So, today's skirmish topic was childhood memories. One of the constant features of my childhood was always being defined by "being a girl". It was ubiquitous. I didn't think about it, mostly. But it shaped and constrained the person I've become in myriad ways, from the clothes I wore and the manners I was taught to being told to my face that I didn't go to the university I was, in fact attending and, again, to my face, that women can't do math so there was no point in me taking a particular class.
Something less obvious to the me of then was the way our stories were shaped and told, the roles delegated to women and awarded to men even in fantasy.
Also, I got a card in the oracle challenge, and this part of the reading struck me particularly strongly: "At this stage in your life, you are done repeating [your ancestor's] tragic stories. Step into the abundance that is offered to you, receive the gifts of those that have come before you, and write a new story for your life."
I will add a demo later; at this point, it would be very late indeed if I spent time on the music and chording and recording. But I will be singing this one, and soon.
Update: Well, it's rough, but the demo is now linked. I shall have to practice this one for a while to do it right. At least I like it enough that won't be an onerous chore. :)
They Were All About the Men
Deirdre M Murphy
D C D C D C D C
D C D C
I read so many novels long ago when I was young
D C D C
Dark forests, space stations, worlds far-flung
Em Dm Em Dm
There were astronauts, detectives, mages and knights
Em Dm Em D
Epic wizard battles and endless space flights
Em A
But you know, although those stories were fun
Em D
Every single blessed hero whose praises were sung
C Am Em D
Was male, every one, even if he wore tights
Em A
The stories were all about the men
Em D
There was a boy or two, and then men again
G D
The women were eye-candy “as pretty as a wren”
Em A D
And the stories were all about the men
The princes were the heroes, the princesses just coy
There were thieves and mages and even a cowboy
The heroes were all tall, broad shouldered and bold
(And girls should be meek! Or so we were told)
Every single story! Were they trying to annoy?
It was almost enough to make me wish I was a boy!
But why should our heroes all fit the same mold?
Why must our tales be all about the men
It’d be a nice change, how about one in ten?
But no, If we sought girl heros, we must take up the pen
For the stories were all about the men
And now some men are angry, they’re ranting loud online
‘Cause now there’s female heros in books all the time
And even women authors being lauded for their skills
It’s now OK for girls to win or tilt at those windmills
And even enby people and transfolk get to shine
Those uptight men should settle down, there’s no need to pine
In amongst the others, there’s lots of male heroes still
But our stories are no longer all about the men
Stories are a blessing for every kind of human
And different kinds of stories have different kinds of fen
G A Em A D
Nevermore shall our stories be all about the men
Copyright ©2022 Deirdre M. Murphy (2/12/2022)
#filk #skirmish #Feb1112SkirmishNo5, #S021222B #oraclechallenge #oraclechallenge #queer
@sheilerk Mar 2022
So good!! And an important subject. We need to keep encouraging the trend towards allowing women authors with women heroes being allowed into the old boys club of authorship. There’s a reason “ throw like a girl” etc., or a boy being called girly is considered an insult. It’s totally by design. Hard to get good at something when you’re not allowed in the club! You have some great lines in there, and I just loved it!
@berni1954 Feb 2022
Good arrangement and vocal. Thanks for telling me the demo was up.
@chroes Feb 2022
Important topic! Can totally relate, even though I found Tamora Pierce at about 12 years and was very thankful for that. Because, wow, women with agenda, with flaws, tho actually did things, changed their world!
@nadine Feb 2022
I can relate to these lyrics. This will bring society one step closer to equality of opportunities and individual life design. I really don't care about the gender of characters but I dislike the misinterpretation and expectations.
@blindkiwi Feb 2022
It hit me many years ago listening to an interview with a local indigenous actor saying, i watched a lot of tv but I never saw me. The misrepresentation of gender and ethnicity in literature and screen is now hopefully a thing of the past but it’s been a long road. Love the words in this, well written!
@writeandwrong Feb 2022
Nice way to work your oracle card challenge into a skirmish! That's a lot of skirmish writing!! I love the changes that have been made and how you've told the story of how it was to how it is now. Excellent work with the challenge! Thanks for participating! :)
@jwhanberry Feb 2022
A lot to consider in your write. It seems we're doing a little better, at least I hope so. Just have to continue to not accept the old myths. Good write.
@darcistrutt Feb 2022
The line "Was male, even if he wore tights" made me laugh out loud. Great lyric. I've seen ranting about the Wheel of Time being too female-heavy. I shake my head at them and wish I could ask if they noticed fantasy was a bit male-heavy in the past. One in ten would be nice!
@misterdemp Feb 2022
great message here, and I support this for my daughter! like that line "nevermore shall" as it harkens that old fairy tale language.
@arthurrossi Feb 2022
Luckily, we live in a time today when we have "Wonder woman"... :-) Beautiful and I would say very unique take on this skirmish... I have never been thinking about this actively so far, but now when I consider what you say... you are absolutely right... Particularly in the past, this world was almost a men´s world exclusively... Recently, things are changing and this change is one of the really very few positive ones of nowadays. I am interested in what musical way you are going to take this...
@kahlo2013 Feb 2022
Love how you used a childhood memory/reality to address an important sociopolitical topic in gender diversity and equity. Really well done! My take on the skirmish prompt also dealt with queer reality.
@berni1954 Feb 2022
Look forward to hearing this powerful piece of poetry turned into song.
Let me know when it's done.
In some ways, we were lucky to be children at a time when the world seemed about to change for the better, (The Beatles, Rock Music, Hippy Dreams, etc) but the gender bias of the time was appalling.
My favourite fictional girl was "Georgina/George" of the Famous Five as she was so much more interesting than wimpy Anne. But even then Enid Blyton had her wishing to be a boy and the boys always criticised her for being too much like them.
Thank goodness my daughter has grown in a very different society in which her choices are not as straightjacketed as ours were.
@cicpisces Feb 2022
Interesting take on memories and how things have progressed. Nice images used to make your point. Nice write.
@lcad Feb 2022
Well written and fluid. Personal and relatable. It's nice that there's more stories for the rest of us these days