To the point: the eternal feminine
Australian TV presenter Karl Stefanovic stood in front of the camera for a year in the same blue suit. And no one noticed.
Stefanovic is no greenhorn, but with his action he wanted to draw attention to the fact that men and women are treated unequally on television. While for men it is central what they say, how they interview and comment, for women it is how they are dressed and whether they have "nice hair" that counts. While Stefanovic's suit, which is always the same, didn't seem to bother anyone, his female co-host has to justify herself for every new costume. And surely she gets a lower salary, too.
The fact that women are reduced to appearances and considered to be the weaker sex is nothing new. And yet it outrages again and again. Symbolically only this: There's the Audi A6 driver whose rear end juts out far beyond the end of his parking space, has enough room to the front, and waves back the lady parked close behind him, who doesn't want to block the parking space behind her any more than necessary, with an impertinent hand gesture so that he can park out more easily. And isn't even ashamed of it. She grasps the situation, he dominates her. A woman would be too embarrassed by such a thing. But a man is granted from birth that he can drive a car. So he must not be able to do it either.
Men are pigs - but fortunately very few. They are predictable and if they like to have it pretty and feel strong, here you go. If they'll hold the door open for me in return. Few men would bitch about costume colors, because most don't care about such things at all. Women, however, do. The bigger threat to gender equality, therefore, is women themselves. The career beasts who think they have to become cowboys to make it in the "man's world." Mare biting included. Ladies, be aware: "The world of men" does not exist. We are outnumbered!
Why not just stay a woman, be a fully committed mommy and at the same time a leader, a boss? Why shouldn't that be possible? Men sit on the board of directors and go to the gym in the evening. Women initiate new projects in the morning, make personnel decisions at noon, prepare their presentation or an interview in the afternoon and give their children a feeling of security in the evening. Who is the multi-talented one? (Yes, men, you're already doing a great job with the housework).
A man is never simply a board member or a presenter. He is even more - and if he is a woman, much more. The secret of our success is authenticity with all its facets, not conformity. Then acceptance comes all by itself. At some point, you can wear what you want.
By the way, my three-year-old is currently making a mamichlaus out of Samichlaus. Perhaps a nod to the Santa Claus bag.
Anne-Friederike Heinrich, Editor-in-Chief
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