Memphis magazine, October 2016
I don’t need to spout off specific stats and figures to make this point: In a world long run by men, women have gotten the short end of the stick for centuries. It saddens me to say that, in some regards, we still do. Women are often paid disparate salaries compared to their male counterparts. And even today, some states want to regulate our reproductive health decisions. Though we’ve got a long way to go, we as a gender have come a long way. An obvious example: 2016 could very well see the first female President of the United States.
My duties as an editor for this magazine aren’t nearly as pressing or important as that of a president, but I sit here today feeling proud. I’m working in an office filled with as many talented women as men. I’m addressing an audience in a magazine meant to enlighten, entertain, and inform. I’m a trusted voice in a city with many strong voices. I’m paid to do what I earned a college degree for — writing — something I truly enjoy. Would I have been able to do this a hundred years ago? Even 50 years ago? Almost certainly not. Would I, a 30-something woman, have been taken seriously? Unlikely. Am I taken seriously today? I’d like to think so.
An interesting juxtaposition appeared in my newsfeed last week: a side-by-side comparison of covers of Girl’s Life and Boy’s Life magazines. It’s worth noting that the argument presented in the viral post is not entirely infallible. Boy’s Life is the official trade magazine of the Boy Scouts of America, and as such, its content must be in line with the group’s official oath and mission; in short, to help others and keep themselves “physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” Girl’s Life, on the other hand, is an unrelated (though similarly named) general interest publication meant to “guide girls through the growing-up years — without making them grow up too fast.”
The stir the magazines caused online sprung from the cover lines on each. The particular issue of Girl’s Life featured in the post, with a beautiful young, blonde cover girl, reads: “Fall Fashion You’ll Love,” “Your Dream Hair,” “Bye, Drama,” and “Wake Up Pretty!” The Boy’s Life issue teased its main story, “Explore Your Future: Astronaut? Artist? Firefighter? Chef? Here’s how to be what you want to be,” alongside various career-interest images.
As women, we’re taught we have to wear makeup and be skinny to be pretty; that we must dress a certain way to be found attractive (but heaven forbid we dress too provocatively; that’s opening up a world of problems). And we need to be beautiful above all else. (Who cares if you’re a brain surgeon or a groundbreaking astrophysicist? Are you hot?) We’re meant to strive to maintain our youthful appearance, yet, naturally, men only grow more handsome with age. We women might as well eat only lettuce and never even consider pouring that calorie-laden glass of wine, and once we hit 30, hide in a cave somewhere as we shrivel away, all old and wrinkly.
And we might, if we were the frail little weaklings we’ve been made out to be. Thankfully, for the world, and for our city, smart women, strong women, women who could kick your butt at a whole lot of things, exist. And they aren’t afraid to make their presence known.
We at Memphis magazine celebrate women — and men — year ’round, but each October, in line with our Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth Race for the Cure supplement, we salute the females among us with a special issue. Many of our city’s movers and shakers, business leaders, doctors, artists, and entertainers are women. They’re so much more than just pretty faces. We hope you enjoy reading about some of them within the following pages.
Though it may be foolish to give a man the last word here, I think the Godfather of Soul was on to something. James Brown wasn’t incorrect when, so many years ago, he sang the opening lines of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” but even he (who arguably had his own shortcomings in his dealings with women) knew “it would be nothing, nothing, not one little thing, without a woman.”
