It’s an interesting title. In 1972 when this article was written I was 17 years old. I burned my bra in the back yard that year. It’s the symbolism I know.
The definition of a wife written by Judy Brady is incredible. Who could live up to that? Yet, this is exactly what the men in 1972 wanted. Unfortunately many women believed that this was possible. It is interesting that the men get all of the benefits without the work. Here are some interesting facts about 1972.
¯ In 1972 HBO launched its first subscription cable service. Wow, has it been that long?
We said pay for TV No Way! HA
¯ Digital Watches were first introduced.
¯ The Volkswagen Beetle becomes the most popular car ever sold. I still would love to own a Yellow Bug.
¯ We saw the first scientific hand-held calculator (HP-35) $395.00. Yikes!
It was a very exciting time.
I remember believing what the media said at that time about liberation for women.
It has not produced the positive results I expected. I was full of wonder and hope for the future. Yeah there are more jobs but not always equal pay. Women are still held back in the work force because of having children to take care of. Have you seen the movie Baby Boom with Diane Keaton? It came out in 1987. She was a super yuppie with a high paying job. The men in her company would not allow her to be a mother and an executive, even though she proved herself very fit for the job.
Today we live in a world that sometimes does a disservice to our children. We buy into the notion that we can do it all. But the reality is something has to give. When we need our jobs the something usually is our home life. The women's movement of the 70's did some very good things for women. We have better pay, better jobs, more equality in education. Men had to look at the role of women in their lives. Many are stepping up to the plate to help out more at home. But if you look at the state of families today are we better off? Today it takes two paychecks just to make ends meet. Who is paying the price? Who wouldn't want a wife today?
Having lived through this time in history is amazing to me. At the time it was just my life. Something in the news at the end of the day. Something my parents hated. Now it is history. Wow!
ReplyDeleteI love how you connected the reading to your own life. I appreciate your perspective from the time period this was written. It was very interesting how you connected the past with the present.
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