[Fic] "Drought" -- Naruto; minor rant on smiles and sexism

"Drought" is a failed attempt at writing a femgenficathon story -- I say 'failed' not because I think it's a bad story, but because it's only 650 words long, well short of the minimum length. It also doesn't quite fit the quote I'm working with.

Anyway. Temari backstory, in the vaguely pretentious faux-poetic style I seem to fall into when doing character studies, complete with heavy-handed symbolism. *sigh* I wish that weren't such an integral part of my 'voice' as a writer, but it keeps turning up over and over, and by this point I'm mostly resigned to it.

(Cross-posted here on ff.net.)

( Drought )

---------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, back in real life...

1. Ardis is doing well. The move to a specialist hospital went well, my dad arrived, and Vicky should be home by Friday. With a bit of luck, Dad and Ardis will be home by Monday, though their schedule is still uncertain.

2. I got a haircut. It's very nice not to have my bangs flopping into my eyes!

3. A couple days ago, my coworker JE was heckled by a group of teenagers. They slowed down as they drove past her and called out, "Ma'am, ma'am, you've dropped something! It's something bright!" She stopped and looked, and they said, "You dropped your smile!" and laughed like hyenas. She was not amused.

Today that same group of idiots did the exact same song and dance to me.

I despise people who tell me to smile. It is sexism. Nobody does that to boys or men, just to girls and women. Because we have to be pretty, and we have to be cheerful, and we have to put up with fucking idiots like that and not loose our tempers, because that's not ladylike, and it's "not fair, we were only trying to cheer you up, can't you take a joke?" I hated my middle school gym teacher when he did that to me. I hated my orthodontist when he did that to me (and called me 'sweetie' even after I asked him to use my name). I am severely uncomfortable around the customer who, although otherwise nice, constantly tells me to cheer up and smile.

I have the right to be in a bad mood. I can put a frown or a neutral expression on my "pretty face." I am a real person, not a smiling plastic doll.

...

May they all rot in hell.

[Fic] "Drought" -- Naruto; minor rant on smiles and sexism

"Drought" is a failed attempt at writing a femgenficathon story -- I say 'failed' not because I think it's a bad story, but because it's only 650 words long, well short of the minimum length. It also doesn't quite fit the quote I'm working with.

Anyway. Temari backstory, in the vaguely pretentious faux-poetic style I seem to fall into when doing character studies, complete with heavy-handed symbolism. *sigh* I wish that weren't such an integral part of my 'voice' as a writer, but it keeps turning up over and over, and by this point I'm mostly resigned to it.

(Cross-posted here on ff.net.)

( Drought )

---------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, back in real life...

1. Ardis is doing well. The move to a specialist hospital went well, my dad arrived, and Vicky should be home by Friday. With a bit of luck, Dad and Ardis will be home by Monday, though their schedule is still uncertain.

2. I got a haircut. It's very nice not to have my bangs flopping into my eyes!

3. A couple days ago, my coworker JE was heckled by a group of teenagers. They slowed down as they drove past her and called out, "Ma'am, ma'am, you've dropped something! It's something bright!" She stopped and looked, and they said, "You dropped your smile!" and laughed like hyenas. She was not amused.

Today that same group of idiots did the exact same song and dance to me.

I despise people who tell me to smile. It is sexism. Nobody does that to boys or men, just to girls and women. Because we have to be pretty, and we have to be cheerful, and we have to put up with fucking idiots like that and not loose our tempers, because that's not ladylike, and it's "not fair, we were only trying to cheer you up, can't you take a joke?" I hated my middle school gym teacher when he did that to me. I hated my orthodontist when he did that to me (and called me 'sweetie' even after I asked him to use my name). I am severely uncomfortable around the customer who, although otherwise nice, constantly tells me to cheer up and smile.

I have the right to be in a bad mood. I can put a frown or a neutral expression on my "pretty face." I am a real person, not a smiling plastic doll.

...

May they all rot in hell.