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 assume you're joking

varying accounts claim virgin mary was from 12 to 16 years of age when she got pregnant. Besides - the fact that the story also relies heavily on Jesus's mum being 'pure' with hymen intact - no dirty old slag for mother of christ, makes it even more unpalatable

I was very careful to say primary source, none of which mention her age. In the context of the Middle East at that time she was old enough to be married, so the child pregnancy is clearly irrelevant.

Virginity is pretty crucial if you give it a second’s thought, ie proof that the child was the son of God, not the last bloke she slept with.

And the poster who mentioned being in the choir, I made sure that my choir always felt very important with costumes, movement and instruments. Definitely not just the leftovers after the main “ castings”.

"And the poster who mentioned being in the choir, I made sure that my choir always felt very important with costumes, movement and instruments. Definitely not just the leftovers after the main “ castings”."
There were so many in our schools choir that you could hardly see your child if they were 3 rows back at the side, especially if they were all wearing camel ears on their head. About 40 children in the choir meant 3 a few lines of them down the side, so if you were sat in the wrong side you couldn't see them at all. Annoying when the same kids got parts every year.

Why were Mary and Joseph chosen by God to be the parents of Jesus?

Because they had a stable relationship.

To be fair Mary and Joseph should have known the inn would be full. Everywhere is always packed at Christmas

lol @ Nativities failing the Bechdel Test.

So does the innkeeper have a name in this production?
If he's Derek, then fair enough, his wife gets to be called Sandra. But as the innkeeper in the bible didn't have a name, then I suspect not.

Seriously, this time of year the teacher is way, way too busy with a multitude of stuff, to be over thinking the script that's been shoved into his/her hand.

“Replace ‘innkeeper’ and ‘inkeeper’s wife’ with ‘two leisure industry operatives’. Now how to explain the Immaculate Conception ...”

This us the thread that keeps on giving..,,

Tabby yes that would be unfair. We had 180 children so max of about 15 in choir and year 2 had the action parts. Year 1 and reception did some singing and dancing but their turn for starring roles came in year 2
Mary, Joseph, lots of shepherds, sheep, camels, innkeeping people, angels, lots of wise people with their many attendants etc!
Ah I miss it ( a bit)

I hear you OP, but I wouldn't complain to the school about it, as it's a very small point: if it's death by 1000 cuts then you won't get very far complaining about one of the cuts will you? Do talk to your daughter about it. My children and I frequently have conversations about this sort of thing, and they occasionally notice "everyday sexism" and point it out to me.

Now for the pedantic part:
To anyone talking about the inn keeper "in the Bible" and Mary not consenting to the pregnancy ... can I suggest that you actually read the Bible before expressing your opinion on what is in it?

Here's a couple of starters for ten:

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+2-3&version=MSG

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+1+-3&version=MSG

This bit's a tangent, but I can't resist:
@contrary13 (miles away on p6 of this thread if anyone wants to look). How on earth can you complain about cultural appropriation of a person whose own teachings embraced all cultures and who was expressly rejected by many from the culture that you now claim him for? For what it's worth, I am a Christian and I love its Jewish roots - Christians regard themselves as "wild shoots grafted into the cultivated olive tree of Judaism" (it's in Romans 11). So as far as I'm concerned I'm not appropriating your culture, I've joined it.

*Ummm… not Immaculate Conception (a Catholic pedant writes). That refers to Mary's conception, that she was conceived in the normal human way but was cleansed from the burden of Original Sin before she was born.

I think you mean the Virgin Birth*

I realise that @liverpoolnana being a Left Footer myself, I just thought I’d pick a well known phrase ... oh never mind

The Innkeeper is never mentioned in the bible, let alone his wife!

My best friend appeared in the programme as "Harlot" in a secondary school production. Our convent school in 1960s obviously didn't believe in marginalising sex workers.

If the innkeeper's wife was a SAHM with exclusively domestic duties it's not so bad, but if they shared innkeeping duties then they should be called male innkeeper and female innkeeper.

Oh my god. Really. Get a grip. It’s a school play not exactly life changing

By all means complain.

Your DD might be offered another role.

But it won't be Mary.

YABU

I would consider myself a feminist and I think you're being ridiculous. It's a play based 2000 years ago. If you're so bothered, take the opportunity to explain to you darling daughter how times have changed and attitudes have moved on. Being mrs in keeper is better than being a sheep.

In love actually they had an Octopus i seem to remember

Thing is OP, I completely agree with you.

And no doubt if the Innkeeper had had a wife, she would have been running round like a blue arsed fly while he lorded 'front of barn' or whatever.

However, this is not the battle to pick. Though I know that you know that.

Very funny thread though. Definitely one for classics - thanks for starting.

referring to a woman as someone's wife is dismissive and undermining.

I could not disagree more. And I am outraged by your comment.

So who wins and who is allowed to be outraged now?

OP, you haven't explained how you feel about children being described as animals. Isn't that much more demeaning? Are you complaining to the school on their behalf?

Justiceforsandra I see what you mean, I should have clarified that being described as JUST someone's wife is dismissive. I am proud to be a wife but I am many other things as well.

In love actually they had an Octopus i seem to remember
Classic line:
"Eight is a lot of legs David"

should have clarified that being described as JUST someone's wife is dismissive. I am proud to be a wife but I am many other things as well.

I get your point, but it's a completely minor part in a class nativity! We might as well get rid of the "wife" and a child loses out on a part.

In context, who cares if your surgeon's husband is just know as the "husband" when you see them somewhere - would he need to give you his CV to prove that he's actually a partner in an accountancy firm? (random example). No one cares.