In late 2006, before this presidential election cycle picked up speed, conventional wisdom dictated that the winning campaign had to follow the model that then-Governor George W. Bush had used in 2000 and the Bush campaign perfected during his re-election bid in 2004. On the Republican side that assumption was clearly incorrect. On the Democratic side, the campaign of Senator Barack Obama has embraced the Bush-Rove construct and added its own unique features to it.

What?

Reading on, I discover how they’re similar: they both happen to run successful campaigns. Yeah, that means they’re soul brothers. Really, truly, it does. What.ever. It’s beyond annoying that this is what passes for political analysis in the press.

More thoughts on it, but unlikely I’ll blog it. Something about having two kids at home seems to preclude much blogging anymore other than short burst. And I’m considering grad school…am I insane?

I just came home from renting An Inconvenient Truth, so I could FINALLY watch it. I know, it’s sad to be so late to the game, but hey, I have a 2-year-old.

I opened the box, thinking that I’m cool with watching a documentary with Maya over dinner. They. Didn’t. Remove. The. Security. Device.

Grumble. I have a pizza arriving in minutes, so I guess we’ll see this one another time. Instead, I may still watch Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World (or whatever it’s called)…but that likely will need to wait until after Maya’s bedtime.

What.Ever.

Having a daughter has been an eye-opening experience about gender roles in our society. While I might have some left over baggage from the messages I’ve heard all my life, you’d better damned well know I will fight like crazy to ensure my daughter doesn’t hear the same. Maya has inspired me to learn more about (and embrace) feminism.

I’ve always loved Disney animated movies. My senior year in high school, I wrote an essay for English that looked at their place in movie culture and beginnings with Snow White. These days, however, I see them very differently as I look at the messages about gender roles that they may deliver to my toddler’s spongelike psyche.

We planned a 6-mile hike this morning, but the weather didn’t cooperate. It’s Saturday morning at the movies instead, and The Little Mermaid is on display. I’ve avoided picking up some of the older Disney “princess” movies, but it’s time to shelf this one too, as much as I’ve loved it. Here’s my take on the messages this movie imparts:

1. A girl *needs* a guy to be complete.
2. Girls are empty-headed and care about nothing more than catching the cute prince’s attention.
3. Girls should throw away their talents in order to get the guy.
4. If a woman is powerful, she is an evil bitch.
5. If a woman is powerful, she is ugly and undesirable.
6. The fat girl won’t get the guy. (song: Poor Unfortunate Souls)
7. The scrawny guy won’t get the girl.
8. Being thin (female) or muscular (male) and coupled up = happiness.
9. Even when you’ve thrown your life down the toilet, it’s okay. Daddy will step in to save you. (Let’s not analyze this one too closely, shall we?)
10. It’s okay to marry at 16, before you’ve even come close to developing a concept of self. After all, the (equally empty-headed) Prince will look after you.

Don’t even get me started on the concept of happily-ever-after. Life is real, and marriage is just the beginning of a new part of your life, not a happy ending. Anyone who thinks otherwise is begging for misery (and lots of marriage counseling and/or divorce) farther down the road.

I’m sure there’s more, but that’s what comes to me off the top of my head. This makes me very happy that Maya’s favorite movies are Toy Story 1 and 2. While they are significantly lacking in female characters, at least their entire story isn’t rooted in patriarchal bullshit.

The Little Mermaid is now officially shelved. Sigh.