Wonder Woman - PBS

[gam197]

Only saw a portion of this which is now on PBS on “Independent Lens”. It’s all about feminism and how the comic strip and TV series played a part. That was followed by the importance of some other female roles during that period.

One thing they mentioned was there was a comic strip on Cinderella but Cinderella life turned out terrible.

Second and most, they inserted a video of a young Gloria Steinem talking about injustice of wages and homemakers and this is not a direct quote but she said.

• • • Homemakers should be getting about $9.50/an hour for the work they do in the home. If husbands had to pay for their services that is what they would get. Also they would get paid occasionally for prostitute services-- -.

 

[gam197]

Forgot --They did have about a minute of abortion rights.

Has anyone seen the video of Gloria Steinem that was shown as I would like to post it here.

 

[Kamaduck]

Homemakers should be getting about $9.50/an hour for the work they do in the home. If husbands had to pay for their services that is what they would get. Also they would get paid occasionally for prostitute services-- -.

Who would pay them?

I mean, I fully agree that women should be getting some kind of respect for raising families, but I don’t think paying them for staying home is the answer. I’m not even sure how that would work. It’s pretty terrible to reduce people’s family relationships to services rendered.

EDIT: Paid maternity leave makes sense to me. But I can’t wrap my head around how this idea would work on an economic level.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

EDIT: Paid maternity leave makes sense to me. But I can’t wrap my head around how this idea would work on an economic level.

That’s because it wouldn’t. If you were to pay your spouse officially, you would be required to report it as income. Therefore, when you go to do taxes, it would essentially be like taxing your money twice. I’m sure the government would love it, but they’re about the only ones.

 

[Coatimundi]

Only saw a portion of this which is now on PBS on “Independent Lens”

I saw that too, although only part of it. I guess the Gloria Steinem clip which you mentioned came from 1971 or 1972, since the founding of Ms. magazine was also mentioned.

I think her words were merely rhetorical. And, actually, I was kind of heartened to see her standing up for the dignity of stay at home moms. Second wave feminism, of which she was a major leader, at some point picked up a reputation for looking down on women who chose not to work outside the home.

 

[Kamaduck]

That’s because it wouldn’t. If you were to pay your spouse officially, you would be required to report it as income. Therefore, when you go to do taxes, it would essentially be like taxing your money twice. I’m sure the government would love it, but they’re about the only ones.

Yeah, that would be weird. As I said, I like the idea of valuing the contributions of stay-at-home mothers, but the specific suggestion is kind of nonsensical. I would think that ideally, couples would make decisions about money together, so there would be no need for them to split money up like that.

 

[Celtic_Maiden]

That’s because it wouldn’t. If you were to pay your spouse officially, you would be required to report it as income. Therefore, when you go to do taxes, it would essentially be like taxing your money twice. I’m sure the government would love it, but they’re about the only ones.

IN England and Ireland the woman gets paid Maternity Leave, and then can take extra time off at her own expense.

 

[mexolic]

• • • Homemakers should be getting about $9.50/an hour for the work they do in the home. If husbands had to pay for their services that is what they would get. Also they would get paid occasionally for prostitute services-- -.

Nowadays many husbands are stay-at home dads. Does Gloria believe that husbands deserve an hourly wage as well? I wonder if any couples have actually put Gloria’s suggestion into practice? $9.50 an hour in the early 1970’s? Poor husband would have to work two jobs just to pay his wife.

 

[oldburkes]

• • • Homemakers should be getting about $9.50/an hour for the work they do in the home. If husbands had to pay for their services that is what they would get. Also they would get paid occasionally for prostitute services-- -.

It reminds me of the way Fr. Robert Barron described the Prodigal Son’s brother, and his indignation toward his brother’s special treatment. “Pure mercantile calculation”.

 

[John_Lazarus]

Only saw a portion of this which is now on PBS on “Independent Lens”. It’s all about feminism and how the comic strip and TV series played a part. That was followed by the importance of some other female roles during that period.

One thing they mentioned was there was a comic strip on Cinderella but Cinderella life turned out terrible.

