to be outraged by Nativity casting as 'Innkeeper's wife'!!!

[PIPERHELLO]

Daughter (6) has been cast as 'someone's wife' in the Nativity play at school. 'Innkeeper's wife' to be precise.

Err...hello!?

This is fucking not OK! In 2019, to be identified as 'someone's wife'.

Normally I am pretty relaxed about all things school, and I certainly feel sorry for he teachers' workloads, but come on people!? This is 2019 - no woman should be identified by her relationship to a man!? SURELY!

Itching to call them out on this. Itching!

“ I was a book once, not even dressed as a book, I had to carry a book!!”
I’m amazed that was allowed-they didn’t have books in those days....

But she apparently can’t have a name

ahem, she DOES, thank you.

People are getting a bit worked up about this one...I was going to just say I was once Mary...the year the play was the little angel and Mary had no lines

I get you OP. This is dull in 2019.

I don't think you're being unreasonable OP! Second Innkeeper or something would surely have worked just fine.

This has reminded me of my own nativity story; DS2 was assigned the role of shepherd, and the instructions cheerily recommended that he make himself look like a shepherd (i.e. a Jewish/Arab man of around 2000 years ago) by popping a dishcloth on his head. As a person of Arab descent myself, I took slight umbrage at this and proceed to make him the most splendid shepherd costume (i.e. a typical Arab man's robe and headdress) that the world has ever seen. God it was beautiful as a small placatory measure toward the TA (who gave me proper face when I gently pointed out my opinion), I also made headdresses for the other shepherds. They all looked great :D

by popping a dishcloth on his head. As a person of Arab descent myself, I took slight umbrage at this and proceed to make him the most splendid shepherd costume

Ds2_is goes to a special school ,their Xmas plays are always hilarious ,they get the entire school.to join in he,s been a sheep ,a rockin robin ,one year the pupils all danced out of the hall to New ,York ,New York ,there's alway,s a couple of children that shout theirs Mummy .

They could call the characters Innkeeper 1 and Innkeeper 2.

My son was King 1 in his nativity. This pleased him immensely. Not in an 'I'm number 1' kind of way but because it meant he was giving the gold and he had no clue what frankincense or myrrh were.

Odd the things small children get hung up on.

“Look at me I’m Sandra-Dee, I’m the star of the nativity “

Yawn...

Could be worse. Could be a carrot.

instructions cheerily recommended that he make himself look like a shepherd (i.e. a Jewish/Arab man of around 2000 years ago) by popping a dishcloth on his head.

I regret to say that as a child of the 70s our three (white) wise men were made up by the liberal application of cocoa powder to their faces

'I have no plan to be that parent!
You are that parent already.

What the hell did this 'wife' do all day - probably as much as the Innkeeper I suspect."
Then why would you not consider her his equal? Being his wife is a fact. It is the Innkeeper's role that was important in the story so relationships are stated in relation to him. If the woman's role in the story had been the main one, I'm sure they would have stated his role in relation to her.

Don't look for discriminaton where it doesn't exist.

It's such a shame the English language only uses neutral gender for objects, unlike some other languages who uses masculine, feminine and neutral.

Oh the missing opportunities to be outraged!

My dd was “1st Sheep” once...

Oh the missing opportunities to be outraged!

Innkeeper's wife to be referred to as "it"??

It is very odd how many “soft anti feminists” are suddenly appearing all over Mumsnet....

Whilst I kind of get the OP's point, this is a school play at a busy time of year for teachers. The last thing they need is a 'helpful' parent changing their role to non gender specific one. Go with innkeepers wife and be pleased she has a bigger part than the trees, sheep etc.

I wouldn't have thought twice about it but you made me think, and I have to say I agree with you... I'm surprised by the responses here.

To everyone saying their child was xyz, you're missing the point. OP is not worried about how important the role is.

The problem is that we all think wife of the innkeeper is fine. But if we called the roles innkeeper and husband of innkeeper everyone would have to stop and think for a moment cause they assumed innkeeper was the man (ignoring same sex couples...). Whoever said it above, why can't they call it landlord and landlady or sth similar? It indirectly/subliminally teaches young girls that they can aspire to be a prime minister's wife etc, instead of teaching them to aspire to be the next prime minister etc. I think that kind of language really does matter.

But. I agree with another PP. I wouldn't mention it to the teachers, pick your battles and what not, but definitely a great thing to talk to your daughter about.

In a lot of film credits characters are called "TitleNames wife/husband/friend"...

nnkeeper's wife to be referred to as "it"??

I wouldn't have put her in the "object" category to start with, why would you?

Oh gawd, it's a play... I cannot bear all this PC stuff. Like bah bah grey sheep!!! The farmer takes a partner... kids are kids and they don't take much notice of these things

I don't like it either. It may be a small thing but it's like death by 1000 tiny cuts. Small things add up.

It is very odd how many “soft anti feminists” are suddenly appearing all over Mumsnet....

in other words, I do not like when other posters disagree with me and think I am the best wisest of them all #MNroyaltyinmyownhead

Having a different point of view doesn't make anyone an anti-feminist...

Dd1 was once cast as a book. I've kept the piece of paper she was given detailing her role and its in my downstairs loo.

Love this. I kept all sorts of crap like this from primary school and am now inspired to make some sort of decorative, humourless collage.

Best part of this thread is all the random roles for nativity—lobster, doorknob, palm tree...

OP I get your feminist POV and don’t fundamentally disagree, but...outrage?