The cheap, dirty tire on my 1999 Volkswagen Beetle had given up and couldn't take the Arizona heat. It blew up and I was left alone, with no cell service or prior knowledge of changing a tire to deal with the issue.
So that is exactly what I did. After many attempts and a hope that I would never be in this situation, especially in a tutu, I figured it out and was on my way. That day changed everything for me. I am not sure if it was my anger, my confusion, or my desire to be independent that made me want to change the amount of knowledge I had about car maintenance. Nevertheless, my knowledge on the subject grew and I was able to do things on my car that some men would stare in confusion -- such as changing a tire in a tutu and heels in 103 degree heat.
I am not saying I completed this task eloquently by any means, but I was proud of myself for doing what some men will make jokes about a women's lack of ability to change a tire. Attached are photos from the event, please enjoy and try to imagine this happening to you; it can be quite funny if you allow it to be.
I learned so much from this day. I also learned some of the ways that some people categorize what women typically can and can't do. Fey discusses this in another aspect of women's humor. I have really liked what I have read of Bossypants and have laughed more reading her book than any other book I can remember.
She talks about how some men think that women aren't funny. She explains this as she is literally making me laugh, so this section was an interesting read.
Just like Fey explains the stereotype on women's humor, there is a stereotype on what women can and can't do. Changing a tire is something men are seen as naturally being able to do. They learn just as we do, we as women just need to give ourselves that opportunity to learn the same things.
As I stated in my Reflection Paper for Unit 1, I think that Fey is trying to tell women to be who they are, ignore stereotypes (because they truly are ridiculous), and be interesting.
So, with all that being said, call me if you need help changing your tire. I am not a man, but I have learned to do just as good of a job at getting a blown up tire off and replacing it with a spare. Or, and I would suggest strongly, learn how to do it on your own and make a joke of it. It is much more fun that way.
Here are the photos of my car before the incident (note, heels and tutu) and also a picture I took on snapchat to upload when I had service.
My inability to change a tire is actually something that has bothered me for a long time (though I also can't drive, so I should probably address that first). Most of my life I grew up in a female dominated household, and every time something broke down, it was always an outside male who would come to fix it--whether that was my grandfather, an uncle, or someone whose job it was to fix it. The older I've gotten, the more this dynamic has bothered me. I don't want to grow up and start taking care of my own house without knowing what to do when there's an electrical problem, a leak in the plumbing, or when I have a flat tire with no one else to help. It's great that you've learned to do this yourself, even if you had to learn as a result of unfortunate circumstances. Especially with the access to information that the internet affords us, there's no reason women today can't go out there and learn the things that men have always said we can't. I'm sure this will make me think more about learning to care for cars (whenever I learn to drive one), and hopefully if I ever need a tire change, I'll be able to do it myself, too.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Cute tutu!
I'm not sure why this comment got marked as "Unknown," but it was by me! Sorry for the confusion.
DeleteHi Emily! I really enjoyed reading this post and thought it was very well written and a great example of "public writing." I liked how this post really seemed like a mini-narrative, which I like to find in a blog post. Your post started out en medias res, which helped draw me in to the story and made it more dramatic. I love the details about the tutu and the heels and appreciate that you included pictures as well. I totally agree that there remain in our society today many stereotypes about what women can and cannot or should and should not do. Good for you for disproving one of them! You really know how to tell a story and it shows. I especially like how you reflected on how this day changed you - every day events can have a symbolic effect on our lives and it is important to acknowledge that! You've inspired me to learn how to change a tire myself :)
ReplyDeleteI also can't change a tire. It feels like a major failing...but I do have AAA. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! I like that your blog post is about crushing stereotypes that people have about women. This is a pretty relevant topic regarding women in humor. This topic has been mentioned in all the texts that we have read in the class so far, such as in the writings of Fern, Gray, Barreca and Fey. I think learning about tools and practical skills is a good thing. I didn’t know much about tools until I took a sculpture class here at Shepherd University. I now own a handy tool kit that I use around house all the time. I can relate to this blog post because this winter, I had to learn how to jump start the battery on my car. On a related note to your blog post, your Volkswagen is truly adorable.
ReplyDeleteThat's great you learned how to change a tire! The fact that you were wearing a tutu and heels makes it even better:) Gender stereotypes are talked about in every text we have read thus far. These stereotypes are damaging because it can limit peoples expectations of themselves. Just because someone may dress or act girly does not mean that they can't take care of themselves. You disproved a common stereotype by learning how to change a tire.
ReplyDeleteYou all need to stop being so hard on yourselves. YouTube has the answers to all life's mysteries. I also cannot change a tire. Oh well. Is it worse that I can't change a tire? Is the fact that I ask based on stereotypical expectations of what men and women are "supposed" to be good at? Probably. Stereotypes are limiting and might steer us away from things that we would be passionate about. I do not feel like stereotypes have nearly as much steam today, because of the internet. Valid information erases bias and the fact is that women hold just about every job under the sun. Now, are they hired at the same rate and for equal pay... That is highly debatable, but the point is, if you can't find a role model in this world, with all this information at your fingertips, then I feel like that is on you and not the world. Point being: stereotypes are limiting and damaging, but all you have to do is look around to see that many, if not most, stereotypes are based on fiction and assumption.
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ReplyDeleteHey Emily! That is amazing that you used your personal experience to make a connection to the stereotypes Tina Fey discusses in Bossypants! Considering it was so hot and you had no cell service, I’d say you handled the situation perfectly! At the time I’m sure the situation wasn’t funny, but that’s great that you can look back and laugh about it now! I agree with you that as women we do need to give ourselves a chance to learn how to do things men are expected to know. We can do anything men can do. In my normal day to life, I would overlook how to change a tire, but it’s an important skill to have! I need to learn soon and would definitely let you teach me!
Terrific thread of comments, folks. You are killing it!
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