Excuse me, Ms.
As the #misstomrs continues gaining steam on IG, the marking words of Harriet Lerner come to mind:
“While women once acquired relationship skills to “hook,” “snare,” or “catch” a husband who would provide access to economic security and social status, the position of contemporary women has not changed that radically. Much of our success still depends on our attunement to “male culture,” our ability to please men, and our readiness to conform to the masculine values of our institutions.”
Many would think:
“It’s just a silly hashtag”
“Who cares?”
“It’s used playfully”
“You’re reading too much into it”
…
There’s no end to dismissive remarks.
So, while you’re busy being ignorant with your head stuck in the sand, I’ll say this:
A woman with a strong sense of self is a woman acutely aware that she has been treated as the second sex for far too long.
That he should no longer get to define she.
She is not subordinate. She defines herself.
She stands and rises above the patriarchal, gender-normative attitudes and beliefs that have robbed her of her equal footing and rights.
She is reluctant to use such a hashtag—and is especially careful of not using it “just playfully” as she’s aware of the subtle social repercussions it carries.
Wanna get married? By all means, go ahead.
But if you feel the need to hashtag miss to mrs, you might want to pause and ask yourself what century you live in, and question if you actually care about contributing to social progress (this includes your own).
