Parenting: A Gender Moment

[labingi]

I was just reading veleda_k's great post on gender in The Lego Movie and commenting on how I worry about how messages like this affect my kids, but it put me in mind of a more hopeful recent gender moment with my son.

I've been reading him The Lord of the Rings, and we came across some line (I don't remember exactly) like whoever has the Ring, it will corrupt "him":

Son: Who's "him"?

Me: Whoever gets the Ring, whoever possesses it.

Son: But it could be a woman.

Me: That's true, but this older English from a time when "he" meant any random person, including women.

(Son looks at me like both I and the world are insane.)

Me: One day I will show you the Blake's 7 episode where Avon uses "he" (actually "his") to refer to a group of one man and two women.

(Son looks even more dubious.)

(Mom's heart is profoundly encouraged.)

Comments

[lilacsigil]

I am also profoundly encouraged! Thank you for sharing this!

[vilakins]

You're a great parent!

Which episode was that? B7 was generally (with the egregious exception of the three Steed-written eps) pretty good with their strong women.

[labingi]

It was the one with the philosophical flea. I'm blocking on the title. Trial?

The line was more or less: "One of your followers--one of your three remaining followers--might have to risk his life for you," i.e. Vila, Cally, and Jenna.

It was just a grammar thing. I don't think it reflects on gender roles in B7, except to say B7 comes from the 1970s BBC.

[labingi]

Aw, thanks! I'm glad it encouraged you.

[vilakins]

Yet singular "their" has been used since Chaucer. No excuse for that sort of mindless sexism, unless he was being pointed about Vila.