Entertainment: Where Are the High-Standard Women?

Sounds like an insult, but coming from a woman it might sound like a challenge or a wake up call.  Yes, women still wear dresses and are cordial when need be, but it has become acceptable for even people in high positions to speak laid back, broken English in real life.  Where's the class?

We can instantly debate that the state of women today wanting so much equality even in the way we dress is more evident when we compare ourselves to the women of the 1800s.

No better way to delve into that world than through the books of Jane Austen and her womenfolk in relation to writing about that time. With the advent of reality television, the screaming, loud most vocal woman gets all of the attention.

You know who I'm talking about.  The woman who is wildly dressed, has no manners, is singled out by the rest of the cast of characters as the 'B' title she wears like the Scarlet Letter.  Women don't have to wear dresses to be considered the Yin type of woman, but the whole equality thing since the 70s has degraded our woman-likeness to some degree.

This trend of the female 'strong' woman who can handle everything under the sun like a man has dominated our culture so much, the 'B' word is showing up in books and movies as the average woman now.  Something we should aim to be and dress like to obtain the man or the job at the end of the story.  As a writer, I can place my complaint in the complaint box with any female leads that I write.

Where did the Yin-type woman in the media go?

Pretty Woman took half the movie to transition the smart-talking harlot into a fantabulous lady, but still, that was 20 years ago!  This movie was derived from an even older movie -My Fair Lady - about a street culturally reckless woman trained to match the savvy talk of the rich and famous in England.

Is it old fashion to want to be praised for being womanlike again - to want to stop seeing the 'B' get praised for her wild mouth and ways?

Do we all want to be walking around in a thousands years with our knuckles to the ground saying at least we are equal?

There is nothing like a woman on earth.  God mad the mountains, the stars, the creation based on His idea FIRST of a man and woman.  Mountains look like breasts!  The woman should celebrate her body with clothing that flows around every corner in recognition that we were not meant to be equal in every way.

Why is the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's" such a classic?

I believe because first Holly Golightly had built the facade of a sophisticated woman who had a heart and secondly, she wore classy clothes that can be envied to this day.  No one can out do Audrey Hepburn as that character who still can take people's hearts.  People who knew her off screen said she was not acting, she was a true lady in style and in speak.

Is it wrong to celebrate equality and yet still possibly celebrate every curve and classy ways only a woman on earth can possess?
I'm not too fond of the clothing line Michelle Obama wears, a little too plain, but she is the example of a modern POWERFUL person owning her womanhood.  She gives an example that she can be strong to her nation, ladylike and support her husband and be a mother at the same time.  She won the golden ticket at the end of the movie with class.

Pride and Prejudice is the ultimate book of Yin women except Elizabeth.  All of the adaptions, except the 1970s television version which I think made Elizabeth a little too soft, portray Elizabeth as strong and leveled headed.

She was the type that didn't care if she had messy hair or whether mud was on the end of her elegant dress.  To her, all of the necessary things to be a woman in that day she wore as requirement, and let her rough personality overshine.  Yet, she had the eyes of many Alpha-type men in love with her.  Who is more Alpha than Mr. Darcy?!

Why?

By observing the spirit of the character, I can see that Elizabeth's tough exterior and speak coupled with sincerity made her a beautiful woman.

Remember how Mr. Darcy went from 'she's plain' to defending her to his friends after she left the mansion with her messy hair and the girls were making fun of her?  He said he thought her plain before, but was wrong, she was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

I think integrity is missing in not only women in the movies who are stealing boyfriends, making fun of people behind the back, but also in life as we try to keep up with our male counterparts in the race for life.

A woman is truly the bedrock of the family.

What true man is going to make all of the decisions in the house without consulting his wife first.  A successful man can make all the plans and decisions he wants, but I bet Michelle will give the final word when it comes to the personal affairs of the Obama household.

Have you heard of the story where Michelle and Barrack went to a restaurant and she found out that she used to date the owner?

Barrack said that she could have been the wife of a restaurant owner and she said, no, she would have been the wife of the President that used to own a restaurant.

This is so poignant.

Women run the country through the way they raise their children and their husbands!  We not only carry all of humanity for 9 months, we raise them as well.  I don't have to see the Leave It To Beaver mother-type washing clothes, cooking and taking care of the house all day, but I want to see women who actually stand for something again.

