Pepper Ann's Mom Was Wrong...We Still Have a Long Way to Go

I love cartoons, especially the ones that show smart, independent girls.  One of my favorite cartoons was Pepper Ann.  This was a cartoon about a pre-teen girl who played soccer, was super smart and didn't see the importance of getting all "prettified."  She was her own independent self.  It has since gone off the air, but I've been thinking about that cartoon a lot lately, especially the one titled "The Sisterhood" which aired in 1997.  This episode is about how Pepper Ann's feminist mom takes her to a "Womyn's Weekend" where they share in the sisterhood and participate in the "stereotypical" feminist rites of passage (i.e. burning the girdle).



At about 8 minutes, Pepper Ann responds to one of the women in the round circle about how women are just as smart and capable as any guy.  She also talks about how she likes being a girl and wonders what the glass ceiling is.  Her mom exclaims that They Did it! Their goal was to make their daughters feel like equals and they accomplished it!

Or did they?  Do our daugthers really feel like equals? Do women?  Not if they have learned that insurance companies consider them a pre-existing condition.  And not if they are paying attention to how victims are blamed when they are raped or attacked. 

Now don't get me wrong, women HAVE come a long way. But there is still so much to be done before women truly feel like equals or at least live in a society that treats us as equals.  My hope is that this blog will open up and continue the dialogue that leads us to a more equal society.   As we continue this conversation, we will address issues like the ones listed as well as other examples of the still remaining inequalities that exist.