We need to stop buying into the myth about gender equality. It isn’t a reality yet. Today, women make up half of the U.S. workforce, but the average working woman earns only 77 percent of what the average working man makes. But unless women and men both say this is unacceptable, things will not change. Men have to demand that their wives, daughters, mothers, and sisters earn more—commensurate with their qualifications and not their gender. Equality will be achieved when men and women are granted equal pay and equal respect.
Humanity requires both men and women, and we are equally important and need one another. So why are we viewed as less than equal? These old attitudes are drilled into us from the very beginning. We have to teach our boys the rules of equality and respect, so that as they grow up, gender equality becomes a natural way of life. And we have to teach our girls that they can reach as high as humanly possible.
We have a lot of work to do, but we can get there if we work together. Women are more than 50 percent of the population and more than 50 percent of voters. We must demand that we all receive 100 percent of the opportunities.
I’m still in the process of getting used to my new work schedule, so I spent the greater part of yesterday thinking it was Wednesday. You can imaging my confusion when I didn’t see my mom post her weekly “hump day” status on Facebook. Something to look forward to later this morning, I guess. Regardless, here are some links I’ve been enjoying this week.
18 foods that are allegedly the best NYC has to offer. If I don’t get Artichoke pizza by the week’s end, I may spontaneously combust.
In the holiday spirit, in case you have nothing to do today and/or tomorrow, here are Lauren Conrad’s favorite Halloween flicks.
In the [lesser-known, but still equally important] OTHER holiday spirit, yesterday was National Cat Day. They deserve it.
And last but not least, here’s a fantastic article [aimed at women] about things you should never say in the workplace in order to be more assertive and viewed as an equal. It’s a little controversial, but it definitely was an eye-opener for me.
I recently read something that spoke to me: I think ‘having it all’ is a phrase I don’t particularly like. You need to have what you want. […] As women, we should be able to decide what we want, how we want it, and [how we] get there. That means it won’t be perfect, there will be mistakes, but that’s fine; that’s human. ‘All’ should be a determination of what we want, not what somebody else or society says.
Close; not Sheryl Sandberg. Christine Quinn. Either way, I’ve had a busy summer. I’ll detail the highlights in a later post, but I have been doing some research *cough* reading Lean In *cough* and it got me thinking about the aforementioned “having it all.”
You can’t sit with us. Oh, wait..
I am fully aware that this is a phrase most commonly associated with professional women (sometimes men) figuring out how to balance family life with work life. Because I’m nowhere near that milestone, but I AM super-selfish and have to make everything about me, that’s not how I’m interpreting it. Instead, I’ve related it to how I’ve been pretty much overwhelmed with work on work on work on commuting on work and classes and hanging out and traveling and writing and reading and catching up on the entire Breaking Bad series and subsisting almost totally on takeout and oh, what’s that you’re saying, Pinterest?
Yes, that is a huge reality-flavored slap in the face to any human, because IT’S RIGHT. As if I even have to further explain, Beyonce does A LOT. But she also has a lot of help. She has Jay to help her with Baby Blue, her girlfriends Solange, Michelle and Kelly to vent to when she needs a break from the family, and let’s not even act for one second like Tina isn’t all over/up in Bey’s biz, scheduling her every second of every day. [I’m exploring a world where Beyonce solely hangs out with her sister, and Destiny’s Child is still together — just go with it.] But seriously, Beyonce has help. Beyonce prioritizes. From the outside, sure, Beyonce “has it all”. Maybe she does. Or maybe she does what she can, with what she has (a lot more than most of us have, but hey, no judgement).
In hindsight, when feeling down about yourself multitasking, jumping in bed with Beyonce comparisons isn’t a road I would recommend going down too far. HOWEVER, if Beyonce can be a world superstar/wife/singer/fierce dancer/mom/superhuman sometimes all in the same day, I can surely balance a job (which I am fortunate enough to have and actually love), some classes (they’re good for me, after all), some volunteering (that’s good for others), a dash of socializing (every now and then) and make a valid attempt to clean up and regularly maintain this blog. I make no promises, but for now, HEY WORDPRESS HEY, I’ve missed you!
Even in the land where I’ve magically mastered all of these things, I wouldn’t be close to “having it all.” But Quinn made a valid point. All of the aforementioned are the parts of my life I prioritize. Realistic goals I’ve set. Things I want. I can’t “have it all” by anyone else’s standards, but maybe I don’t want to. I’d like to focus on what I can do — which is make the best choices for myself, and someday I WILL have what I WANT.
And because I can’t resist a hilarious, empowering woman (what’s a feminist?), we’ll end on a relatable Nora Ephron quote: It will be a little messy, but embrace the mess. It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complications. It will not be anything like what you think it will be like, but surprises are good for you. And don’t be frightened: you can always change your mind.
Hey guys! It’s the first ever Sexual Sunday post! Are you as excited as I am?! I decided that there is nothing sexier this past weekend than two of my favorite divas tearing up the news headlines–both in very big, yet very different ways.
First off, Beyonce and Jay-Z had their baby! Welcome to the world Blue Ivy Carter! According to my reliable sources of Perez Hilton and the Huffington Post, her wing of New York’s own Lenox Hospital was basically on lockdown throughout the time she was in labor. All phones and cameras were reportedly confiscated and each security camera was taped off. That little baby is going to be guarded like a hawk until B is ready to show the little princess to the media. And if B is anything like Tina (which, I mean duh…), she’ll most likely donning some House of Dereon in her grand reveal.
Secondly, TV Guide announced that my girl Kathy Griffin will be hosting a weekly talk show for Bravo! As the article states, she has done 13 stand up specials for the network as well as six successful seasons of My Life on the D-List which ended in the summer of 2010. I’m super excited to see Kathy getting back on TV, as 2011 was a long, sad, Kathy-less year in my book. And as if I get any input in the matter, I think NYC is a great place to tape a talk show ;) Your L.A. home has been remodeled for almost two years now Kath, time to buy some NY real estate!
Uptown Moxie 