Language, Gender and Healthy Eating

[Barbara LeMaster]

Dear Chamae,

I got lost in your explanation of going to Mexico.  It was your son you 
were taking, but they needed a note from "his mother" - whose mother?  
And if "his mom would need one from me" - whose mom?  And why wouldn't 
they let you into Mexico without it?



Barbara
On Apr 6, 2005, at 6:47 PM, ernest vivo wrote:

> Dear Lucy, Corsetts,cosmetics,corrective surgery,clubs or gyms, 
> jewelry, and the list reaches right down to the everyday phrase, 
> "oh,boy!". Women are image-bound as an antiquated need to attract a 
> husband/money-maker. What's "oh,boy!" got to do with it? Or the 
> Chinese saying: "Girls are like worms in your rice. They cost you 
> money." It is so old in most every culture that an innocent sounding 
> phrase like 'oh,boy' is forgotten to have come from the desire to have 
> male children,not girls.{To the point of infanticide! even these 
> days}.    So, for years - 9 nine as or yesterday - I repeatedly tell 
> my daughter that " She can't do that [ any activitiy will do ] cuz 
> you're a girl." Yes, it has got her ire more than a few times and 
> gasps from any adults or older kids about at the time. One more 
> thing:fifteen yesrs ago I was takingmy son to Mexico for a fortnight. 
> The airline agent would not sell me a ticket without a notorized 
> statement from his mom. When I asked if his mom would need one from me 
> if she were taking our son, she promptly admitted that she would not. 
> Hence, I said that the rule was discriminatory and invalid. "Ok," says 
> she,"I'll sell you a ticket,but Mexico still will not let you into the 
> country." I got the notorized letter. Anyway, men get dissed,too. 
> What's the name of the company?  More letters would be useful. Enjoy 
> the juice, Chamae 
>
> >From: Lucy Horder <lucy.horder at BRITISHLIBRARY.NET>
>  >Reply-To: List for the International Gender and Language 
> Association              <GALA-L at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG>
>  >To: GALA-L at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
>  >Subject: Language, Gender and Healthy Eating
>  >Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1970 03:17:45 +0100
>  >
>  >Dear List members,
>  >
>  >Recently, I decided to buy a juicer. According to the literature, 
> juicers
>  >are a great way to fit in your RDA of 5 portions of fruit and veg if 
> you're
>  >like me and don't really enjoy eating fruit.
>  >
>  >The juicer I ended up buying included a leaflet that gave some tips 
> on
>  >healthy eating, as well as a few recipes and ideas. I was stunned by 
> the
>  >inclusion of the following paragraphs in this guidance:
>  >
>  >"The average woman - say someone who weighs 10 and a half stone - 
> uses in an
>  >average day around 2000-2200 calories. Of those calories, 1400-1500 
> will be
>  >burned by her body performing its everyday bodily activities - heart
>  >pumping, tissue renewing, general maintenance and functions.
>  >
>  >A mere 600-700 calories will be burned by her preparing and taking 
> the
>  >children to school, going to work all day, cooking tea for her 
> children and
>  >dinner for her husband, followed by perhaps an hours ironing!"
>  >
>  >No mention is made, incidentally, of men who might wish to eat more
>  >healthily, and the kinds of activities that they might engage in to 
> help
>  >them burn off calories (although perhaps that's for the best...)
>  >
>  >I have written to the manufacturers and protest heavily at the 
> inclusion of
>  >this statement in their leaflet, but, unsurprisingly, have not yet 
> had a
>  >reply. I'd be interested to hear some comments from you all if you 
> are as
>  >alarmed by this whole episode as I am.
>  >
>  >Yours (fuming),
>  >
>  >Lucy
>
*****************************************************
Dr. Barbara LeMaster
Associate Professor
Departments of Anthropology and Linguistics
FO3-320
California State University, Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
(562) 985-5037
(562) 985-4379 (fax)
lemaster at csulb.edu
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