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Ban Bossy: Unintended Consequences
Tyrades!
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If you keep up with social justice issues, you’ve no doubt heard of the “Ban Bossy” campaign (banbossy.com) spearheaded by Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and other prominent females.The campaign seeks to strip “bossy” from our vocabulary, since its deeply ingrained use as a pejorative discourages girls from answering in class, running for school office, leading group projects or growing up to seek challenging positions in government or industry.I applaud the effort to end the stereotypes and level the playing field. Not only does the current double standard cheat girls/women, but mankind is being forced to tackle issues such as immigration, poverty, pollution and illiteracy with one hand tied behind its back.On the other hand, encouraging more of a female perspective is not necessarily a cure-all or an opening to a golden age. Lots of unintended consequences may emerge, and this could be as ashen a victory as the old Virginia Slims “You’ve got your own cigarette now, baby” campaign (which SHOULD have been paired with the old Enjoli spot, to produce “I can bring home the bacon/Cough my lung up in a pan...”)There could be a teacher shortage, as all the backwards educators who advised “everyone knows” that boys don’t like bossy girls or “everyone knows” that girls don’t do well in math or science are informed that they’re not being PAID to dispense information that “everyone knows.”What will become of all the marginally useful boys and men who get bumped out of leadership roles by women?