Wine and Gender
Apr. 3rd, 2008 08:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gina_r_snapeSo, although I don't think of myself as particularly masculine, there are definitely times when I'm aware that my behavior defies typical gender roles.
I'm rather commanding sometimes, decisive during a crisis, and direct in my speech. I'm not overly apologetic for simply existing and having opinions, I enjoy the pursuit in dating, and I don't make a habit of wearing death defying high heeled shoes. One might attribute that to ordinary "New Yorker"ness, or self-confidence, but the feminist and academic in me also attributes it to something more.
But what about wine?
When I go out to dinner, I tend to be the one to order wine because I often wind up having a more knowledgeable palate than the person I'm with. But also, even if it's a mutual choice, I find the waiter always offers me the bottle to check and try. And frankly, it strikes me as interesting because I've always thought of that as something of a traditional masculine role and wonder if it's somehow emasculating in some way.
My friend D disagrees. He thinks women are always offered the bottle to examine and try at a mixed gender table.
Or are we simply overthinking it?
Thoughts, flist?
I'm rather commanding sometimes, decisive during a crisis, and direct in my speech. I'm not overly apologetic for simply existing and having opinions, I enjoy the pursuit in dating, and I don't make a habit of wearing death defying high heeled shoes. One might attribute that to ordinary "New Yorker"ness, or self-confidence, but the feminist and academic in me also attributes it to something more.
But what about wine?
When I go out to dinner, I tend to be the one to order wine because I often wind up having a more knowledgeable palate than the person I'm with. But also, even if it's a mutual choice, I find the waiter always offers me the bottle to check and try. And frankly, it strikes me as interesting because I've always thought of that as something of a traditional masculine role and wonder if it's somehow emasculating in some way.
My friend D disagrees. He thinks women are always offered the bottle to examine and try at a mixed gender table.
Or are we simply overthinking it?
Thoughts, flist?
