Thursday, April 12, 2012

THANK YOU, ASHLEY JUDD


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.