Second and most, they inserted a video of a young Gloria Steinem talking about injustice of wages and homemakers and this is not a direct quote but she said.

• • • Homemakers should be getting about $9.50/an hour for the work they do in the home. If husbands had to pay for their services that is what they would get. Also they would get paid occasionally for prostitute services-- -.

By that same argument, the wife should pay the husband for chauffeur services, gardening, plumbing, handyman work, pest control (“Eek! A mouse!”), and other stereotypical husband services. Oh, and rent and groceries. How much would a single woman have to pay to get that?

See? This stupidity can go BOTH ways.

And as for “prostitute” services, this seems to assume that women never want sex and ONLY do it because it’s their “duty” to “service” the husband. What – just “close your eyes and think of England”? Puh-LEESE. That attitude insults BOTH the husband and the wife.

 

[gam197]

Nowadays many husbands are stay-at home dads. Does Gloria believe that husbands deserve an hourly wage as well? I wonder if any couples have actually put Gloria’s suggestion into practice? $9.50 an hour in the early 1970’s? Poor husband would have to work two jobs just to pay his wife.

I got the figure wrong. She said homemakers should be paid between $8000 - $9000 a year because that is how much it would cost her husband to pay for her services not including off and on prostitution.

Here is the video. Her quote is at 18 minutes.

video.pbs.org/video/2331042879/

 

[LilyM]

By that same argument, the wife should pay the husband for chauffeur services, gardening, plumbing, handyman work, pest control (“Eek! A mouse!”), and other stereotypical husband services. Oh, and rent and groceries. How much would a single woman have to pay to get that?

See? This stupidity can go BOTH ways.

And as for “prostitute” services, this seems to assume that women never want sex and ONLY do it because it’s their “duty” to “service” the husband. What – just “close your eyes and think of England”? Puh-LEESE. That attitude insults BOTH the husband and the wife.

As a single woman, I’ve rarely had to pay for any of the above. I kill my own mice, drive myself most everywhere and can handle the occasional household repair about as well as the average urban male.

 

[Kamaduck]

By that same argument, the wife should pay the husband for chauffeur services, gardening, plumbing, handyman work, pest control (“Eek! A mouse!”), and other stereotypical husband services. Oh, and rent and groceries. How much would a single woman have to pay to get that?

See? This stupidity can go BOTH ways.

And as for “prostitute” services, this seems to assume that women never want sex and ONLY do it because it’s their “duty” to “service” the husband. What – just “close your eyes and think of England”? Puh-LEESE. That attitude insults BOTH the husband and the wife.

I haven’t actually watched the video yet (I will when I have time), so this may not directly apply.

I agree with the bottom paragraph. But if you’re saying that what men do around the house is worth as much (economically) as what stay-at-home-mothers do, and then men work outside the house on top of that, it kind of devalues what those women do. Raising children is a full-time job for a stay-at-home-parent, whereas someone can just pay for a plumber or computer repair service the one time per year those things fail (if they don’t have the necessary skills themselves). Raising children is really, really important, and I think the idea behind the suggestion is that those contributions should be valued by society, instead of being taken as a given.

Which is not to say that men can’t raise children. More like, if someone doesn’t believe that having a full-time stay-at-home-parent is useful, why do they not object to the parent staying home? Shouldn’t they be contributing to society? And if they are contributing, why don’t they receive any compensation?

As I said above, I don’t agree with her specific suggestion. But something in the same vein as required paid maternity leave would be good. America is one of the only countries in the world that doesn’t have it, after all.

 

[gam197]

I haven’t actually watched the video yet (I will when I have time), so this may not directly apply.

I agree with the bottom paragraph. But if you’re saying that what men do around the house is worth as much (economically) as what stay-at-home-mothers do, and then men work outside the house on top of that, it kind of devalues what those women do. Raising children is a full-time job for a stay-at-home-parent, whereas someone can just pay for a plumber or computer repair service the one time per year those things fail (if they don’t have the necessary skills themselves). Raising children is really, really important, and I think the idea behind the suggestion is that those contributions should be valued by society, instead of being taken as a given.

