Giggling girls and other mysteries
Life, if you believe the devout, the philosophers and television soap operas, is about the search for meaning.
You know, solving the great mysteries, etc. Well, I don’t know about the great mysteries, but some of the minutiae fascinates me.
This morning, in the gym, I wondered why it’s so much busier than any other day of the week. I can appreciate starting the week with enthusiasm for the gym but I don’t. This is because up to now, I have taken Mondays off, to recover from thrashing myself with a long effort of some description on the weekend. That’s what weekends are for, isn’t it?
However, with a schedule reshuffle forcing me to change my habits, I had the opportunity observe the weights room this morning. And I don’t understand the extreme number of people filling it.
I can understand it being a little bit busier – I mean you might have more energy to go on Monday morning but by Tuesday you might decide to shift the workout to the evening. But what's with twice as many people? Can anyone shed any light on this for me?
Given I was in the questioning zone this morning, I moved on to yet another issue that bugs me. Namely, those women whose television co-host jobs consist of simpering, giggling and being a little shocked by the male hosts. What, did I stumble into the Tardis and end up in 1961?
Even allowing for difference of temperament, how the hell do those women live with themselves? (I realise this is possibly going to be controversial, but hey, it's Monday.) I don’t think I could look in the mirror if my job was solely based on my ability to look pretty and be girly.
True, I wouldn’t get the job in the first place. I was reminded of this last week, when a friend asked if I was going to be a bridesmaid at my mother’s wedding. When I answered in the negative – and probably looked horrified at the thought – she looked thoughtful and replied that she couldn’t really see me in a bridesmaid dress.
I was an attendant at one of my mother’s weddings, but I was six, so being a flower girl in a pink dress was awesome. Twenty-three years later, not so much. I like dresses, but since my dream wedding is tying the knot in Las Vegas with an Elvis impersonator officiating, I don't think I'm best suited to bridesmaid numbers.
Bucking the expectations and stereotypes that come with being a natural blonde, I was never a giggling girl, even as a teenager, and couldn't understand men's preference for those who were. So it would take more than a hefty pay packet to make me flush my self-respect and feminist beliefs away and giggle for a job.
However, given I have the similar issues with the women who spend their time gyrating in next to nothing in various hip-hop videos, I could go on at length about this, so I’d better stop.
What do you think? Are you a giggling girl? Or, do you prefer those who are?
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I am not a giggling girl either, and considering I work in a male dominated industry I would be given a lot of flak if I were. I can't stand going out on the weekend and seeing large groups of screaming girls but as a couple of my friends fall into this category I have learnt to tolerate it, but only just.
There's a time and place for everything. Sometimes it is inappropriate to be a 'giggling girl', at work for example because you want people to take you seriously. Other times, though, when you're out for drinks with the girls, it's actually fun to act a bit girly. If you're not careful the seriousness of work carries over into your personal life and you find yourself being serious and measuring your responses to everything all the time.
Also, don't underestimate the effect of playing 'giggling girl' can have on men. Honey catches more flies than vinegar (and I don't mean that in a slutty way, because I am engaged!) all I mean is a nice smile, and a giggle at someone's joke (even if it's lame) can go a long way when it comes to having a good time out with friends. No one likes a sad sack.
The surge in monday gym habits may be caused by people who have families and are not able to "train" on the weekends because there is no time. Or perhaps they have houses or pretty much "something else" to do on the weekend? RE giggling girls - they drive me nuts. I am a girl. I wear skirts. I don't understand girls that seem to persist in making it hard for men to take me seriously cause I'm a girl. You know the ones, they not only giggle but their sole purpose in life is to make themselves attractive to the opposite sex. Meh. Get some self worth lovelies. *ducks for cover*
I'm not a girl.
I don't think I'm going to be able to shed any light on that one Ann. Although perhaps men truly like those kind of women? The ones who give the impression of being independent and with promising careers but are actually quietly submissive to the demands of their men? Perhaps I should try that for a bit..... if I only I could manage it without vomiting.
We've sort of been here before, I think, but I think feminism allows us to be whoever we're happy being.
Girls and women should not feel pressured to be "woo" girls (see How I Met Your Mother), or to only embrace the "pretty, girly" stuff. However, there's nothing WRONG with being giggly, silly, girly, or excited. There's nothing wrong with embracing the things that make (some of) us different to guys. And a giggling girl is no worse, in my opinion, than a dorky blokey guy. Almost all New Zealander TV presenters are cringeworthy in their own ways!
I'm a corporate lawyer by day, triathlete by early morning, enthusiastic debater of political and social issues over high-quality beer by evening, and list-making stress-bunny by night, but I'm also a sometime cupcake baker, keen shopper, blow-dryer owning overly keen wedding planner, and every so often I like to let my hair down, put my makeup and my tall shoes on, and spent the evening squealing and dancing. And I think that's just awesome.
The full gym on a Monday is the "oh god I drunk so much beer on the weekend" syndrome.
I'm also not a giggling girl. But the name is a dead giveaway for that.
I'd rather listen to a good honest belly laugh than a silly giggle any day. Giggles say nothing about a girl's sense of humour IMO.
Mondays are probably busier because of two reasons. One, it allows a Monday, Wednesday, Friday train, with Weekend too busy with other activities. Secondly, once Monday starts the week is usually then stuffed up with sudden urgent work commitments, so the Wed and Fri options get canned, only for the participant to be even more determined the following Monday.
As for giggling girls, the only girl that can giggle and make me adore her, is my wee daughter.
I'm not a giggling girl, though when my friends & I go rock climbing, we turn into 12 year olds & spend the whole time laughing at stupid things. I think it's mostly a nervous thing, we still don't feel experienced enough to be serious about it.