Thanks to Ashley Judd for bringing this “look this way or be
shunned” movement into the open. She has
done a favor not only for sick women and women with unusual birth anatomy, but
for older women everywhere. Preaching
among ourselves about insults and belittling has not worked. There are some things I believe we should do:
1.
Ready. Decide
for yourself NOW what is not admissible.
Warn your family there may be some changes in TV, subscriptions, and
talk around the house. Or else.
2.
Aim. Contact
“Ask a librarian” or whoever we have to contact to get the direct contact names
of people who okay derogatory garbage in their programs and periodicals. Write to where the buck stops (or starts.) When
we write, there is a record of what we asked.
3.
Fire!
Tell this head guy (or gal) what we are going to stop reading and
hearing. Alas, this means I have to be
brave and tell my beloved mystery writers I don’t like depicting undesirable
people as having wrinkles or anatomy rather like mine, or clothing of types big
women can afford. And then there’s the
matter of describing the lady detective as slightly overweight. Who decides who’s overweight?
Hit Off; hit Delete! Turn
off programs with derogatory messages and don’t let them in our homes. One incredibly rude and tactless male fashion
guru was barred from my living room and my hearing long ago.
4. Salute. Bestow very public honors and kudos to people like
Mimi Melgaard who made Loretta Devine look
like a million bucks in that pink blazer on Gray’s Anatomy. This is the part we always leave out! Praising the people who make us like the way
we can look regardless of our size or my short legs.
