I do not believe women are consumed with tearing each other down to build up their own images in the eyes of men. Reading “Just Give Up: Making things a whole lot harder for all of us,” as a woman, I was extremely offended.
I don’t mean this as an attack on the columnist; generally I find the column to be witty. Perhaps the article was meant to be humorous, but if so, the humor was lost by the gross generalizations and insulting content. Negative stereotypes of women are pervasive enough in our culture without the added weight of arguing that women are fixated on the need to impress men by devaluing other women. Does that argument not perpetuate those same stereotypes?
While there is no denying that women are certainly capable of making life more difficult for each other, to say that all women attempt to “pull all other girls, and sometime men too, down to their miserable level” is not only offensive, but untrue. Women are not “bitchy hyenas,” and to classify all women as such by the occasional bitchy tendency is a tremendous exaggeration. In my experience at Lawrence, I have met a number of strong, intelligent women who are passionate about more then just gossip and have more to do than complain about other women.
Maybe I just don’t get out enough, but I would like to believe that the women on our campus have more to occupy their time. For the sake of The Lawrentian, I hope that I have misinterpreted this article and that it was meant to be satirical, because its reflection upon our campus is disappointing. The Lawrentian is read by more then the student body. It is seen by alumni, prospective students and parents alike.
Is this really the image Lawrence wants to portray? Ironically, the article seems to have been written to raise awareness and question the basis for “girl on girl” hatred, but the approach taken merely contributes to it, proving that women are in fact quite adept at bitching about each other. And by the way, since when are the women of Lawrence merely a bunch of girls? Mia Daughenbaugh
Letter to the Editor
