Anyway, the term blue stocking carries with it a negative connotation that has lived on to this day. I guess it's the adult equivalent to girl nerd or girl geek. It's based on the implicit assumption that an intellectually-curious woman is an anomaly, if not a total abomination! In my opinion, this is not the most socially adaptive way to function. Thinkers and fine minds are, unfortunately, still at premium. Any society that minimizes the use of possible brainpower of 50% of its population is self-handicapping itself stupidly.* Literally.
However, it is also not the best thing for bright girls and women to be shoehorned into the exclusively brainy role. The fact is, we're not just thinking beings; we're also feeling and sensitive ones. We have our minimum requirements for self-esteem support, to be noticed, and oxytocin release.
In short, appreciate our minds; but also appreciate it that we have nice legs! Our wearing candy stripe knee socks is a way of calling attention to them! As a matter of fact, candy stripe knee socks can reflect your moods or be obtained in the school colors of your choice!
*This is also an argument against the "dumb blonde" stereotype that some people mistakenly console themselves with. However, I'm reminded of La Rochefoucauld's maxim that "The height of cleverness is to be able to conceal it." At the very least, it reduces certain expectations and raises others.
6 comments:
There's nothing wrong with the blue stocking picture no matter what it's supposed to connotate.
You probably know the story of glamorous Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr, who was actually a very brilliant thinker who came up with the concept of spread-spectrum radio communications during the Second World War. This basic concept is what makes the cell phones and GPS units we use today possible. You can read her story in the book "Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World," by Richard Rhodes. I have no idea what color stockings she wore, but I'm sure it didn't matter.
I agree; it's not wise to discount intellectualism in half of the population. Either half.
Very good post! Worth it for a high school class to read.
I'd love to be able to get away with funky stuff like that, but even when I was thinner I only managed to look marginally ridiculous.
However I am a card carrying blue stocking by the British Regency definition.
I love candy stripes!
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