazy world of ours might just be the better for it.

Life really is way too short to sweat the small stuff. And a haircut and clothes, well that’s beyond small, it’s microscopic. Am I completely and totally nuts?  I'm curious as to how the parents out there feel about this.

16 comments:

R.H. Ducky said...

tammie ~ i didn't actually delete the post. i saw a typo and went to edit it...when i did i somehow threw the post into my drafts. i'm a genius like that.
i appreciate your comment. i'm glad i'm not the only one pissed off about the article. i'm also glad that i'm not the only one who caught the anti-gay message. but you're right, i'm sure there are plenty of people who won't pick up on that...which is incredibly sad. as far as i'm concerned life & style can suck it.

your kids are lucky to have you.

Anonymous said...

im so glad you posted this.

i completely agree with you. in case that wasnt already obvious. ha!

my haircut would definitely put me in "cross dresser territory." in fact, i plan on going in and getting a cut soon, which will probably rocket me out of "cross dresser territory" and straight into "FULL BLOWN LESBIAN" land. im so glad i have Life and Style around to tell me who i should have sex with based on the length of my hair. although, i venture to say my HUSBAND is going to be disappointed.

can you tell ive given this issue a lot of thought? :)

and really, did they seriously quote someone from focus on the family? ugh, shiver. ick.

Anonymous said...

just saw your comment....you're the best!

:)

R.H. Ducky said...

i guess i should probably go get a trim too. i mean what self respecting lesbian would have hair longer than a straight chick's? geez. oh, or i could always get a mullet...or maybe i should go all GI Jane and just shave my head...i don't want my lesbian card to get revoked or anything.

as for the focus on the family "expert"...i still think they should focus on their own damn families and leave the rest of us alone.

R.H. Ducky said...

and you're hair is freakin' cute. i think it's completely ridiculous that people stereotype hairstyles with sexuality. i want a pixie cut BAD...but my lovely and talented hairstylist told me i would look like a giraffe with my hair that short. oh the joys of being freakishly tall.

m. said...

this is just silly.

it's pretty sad that magazines don't have anything worth while to talk about.

Anonymous said...

Life and Style---hmmm---I'm totally out of the freaking loop on what people are reading anymore, but this cover and article that ensues are dumb as hell. Let a kid be a kid---one minute a horse riding, gun toting outdoorswoman and the next Belle of Beauty and The Beast---that's our "normal."
xoxo---Cousin It

Margaret (Peggy or Peg too) said...

I LOVED THIS! GO RH!
My Mantra of I hate people - would certainly apply here to everyone involved in this article.

My nephew grew up with all girls. They would play dress up and put on tutu's. He wanted to do the same. One day I went over to my mom's house where Grandma was watching all the kids and everyone of them had on tights and tutu's including Jordan. The girls even gave him a wand. And what is even better is my mom said they went to the park like that - all of them. She said she got looks but he was only 4 for Pete's sake. One woman said that my mother was going to make him gay. And after that narrow minded remark she laughed like she was joking and we all know she wasn't. My mother said nothing unlike what I would have done. C'mon you don't make someone gay! He is a strapping 6'2" young man of 18. He is staight but it wouldn't have mattered if he weren't. He was playing with his cousins and wanted to play dress up with them and not feel left out. He didn't care if it was so called "female" clothes or not. He just thought it was fun. Wearing a tutu, asking to be called John is just what you do as a kid. Kids don't have prejudice's it's all pure. I wish adults could be more like that.

Great post Alisha

R.H. Ducky said...

marg ~ i agree it is silly. i'm sure there are way more pressing matters that the media should be covering.

cousin it ~ how true, your oldest has kinda hit both ends of the spectrum. kudos to you for letting her be herself!

peggy ~ your mom sounds like good people to me. and you're absolutely right, the world would be a better place if we could see it as kids do...without all the prejudice and hate.

thank you all for your comments!

Athena said...

I didn't read the article but I did see this on TV and it pissed me off. Who cares that this adorable little girl wants to be called John and who cares that she wants her hair cut short! I think she is just as cute as ever and none of that matters. My son was called a girl until he turned three years old, he was pretty, plus we dressed him in all colors, pink and purple included. We raise our son to be a good person, who cares about such superficial things. People need to lay off Shiloh, really. Why put this on her, she's just a little girl.

And btw, you may have started a new business idea with someone, a nudist hairdressing salon could be awesome!! :)

R.H. Ducky said...

athena ~ thanks for the comment, i completely agree with you 1000%. hmm, my sister in law owns a salon...maybe i should convince her to start cutting/coloring hair in the nude. i'm sure my brother would be thrilled!

Anonymous said...

Ok...I'm sorry, but one more thing. If there is any reason for "concern" here I think it's that this child's hair color has been altered. Who in the hell puts hair color on a baby??? I mean if it's the sun/photo or something, super, but I'm thinkin' someone changed her hair color. Again, can a person just be who they are---at least till their old enough to ask for the Nice n' Easy?
xoxo
Cousin It

Nishant said...

your kids are lucky to have you.
data entry work from home

I Wonder Wye said...

What a field day the media has with other people's children....Suri in 'heels' -- Celine Deon's kid and Kate Hudson's with their 'too long hair' -- who made them the bastion of sane-ability? Look at the source though, I mean, it's a rag, right?

R.H. Ducky said...

i agree...the whole thing is pretty ridiculous. our infatuation with celebrities gets beyond crazy at times.

Raquel's World said...

Funny...I read the article and shared the same thoughts. I have, biologically, three boys and a girl. Always wanted a girl,, and honestly am concerned since my girl was added in to a house of boys she will one day be a tomboy. I really want a girly girl to change up the dynamic in the house. But although I would be disappointed if my daughter wanted to be "john" or any other boyish character it would be only because I am sooo over the whole boy thing! I would love her and embrace her boyish ways. I'm sure the magazine just wanted to generate some controversy. Especially since the breakup of brangelina they have been predicting for over a year isn't happening.. not yet anyways.