Comments on: Boys Who Do Double Dutch

By: CBrachyrhynchos

CBrachyrhynchos — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:30:48 +0000

Argh. I’m of about five different minds about this sort of thing and I’m in a bad mood in general. One, it’s great to see boys engaged in this kind of activity with some notice to the discrimination he experienced. Two, it’s depressing to me that this is worthy of notice and comment. Three, I remember the shit I got for playing violin rather than a more masculine band instrument. Fourth, this kind of stereotyping makes me want to crawl back into bed and pull the covers. Fifth, it annoys me the way in which the choreography was done to emphasize that yes, he is a boy.

By: unrelatedwaffle

unrelatedwaffle — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:50:54 +0000

Anyone else remember The Bernstein Bears where the kids do double dutch? I remember hoping that it was made up for the book, because it seemed too hard for me to ever do in real life. Then the next year in first grade it was all the rage and I couldn’t do it and was so sad.

Also, why do the school jumpropes have to be the ones with the hard plastic beads!? THOSE THINGS HURT LIKE HELL.

By: What is the best exercise to lose belly fat? | Game Ruckus

What is the best exercise to lose belly fat? | Game Ruckus — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:52:09 +0000

[...] Feministe » Boys Who Do Double Dutch [...]

By: Ron O.

Ron O. — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:52:02 +0000

I’ve think Double-dutch is awesome and i wish I could have learned when I was a kid. Skipping rope with a single rope was the norm, but boys generally could play too. I don’t remember controversy over that, but maybe that’s because I have 5 sisters and only remember jumping rope at home, not at school.

Corwin, my condolences on your grief. I lost a friend to non-Hodgkins lymphoma a few years ago. I’d known him since I was 12. He was 41 when he died. We attended different schools up to college, but we were housemates there. Another friend is dying of cancer right now.

By: The Morning After: Little Double Dutch Boy Edition - The Sexist - Washington City Paper

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:59:25 +0000

[...] * Via Feministe: Don’t make fun of boys who do double dutch: [...]

By: Solri

Solri — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:31:57 +0000

I was initially confused because where I come from, “double dutch” means “nonsensical speech”. We call that game “skipping”. I tried it when I was a boy, and after taking the skin off my knees a number of times, concluded that it was, in the words of Oscar Wilde, “all very well a good game for rough girls, but not for delicate boys.”

By: queen emily

queen emily — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 07:05:35 +0000

I think you’re actually underplaying the violence involved in producing gender norms here, the cultural production required to make sexes “opposite.”

I mean, the kid was pushed down the stairs. What happened to the boy who pushed him? Violence against gender variant boys (and trans girls seen as boys) is generally institutionally legitimated (by parents, teachers, coaches, administrators, ministers etc) by narratives like “boys will be boys,” “toughen him up” etc. When I read he got pushed down a flight of stairs, I knew from personal experience that he got off lightly, sadly.

What if this isn’t the only way he transgresses gender norms? He might be otherwise gender normative, but he might not. The point is, look at what gets mobilised by what is a fairly mild gender transgression–something gets produced as exceptional, a source of anxiety, a “problem” for adults to manage. I’m glad his mum saw the light, but it could have gone much differently.

Gender boundaries get defended *hard*…

By: denelian

denelian — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:05:50 +0000

corwin – i will sacrafice a goat for your friend. not literally, and not flippantly, i just hate haing ppl tell me they will pray for me, so i say that instead :)

Cara – when i was in Juior High and High School, both schools had sing/dancing classes/groups/competetors (we competed in eightly jillion events). there was also, in the town, a school that was like a dance school but did double dutch, as the above talks about but not in the actual school, it was an after school thing. kids who did the doubl-dutch school were offered first dibs in the dance groups. apparently thats why i didn’t make the cut first year – i didn’t do the jump rope. but i wouldn’t call it sport, i would call it art. but then again – i used to be a dancer (centuries ago when i could use my right leg).

that boy, he kicks much ass.

By: Cara

Cara — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:53:20 +0000

I’m sorry about your patient/friend, Corwin, and I hope that somehow things might improve. About 6 weeks ago, a very close friend of mine committed suicide, so I understand grief at the unfairness of the world and randomly lashing out at people because of it — especially on the internet which, encourages impulsiveness and seems relatively anonymous. Take care.

By: Jim H in Indiana

Jim H in Indiana — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:43:29 +0000

Why is it that sports really seems to bring out the worst regarding gender identification. You know, like the wackjob that goes: Football, baseball or racing is for men and, girls should play…uh, oh, *cough*…well, girls shouldn’t do sports ”

What the hell difference does it make? Just play the damn game and have fun….