If Boys Do it, it's Sexist, if Girls do it, it's Liberating!

Cathy Young a href=”http://www.reason.com/news/show/120879.html”has an interesting article in emReason/em /aon a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061243582?ie=UTF8tag=wwwviolentkicomlinkCode=as2camp=1789creative=9325creativeASIN=0061243582″emThe Dangerous Book for Boys:/em/aimg src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwviolentkicoml=as2o=1a=0061243582″ width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”” style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” / emThat’s What Little Boys Are Made Of: The false wisdom of a “dangerous” book./em br /br /blockquoteIs The Dangerous Book… sexist? While it encourages respect for girls, it does seem to treat them more as “the weaker sex” than as equals. In one grating passage, boys are encouraged to carry a handkerchief, among other things, for “offering one to a girl when she cries.” Boys are reminded not to make a girl feel stupid if she needs help, but nothing is said about the possibility of accepting help from a girl, or losing gracefully if bested by a girl at some “boy” activity./blockquotebr /br /In the last paragraph of the article, Cathy mentions the new book coming out as a companion book for girls: a href=”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061472573?ie=UTF8tag=wwwviolentkicomlinkCode=as2camp=1789creative=9325creativeASIN=0061472573″emThe Daring Book for Girls./em/aimg src=”http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=wwwviolentkicoml=as2o=1a=0061472573″ width=”1″ height=”1″ border=”0″ alt=”” style=”border:none !important; margin:0px !important;” / How much you want to bet that this book will not be seen as sexist at all? It will probably be viewed as a liberating book for girls. Yep, sexist if boys do it, liberating when girls to it. Yawn, same old story.