[ 30 September 2008: Message edited by: martin dufresne ]

quote:

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Ne manquez pas la grande manifestation unitaire dimanche prochain le 5 octobre à Montréal.

Une grande manifestation partira du Square Dorchester (angle Peel et René Lévesque / Métro Peel). Le rassemblement pour le départ est à 12h30; la manif sera suivie d'un grand rassemblement populaire en face de la Place des Arts; le tout devrait se terminer vers 15h00.

Les thèmes abordés lors de ce rassemblement seront les droits des femmes, l'environnement, la culture, la guerre, le travail (incluant l'assurance-emploi), la lutte contre la pauvreté (incluant le logement) et les droits des peuples autochtones, en lien avec les politiques et
les intentions conservatrices.

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[ 01 October 2008: Message edited by: martin dufresne ]

Yep, saw the grannies and the Pope and had a good laugh - though you make a much friendlier Pope than the dour Benny Ratzo. JP2, who was just as rightwing in substance, did seem like a friendlier-type guy, which is why the old fart was so "beloved". Guess we are fortunate that this old Inquisitor Pope -yep, headed the relooked office of the inquisition (now "Doctrine of the Faith", if I recall - don't feel like looking it up on the Vatican site) has so much less charisma.

I was taken up with tenants' rights stuff all weekend - one of the people organising a meeting for tenants requesting a place in a new co-op development (in the notorious slums on Christophe-Colomb north of Jarry, which the city has taken over from the slumlord and is in the process of thoroughly redoing) and my own co-op. All the tenants' associations will be marching under the banner of the parent association FRAPRU, calling for "Billions for housing, nothing for war".

I think the Grannies bother me more as I near the age I could be one of them (as a boomer, of course I could biologically be a grandparent). Sure, they are playing on the stereotype of dotty but kind and wise older women, but at the same time they make me cringe a bit because I feel their schtick is reinforcing such outlooks.

The Raging Grannies may exploit the "dottiness" stereotype you mention, but their songs and chutzpah are uncompromising. A friend of mine who is 55 and dresses what could be called "dotty" says that many young folks thank her for making ageing seem like a creative, fun, in-your-face place to be. Helps them avoid giving up on their life early and devolving to some stereotypical subservient mommy track.

[ 01 October 2008: Message edited by: martin dufresne ]

But most of the people my age, men or women, don't dress "dotty", "geezerish" or "old" - I don't mean the kind of people who dress like overaged teenagers, but just in normal clothing a 30 yr old might wear too. I can't bear being pushed into the desexualised, dehumanised "50 plus" category...

That really does bother me about the whole Raging Granny act, fearless though they are. Ageing isn't "fun", it is the pits, though the alternative is admittedly worse. Nor is it a place to be, it is a biological process. But while ageing isn't remotely fun, people who are no longer in the first bloom of youth certainly can be, and I know a lot of young codgers and stick-in-the-muds.

[ 01 October 2008: Message edited by: lagatta ]

[ 01 October 2008: Message edited by: martin dufresne ]

I SPECIFICALLY stated "men and women", because it is very sexist indeed to decry women who dress like 15-year-olds as "mutton dressed as lamb" while giving Mick Jagger a pass.

"people my age, men or women, don't dress "dotty", "geezerish" or "old" - I don't mean the kind of people who dress like overaged teenagers, but just in normal clothing a 30 yr old might wear too".

How can it be ageist if I'm talking about people of my own cohort? And I certainly don't want people to have to be conventional ("corporate" or "mumsy"), but you know the kind of person I mean, of either gender.