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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

'Princess on Board' and 'Child on board'

66 replies

Ormirian · 18/03/2011 10:32

Seen this morning on rear window of car parked outside school. Two stickers with Disney characters on. One pink and festooned with various princess-types. The other blue with Buzz Lightyear and the like.

The pink one said 'Princess on board'.

The blue on said 'Child on board'

So assuming that the blue one was for a boy, why does the girl get to be a princess and the boy merely a 'child'. Is that because the girl is more precious or is it because they couldn't bring themselves to call the boy a 'prince' or similar because it's not 'manly' enough? Or is a 'girl' not good enough unless you promote her to something better?

Just wondering what you think.

OP posts:
nenevomito · 18/03/2011 10:52

I get what you are saying. Why not "Hero on Board" or something similar.

I'm not keen at all on the whole "princess" thing for girls as the princesses in fairy tales are generally wet behind the ears and no good until a man comes and rescues them. However if it was Princess for girls and Hero for boys, based on the Disney characters, they would still be naff, but not quite so weird.

Maybe its just me but it does seem like when they have two toys. A normal/natural coloured one for boys and the exact same thing in shades of pink for girls.

Maybe I'm overanalysing as well. Meh.

ShatnersBassoon · 18/03/2011 10:53

I don't get it though. Isn't a princess more exciting and prized than a regular child? I would say the boy gets the raw deal in this situation, not that any child would give a second thought about the tacky gewgaw adorning their side of the car.

sakura · 18/03/2011 10:54

mrsravelstein, "men in the boardroom" is a figure of speech I trot out now and again to show how much men run the show when it comes to what ends up in the shops, and how little say women have, which is why the world looks like it does, and why there are so many sexist products out there.

Original poster
Ormirian · 18/03/2011 10:55

Yes, that is one interpretation shatner. Which I also pointd out in my OP.

OP posts:
mrsravelstein · 18/03/2011 10:55

so now there are no women working in retail??

mrsravelstein · 18/03/2011 10:56

presumably they are all repressed by the patriarchy

mrsravelstein · 18/03/2011 10:58

if it was the law that on bearing a female child you had to display a princess on board sign in your car, that would be sexist. i honestly cannot see how choosing to have one can be interpreted as a major feminist issue.

sakura · 18/03/2011 10:59

ooh, I've got an idea lets talk about how there is no need for feminism, or that feminists see shit that's not there, or that they're too sensitive, or they need to get a life, or a sense of humour or (fill in the blank)

sakura · 18/03/2011 11:00

nobody said it was a Major Feminist Issue.

exoticfruits · 18/03/2011 11:02

I hate them-but I did see one yesterday that said 'sensational mum on board' and that made me Smile

GwendolineMaryLacey · 18/03/2011 11:02

They probably looked at them in the shop and thought, hmm, Kylie would love the tinkerbell one and Jason would love Buzz. I bet they didn't even read the words.

bonkers20 · 18/03/2011 11:04

As long as the parents do not treat their daughter as a more prized princess than their mere child of a son then I wouldn't give a hoot.

I don't think Disney are really going to embrace feminism are they so it's not really worth worrying about.

Sarsaparilllla · 18/03/2011 11:07

oh look they have a child in their car I would have run into them but now I won't !!

That's exactly what I think when I see 'baby/child on board' type notices, what's the point of them??

They're just stupid, what difference does it make that they've got a kid in the car, I won't drive any different and nor will anyone else Confused

Why do people feel the need to announce it?

AyeRobot · 18/03/2011 11:12

Are we doing this feminism thing wrong again?

Original poster
Ormirian · 18/03/2011 11:15

Oh good lord Hmm Not it's not a major issue. It's not up there with female circumcision or forced prostitution or unequal pay but it's something that is worthy of consideration. Because it's little things like that that add up to the way we think of men and women and the way we like to box them up.

OP posts:
StewieGriffinsMom · 18/03/2011 11:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SocialChameleon · 18/03/2011 11:18

I used to hate these sticker things,I even considered fashioning my own little sticker thingy for my car saying "actual person with a life/family/heartbeat onboard"

I mean who thinks 'oh there is a child in that car, best not crash into them then' People should just drive with more care in the first place - regardless of the passengers!

BUT...since having dd (5 months) and often driving from Cheshire to Glasgow I was wary of having dd in car so bought a sticker saying "baby on board" Now I use these stickers as a way of saying to other drivers "I know I'm being an over-cautious eejit here, but either please bear with me, or take over...."

I do however reckon that princess on board/naughty person on board/hero on board are all really naff - If you really want to have one it should be either child or baby end of!

The OP is correct, why elevate the girl to princess level and the boy...merely a child....I think perhaps the shop had run out of 'frog on board' :)

GwendolineMaryLacey · 18/03/2011 11:20

But surely you can only tell how the purchaser of these items has 'boxed' the children up by asking them their motives for buying those particular ones? After all, if it was the characters that attracted them then it could have said womble on board for all the difference it makes.

SocialChameleon · 18/03/2011 11:23

not that all boys are frogs (or any boys for that matter :))

Just referring to the princess and the frog....that's all

MerryMarigold · 18/03/2011 11:24

First let me say, I don't have any 'child/ baby/ twins on board' stickers.

I think the Princess thing is because little girls are often called that (rightly or wrongly). I think you'd have to address the whole thing of why people call their daughters 'princess' (which is v sickly imo, nothing to do with feminism). At least the boy one didn't say 'Monster on board'!

I think they should both say 'Darling on board'!

bonkers20 · 18/03/2011 11:27

I thought there were to alert emergency services to the fact there was a young child in the car. Car seats can be thrown right out of the car.

I wonder if this is a myth...I mean I doubt the services will hunt around to see if there is one of those stickers and THEN start looking for the missing child.

I do like having my sticker. I feel that maybe, just maybe, the arse driving so close I can't see the front of their car might be a little more considerate if they see I have a child. Who knows.

StewieGriffinsMom · 18/03/2011 11:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Ormirian · 18/03/2011 11:57

And they could be misleading of course. Unless the car owner takes them off whenever there aren't kids in the car.

OP posts:
aStarWithHerOwnWays · 18/03/2011 12:16

I find the application of 'princess' to girls and women fairly annoying wherever it crops up. It's like the wedding mags that always bang on about 'your special day to be a princess'. Just one day? Fuck that, I'd rather be queen for a lifetime thanks.

Anyway. Stickers. Annoying. Yes.

exoticfruits · 18/03/2011 13:25

I don't know why they don't take them out when the DC isn't in. It is pointless-half the time they are not on board.
I was driving behind another to make me smile this morning-it said
'ex husband in boot'!