Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Bass Ackwards Day

Am I the only one who believes that tomorrow's non-holiday has been bastardized beyond sense? It's Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work day. I don't have any daughters, but I'm annoyed on behalf of daughters everywhere at the fact that sons got plugged into a day originally devoted solely to them. As I understand it, they created TYDTW day in order to show girls that there were plenty of interesting careers they could choose. The day had a feminist impulse to undo an imbalance and shine a light on young female ambition.

Somewhere along the line, TYDTW day came to be seen as unfair, and they added the sons. While I suppose boys need exposure to career options as well, this expansion just undoes the balance repair impulse at the heart of the original idea. People have started to worry of late that boys suffer a disadvantage at school these days. I don't know exactly what to think, but I wish they would have left TYDTW day as it originated and sneak in some career exposure for boys some other way.

1 comment:

Paige said...

I'm torn over this one. I am taking Charlie to a TYDASTWD event at the courthouse tomorrow. I think he will enjoy it and that he might learn a lot -- plus I'm looking forward to a little one on one time with him. Do I wish the day had been left as TYDTWD? A little bit, yes. But not enough to stand on principle and leave Charlie behind.