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!

As a child frequently cast as a tree, I could only dream of becoming the innkeeper's wife

Sorry, OP, but I think your good intentions are misplaced here. It's a simple descriptor. What title would you prefer, Co-Innkeeper 2?

What’s even worse is that the nativity play will probably fail the Bechdel test, being all about... a baby BOY

Actually, I do find this outrageous.

What did the innkeeper's wife do all day? She would have cleaned, cooked, made beds, welcomed guests. She was a fellow innkeeper. Despite all that, as a woman her only status is as the wife.

I worked on a farm as a student. The "wife" worked on the lambing, milked the cows, was part of the dipping team yet when it came to the census she said her job was "housewife". This was early 80s.

It's a dreadful message to send out to children, especially female children.

@Finfintytint Not so bad. My son was usually livestock

😂😂😂

But what do you want them to call her? If your DD came home told you she'd been cast as Julie or Vanessa you wouldn't have a clue what she was on about. There are so many actual, genuine examples of misogyny in every day life to get worked up about. This isn't one of them.

To be clear, I am not 'that parent' at all. I think teachers have it unbelievably tough and generally go out of my way to support etc.

I have never got anywhere near saying anything to a teacher along these lines before. I haven't ever seen such a casually popped in bit of inequality before.

Ms Innkeeper? Better?

Normally I am pretty relaxed about all things school
Summon whatever it is that normally relaxes you op!!

I sort of see your point... But schools are under pressure to provide as many speaking parts as possible in the Nativity play, so the Innkeeper is now Innkeeper+ wife, where as before the inn keeper was a girl or boy.

This is so ridiculous you know you are being ridiculous right Innkeeper andsandra wife are an integeral part of school nativity but I think if you are so enraged phone the school go on do it

I spend ages rewriting our nativity to give as many children as possible a part. Last year our innkeeper has a wife and two kids. I just couldn’t get upset about that tbh.
It’s an easy way to label the part for the script.

ffs not everything is a cause, not everything is a feminist issue or outrage.

It is a nativity that has been going for hundreds of years for god sake.

Don't be that parent

Oh gosh but this play isn't set in 2019 is it

My son was normally cast as a tree or a star. Count yourself lucky she has an actual human role

so being someone's WIFE is an insult now?

wow, every time you think we've reach the bottom, someone comes up with a new one.

Why don't you suggest a lesbian couple to run the in, so the innkeeper would be female too, that would work!

How about ‘Innkeeper‘ and ‘Innkeepers Husband’. Sounds wrong doesn’t it??? Why is that?

I have no plan to be that parent! :)

I just think it's rather sad that this is still going on. It is casual inequality. As @OllyBJolly said - well put. What the hell did this 'wife' do all day - probably as much as the Innkeeper I suspect.

I really want to take the piss, but I actually agree with you, op, and happyspud. Or cast her as the innkeeper and the lad as the ‘innkeeper’s husband’.

She's lucky, I was an ox.

I see your point. Why not second innkeeper, or landlady? something that's not 'Male role = an actual role; Female Role = male's dependent". How did they cast? Did they consider a girl for the role of Innkeeper? etc. It's a small point but pernicious. But then we are talking about a story in which the Woman is revered for Not Having Sex and Being A Virgin, which is a whole other thing!

Are you fucking with us? This has to be a joke.

Soon teaching will be carried out entirely online by previously approved BOTS. Parents can then chose the BOT that best reflects their own views and use a ChatBot to complain about these issues.

We could also rewrite stories from other religions to ensure they reflect 2019 culture - but I bet OP wouldn't dare suggest that.

In the end - that is all she is in the story. The Shepherds are defined only in relation to their animals.

Or, indeed, cast the pair of them as ‘the innkeepers’ and share the lines.

They are teaching kids about a woman who magically got pregnant (although wasn’t she supposed to be 12 when it happened) and you are concerned about your dd being cast as someone’s wife??

It may have escaped your notice but the 'innkeeper' doesn't have a name either. What do you want her to be called? Susan? Margaret? Bethany? Maybe with 'stay-at-home Mum and part-time stable hand and crib maker' written next to it so she's clearly not defined by being a wife?

I tell you what go the whole bloody hog and tell the school you don't think any of the characters should be defined by their job, marital status or gender, and insist everyone is referred to as 'gender neutral person 1, gender neutral person 2 etc' for the entire show.

Alternatively you could just give your head a wobble and just enjoy the bloody nativity.

Surely at the time of the nativity the inn keeper would be a man and if he had a wife she would be thought of as the inn keeper's wife? It's a one off event so you should let it go.