It's true we exploit stereotypes

My roommate couldn't
be a bigger proponent
for women's rights.
With a bachelor's
degree in sociology and
women's studies from
Vassar College, she
works five days a week
as a health-care associate
at Planned Parenthood
in Portland. Yet, in
her second job as waitress,
she said she isn't
above using her body to
get what she wants.

Boobs get better staff
meals, she said about
flaunting her female assets
to the mostly male
kitchen staff in order to
score a skirt steak over
a salad.

In my job as a reporter,
I've found myself
doing something similar
playing into a ditz
role in order to get
people to spend more
time talking to me and
explaining issues. If I act
as though I need their
expertise and not just
their sound bites they
tend to be more willing
to give their time and
even become more open
and trusting of me.

Though I may be able
to get the quote I need
and my roommate might
end up with a more
satisfying meal, I can't
help but wonder if our
tactics are ultimately
advantageous for us. Are
we playing the system
or just perpetuating
stereotypes?

One of my co-workers
also admitted to using
her looks to expedite her
work. She called it playing
the blonde card
taking advantage of
the fact that men might
be more likely to help
her out because of her
hair color.

It's easier, she said,
and it's kind of fun.
However, she justified
using her looks before
her brains because, she
said, she knows she
doesn't have to in order
to get what she needs.
It's just a shortcut.

It's the ownership of
the stereotypes that
justifies the behavior
to us. Though we may
be objectified, we're
in control of the situation,
which, in the end,
doesn't detract from our
perception of ourselves
as strong women.

The reality is, there's
still gender inequality in
the world. According to
the Institute for Women's
Policy research, in
2006, American women
made 77 cents to their
male counterparts' dollar,
and Maine women,
on average, made 75
percent of what men in
the state did.

Mostly, my roommate,
my co-worker and I all
do more in our lives
to promote strength in
women than to emphasize
our bodies or our
helplessness or our hair
color.

Though my roommate
might objectify herself
for a better meal one
night a week, the rest of
the time, she's supporting
women's right to
chose what to do with
their bodies.

My co-worker said
that what's even more
fun for her than playing
up her blonde hair is
proving to people she's
smarter than they think.
As for me, I feel that
even if I act a bit thick
in an interview, I always
have the opportunity to
alter people's perception
of who I am by coming
out with a story that's
clear, accurate and interesting.
So, until people stop
buying in to stereotypes
of women, I think using
them to our advantage is
more of testament to our
wiles than it its a sign of
weakness