post-apocolyptic feminism revisited

While watching the Butler - VCU game last night, Kate asked me "What sports do girls play?"

Well, they can play all the same sports that boys do, we just don't usually watch them ...

I said the statement as fact and then realized that maybe I should have thought of a way to say that a bit better. Because, of course, Kate's next question was ...

"Why?"

(There's a family guy scene where Peter is mocking women's basketball. I forget what the actual episode is about. They flash to a women's basketball game, one of the announcers is commenting about the strain on the players bodies and another wonders if it's worth the $7,000 a year she commands. "You would have to ask the fan." The one fan in the stands cheers.)

"I don't know Kate."

We watch baseball, basketball, soccer on tv - but, only mens. The simplest conclusion must be that women don't play sports.

I forget sometimes how the world must look to her and David.
I started thinking about the broader picture, of girls and boys, of choices and perceptions ...

And so - I don't know.

(My first job out of college was at a consulting firm. At the time I was hired, another female engineer was hired as well. That brought the total number of female engineers of the firm of about 50 to 2.)

I don't know that the world will change much in a generation.
The simplest conclusion, is, well that reality is a bit more complex.

I hope I can instill in Kate that there is nothing she can't do.
Whether she has one fan or many.


Update:

We watched the Western New York Flash take on the Boston Breakers on Sunday.
When the game first came on, Kate was amazed.
"It's glrls! Glrls are playing!"
She could have cared less about the game though.
She could really care less about watching most sports on tv.
David thought it was great though -- it was soccer and it didn't really matter who was playing.