Comments on: “Too pretty to do homework,” or, “why I still can’t divide fractions”

By: Maddy

Maddy — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:20:08 +0000

I actually wore a shirt very similar to these when a was little, but my mom didn’t like it. She made me stop wearing it.
I liked the shirt, but at that age I didn’t really get it. I just thought it was fun, and I liked the monkey on it wearing the bow. Now I’m entering 9th grade, and I’m taking Honors Algebra II. I plan on being an engineer.
I think that while these shirts send a negative message, they probably don’t effect most girls that much. In this day and time,gender bias simply fades into the background. I still see the scantily-clad 15-year-old girls posing next to the fully dresses guys in the catalogs, but they don’t affect me the way they use to.
Another thought: Maybe you were good at math, but you didn’t seem to enjoy it the way you enjoy English. If you loved math the way I do, you probably would have pursued it. It might have been more Nature than Nurture.

By: Dallas

Dallas — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 03:49:00 +0000

I do think this sort of thing is largely marketed at girls. Look at teen movies, TV shows and even toys…girls just love to shop! It’s the Clueless/Bratz/Suite Life stuff that completely permeates every young girl’s existence. I have a young daughter and I’m acutely aware of everything she’s exposed to. This is not news to me.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:44:12 +0000

The “I’m too pretty for homework” shirt is ridiculous. I was the one doing my brother’s math homework.

By: WendyS

WendyS — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:13:08 +0000

Unfortunately, I don’t think this is gender-specific. I see plenty of boys wearing t-shirts with pro-video game/anti-homework slogans (although maybe it’s less personal than “I’m too pretty”). I think retailers just don’t think twice about promoting an anti-intellectual attitude (hey, it leaves more time for shopping!). Good for change.org for getting this ridiculous t-shirt away from our kids.

By: Autumn

Autumn — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 14:43:18 +0000

I had a similar experience, and I think your point is spot-on. I’m always sort of in awe of women who enter male-dominated fields simply because they love the work–it seems like so many barriers to overcome.

You know, though, I really hated math! I hated it! I still do hate it! I can’t help that I’m good at it, and it came in handy on the SATs, but I’m not intellectually excited by it in the least. It bores me to tears. So…yeah. I was drawn to English and writing–typically feminine subjects–and as it happens, I work with words for a living. I don’t think any amount of encouragement on math would have turned me into a mathematician.

By: Samantha @ Bikini Birthday

Samantha @ Bikini Birthday — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:26:27 +0000

Well, I majored in Math & Stats and my sister majored in Engineering. We were always pushed by our parents to be well-rounded students regardless of what our ‘strongest’ subjects were. To be honest, if I had to pick a subject that didn’t come naturally to me it would actually be math. I worked hard for it so I felt even more rewarded when I succeeded in it.

Sometimes parents mention that they themselves were weak at a particular subject in school which makes their child feel that it’s ok for them to be weak at it too.

Bottom line, if you work hard and try your best and have a ‘can do’ attitude you’ll open up the doors to more options then if you resign yourself to the fact that you are weak in a particular subject.