Which is not to say that men can’t raise children. More like, if someone doesn’t believe that having a full-time stay-at-home-parent is useful, why do they not object to the parent staying home? Shouldn’t they be contributing to society? And if they are contributing, why don’t they receive any compensation?

As I said above, I don’t agree with her specific suggestion. But something in the same vein as required paid maternity leave would be good. America is one of the only countries in the world that doesn’t have it, after all.

I don’t think Steinem was as concerned for homemakers as she pretends to be. . Homemakers have felt left out so she was trying to make a point that they were included in the feminist movement and so she did in the way she knows how by equating their skills to money.

I totally don’t get the idea that homemakers should get paid for “off and on prostitute services”. That sounds like how some men would think. She is demeaning homemakers (women) when she makes that comment.

If she had make the comment about prostitution and all women, I be less inclined to think so but she aimed it specifically at homemakers

 

[Kamaduck]

I don’t think Steinem was as concerned for homemakers as she pretends to be. . Homemakers have felt left out so she was trying to make a point that they were included in the feminist movement and so she did in the way she knows how by equating their skills to money.

I totally don’t get the idea that homemakers should get paid for “off and on prostitute services”. That sounds like how some men would think. She is demeaning homemakers (women) when she makes that comment.

If she had make the comment about prostitution and all women, I be less inclined to think so but she aimed it specifically at homemakers

She may not be, but feminism should be concerned with the contributions of all women. So even if Steinem herself is in the wrong, the contributions of homemakers still need to be discussed. And if we want more stay-at-hom-parents, we need to find a way to make that model economically viable again. Suggesting their husbands pay them for services is excessively simplistic and demeaning in its own way, but the idea that we need to value their work, rather than taking it as a given, makes sense to me.

The prostitution idea is completely out of line, though, unless she thinks all women lack a sex drive. Even then, you’re right that it’s wrong to aim it specifically at homemakers. There isn’t really a positive way to take that comment.

 

[gam197]

She may not be, but feminism should be concerned with the contributions of all women. So even if Steinem herself is in the wrong, the contributions of homemakers still need to be discussed. And if we want more stay-at-hom-parents, we need to find a way to make that model economically viable again. Suggesting their husbands pay them for services is excessively simplistic and demeaning in its own way, but the idea that we need to value their work, rather than taking it as a given, makes sense to me.

The prostitution idea is completely out of line, though, unless she thinks all women lack a sex drive. Even then, you’re right that it’s wrong to aim it specifically at homemakers. There isn’t really a positive way to take that comment.

I haven’t actually watched the video yet (I will when I have time), so this may not directly apply.

No need to watch as it is probably a waste of time. It is the same story, Wonder Woman, empowerment and even though a very small part of video -abortion rights.

 

[cthulhubryan]

IN England and Ireland the woman gets paid Maternity Leave, and then can take extra time off at her own expense.

This is also true in America ever since the Family Medical Leave Act was passed.

 

[gam197]

This is also true in America ever since the Family Medical Leave Act was passed.

In the UK, they gets six months of paid leave which feminists would want, while in the US, it is unpaid leave. I am not sure about Ireland or the rest of Europe.

Of course if you a homemaker, you get no benefits for maternity and/or a very small fee for jury duty. I assume retired jurors get very little. It is usually the businesses that pay for this.

 

[cthulhubryan]

In the UK, they gets six months of paid leave which feminists would want, while in the US, it is unpaid leave.

Of course if you a homemaker, you get no benefits for maternity and/or a very small fee for jury duty.

True, but it is better than it was.

 

[gam197]

True, but it is better than it was.

It is better but will never be good enough for most feminists and certainly not quick enough. Women would have progressed without this movement.

Did the movement help push the woman into career jobs in workplace at a faster pace, yes it did, but at a terrible cost because of their insistence on abortions rights.

They still boast of abortion as a right in “Wonder Woman”.

This statement from Steinem speaks to me of who she is and she speaks for feminism. She does not see being homemakers as a viable vocation and that is why the reference to prostitution.