Get rid of these wimpy characters, drama, sleep with many people no center or guidance just step over anyone say anything just to get what you want kind of girl.  Maybe once women in films, books and movies find their center, then the media can start entertaining us with quality movies once again.

Oh, well, I suppose the rant is over.  Now, let's go watch an 80's romantic comedy or better yet, the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice.  See you next Saturday...have a great weekend, everybody!

Denise Rochelle M.

200th Anniversary P&P: Jane Austen and Women Roles

Good morning and happy weekend to you!  I just recently found out that this year marks exactly 200 year since the first publication of Pride and Prejudice.

I read some facts about Jane and her story that she is said to have treated just like her child.  I thought that was awesome.  As I pen a rewrite of the tale from the black perspective, I see the story as precious and my first baby as well.  I also, know that I am not alone in writing on my good days.  Especially when I completely lose my broken English and write words I haven't heard in modern society only to look them up and find it is a perfect fit. 

I also found out that Jane Austen sold the book for only a few hundred euros. :(  She would loved to read her book aloud in her house and had a great following while she was alive.  At least she was able to see the book be accepted, where some women like Emily Bronte died before seeing her tale "Wuthering Heights" become the success it is still in this day.  In fact, though it was a failure due to the harsh criticism of how mean her characters were, Emily was accepted by modern time.  She was born before her time.

Jane, I hope you are able to get some satisfaction through My Black Pride and the sequel.  Yes, that's right.  I already wrote the first chapter of the sequel and a subsequent outline just to see if this would work and I believe it does. More on that at a later date.

After 200 years, I wondered how would Jane have penned her tale if women's liberation happened in her time.

Yesterday, the "View" women spoke about the role of men and women in a marriage.  Elizabeth Hasselhoff's husband sat crunched between the women on the stage as the guest for the day.  She said that she admits she is not one of those women who go off about how they do not need a man, and she pointed to him and exclaimed she needed her man. 

Then Whoopi Goldberg, the forever bachelorette and outspoken woman said, "I like a man, I don't need a man'. 

If I remember correctly, Whoopi received more claps than Elizabeth if she even received any at all.  Then they spoke about men switching role and needing to help around the house with the traditional roles and with the children. 

Elizabeth's husband said that he knew he changed more diapers than his father and said that if he is responsible for cooking that it would be less than desirable.  Another host said that, "So, what if a man doesn't do it right, women need to be responsible for men's laziness?".  Overall, women want to split responsibility of the household duties with their husbands.

This is a far cry from the women in Jane Austen's era, and far from anything she wrote about in Pride & Prejudice. Except there were no children and everyone had handmaidens to take care of the traditional roles of cleaning and care of the house.  Hence, many people's number one complaint, if there is any, is that Pride is mostly about women talking a lot and walking around in rooms. 

I have seen people say this a lot.  Elizabeth, her mother and sisters never even had to worry about going to work.  I do not remember what the father's business was, but we don't remember mention of him going to his factory or employees or work-related speak.  This is what makes Jane Austen and many other 1800's novelist so desirable, they showed us and continue to give us a ghost's eye view of what it felt like to be at the top of society in that time.  The ideal. 

So,when I updated P&P with My Black Pride, I am making it more realistic, where actually my Elizabeth character must find work and does odd jobs just to accumulate money until she gets a job.  I placed in there that she has the traditional role of cleaning the house once everyone else is gone and the mother cooks for the whole house joyfully.  The father is the Mayor, so traditional roles are in play even in their relationships of husband and wives.

Have we really evolved so much from the Jane era when it comes to love?

I believe not so.  Despite the role reversals in several areas of married life within 200 years, love still takes place the same way...boy meets girl, boy and girl have affections whether one is first or second in initiating it and boy and girl fall in love forever. 

Jane 200 years ago knew the basics about love even if we never heard about any of her affairs.  True love is unchanging.  She knew about the true love that will always be cherished and felt throughout the ages, and conveyed it very well in the way Mr. Darcy fell for Elizabeth.  It is the same reason we still know who the novelist of Pride and Prejudice is exactly 200 years later.  Love is timeless and is liked and accepted by everyone. 

If we authors take this quality and add heart to every story, maybe we can hope that 200 years from now, someone will be writing about their story and cherishing it as much.  We dream.

Thank you everyone for reading and until next Saturday, smooches!

Enjoy the weekend,
Denise Morris