Saturday, May 14, 2005

Get Back in the Bus, Woman, and Make Me a Souffle!

Not to keep harping on Professor Bainbridge, but On Firm Ground points me to another interesting factoid about his little list: the only woman he thinks "definitely" deserves to be on it (assuming his "glaring omissions" are his "definites") is Julia Childs. Because what makes an American woman great? If she can cook, of course.

Reviewing the list again, I see that he has Rosa Parks as a "definitely not." Julia Childs yes, Rosa Parks no, Susan B. Anthony and Eleanor Roosevelt maybe?

Right.

UPDATE: Professor Bainbridge thinks my whole motivation for knocking Julia Childs is "political correctness." I'll admit that, being a college student, my knowledge of good food is limited to "it's not in the Dining Hall." And hey, maybe Childs should indeed be on the list. I'm just saying that it is pretty skewed priorities to place a woman's contributions to the culinary arts over those who were critical to racial equality, woman's suffrage, and woman's equality, respectively.

See my other update here.

2 comments:

David Schraub said...

"Popularizing public television"? That should dock her so many points, she should never see quintiple digits on one of these lists.

Susan B. Anthony "shared the spotlight". So she wasn't an egomaniac, horrors on horrors. And the temperance movement, well, I oppose it, but is it really more disqualifying than "supported brutal dictators who hacked the limbs off civilians"? I don't think so.

Parks, in addition to her "one thing," also has been a famous lecturer and speaker on civil rights. So her "symbolism," if you will, extends well beyond that one act.

Eleanor Roosevelt, in addition to serving as a role model for millions of women, played a pivotal role in her husband's white house. Oh yeah, she was also the US' first ambassador to the UN, and the first chair of the Human Rights Panel.

I cannot believe you're actually defending Childs over Parks. That's delusional even for you.

Cathie said...

I think nst should tell all of those people who have received food or education from UN sponsored programs what he thinks about the UN. Problem with the UN haters is that they can only see the negatives. Yes, when you have six billion people in the world to represent, you are going to have problems, especially when your troops aren't allowed to engage in battle when they need to defend people. But those same people who are criticizing the UN for its ineffectiveness are the same ones that advocate the US' limited role in the organization and support the appointment of self-avowed UN haters as its ambassador.

In addition, Eleanor was a role model for women at a time when they were losing their husbands during the war. In this day and age, some of us don't know what a real leader is, but she certainly was one.

I agree with Jackie Robinson. #42 belongs in the American record books.