Boys Don't Cook

What If I Can't Cook...

"Grandma's a wonderful cook," said Francis. "She's gonna teach me how."

"Boys don't cook." I giggled at the thought of Jem in an apron. 

"Grandma says that all men should learn to cook, that men oughta be careful with their wives and wait on 'em when they don't feel good," said my cousin.

"I don't want Dill waitin' on me," I said. " I'd rather wait on him." (Lee, 82)

This quote is ironic to me. Scout, the same tomboyish, overall wearing, and adventurer is enforcing a gender norm. She normally is the opposite of "ladylike" but here it is showing that even she is affected by the social idea of a woman's responsibility to her hubby. Even through she seems to obviously oppose the "normal" girl behavior she still on a subconscious level picked up on the pressures of being a woman, probably from the constant nagging of her Aunt, or watching Calapurnia cook. Also the other woman in her neighborhood who cook, and garden. It seems like an inescapable part of life. Socialization is how we often unknowingly take on the roles and customs that where established by the society we grow up in. Your family begins to shape who you are at a young age, then comes friends and peers, media and so many other factors that keep banging a certain expectation of who you need to be into your head. So even with Scouts usual "unfeminine" ways she still picked up on a certain expectation and is even shaming someone who is going against the gender norm.

Let me also add this quote really reminds me of those dumb "cool story babe now go make me a sandwich" shirts. It disgusts me whenever I see them because it is disrespectful ad makes me feel like my opinions don't matter. And in general cooking is not something I'm great at. If you give me a box mix there is an 80% chance it will taste decent but overall cooking has never been a strong point of mine so the traditional role of the woman being in the kitchen won't work out for me. And I feel like I shouldn't need to be a great cook or be the one to prepare meals. I think if both people help and work together that is a respectful relationship.

But that is only my opinion and if a woman wants to cook everything or even a man that is fine. As long as the choice is with the person doing it. People often think feminism is rejecting gender norms and stereotypes, while that is part of it I believe there is more to it. Being a girl needs to mean CHOICE. If you want to wear a dress and curl your hair then do it, because you happiness is more important than trying to please others. The same goes for if you want to wear pants and no make you are no less or more of a woman. We spend so much time trying to define who a person is we forget that both men and woman can only define who they are with what they feel on the inside whether your favorite color is pink or blue.

Sometimes I wish the bathroom didn't have mirror, it would prob. help many people feel better.

I personally love dresses and flower crowns, keeping my hair long and having it pink. That however doesn't mean I support the gender stereotype that all girls should do things like that. I don't think we should even have labels defining "girl" things from "boy" things. Makeup shouldn't be only marketed toward girls and honestly I like "men's" deodorant more than "woman's." If we can find away to change our definition on being a girl or a boy more people could be comfortable in their skin and feel less pressure to be a certain way.

Because food is awesome