Women Archives ~ Not Good At Normal

December 8, 2024December 8, 2024

Influencers…A New Thing?

Think influencers are as new as Social Media? Think again!

You think the Kardashians started the influencer crazy? Social media as the downfall of our young people? Fads of following the famous?

Long before Instagram and TikTok, the internet and social media, before filters and photoshop twisted our vision of ideal and unattainable beauty, there were real celebrities. Movie stars and before them, the drawings in newspapers of ‘the ideal women’.

Ideal Woman

Long before movie stars even had names and vaudeville had its favorites, there was the ‘Gibson Girl’, the Coca Cola Girl and the Biograph Girl and Vitagraph Girl.

The Gibson Girl, was the ideal woman, She was active, progressive, attractive and yet the ultimate feminine female. First appearing in magazines and newspapers such as Life and Harper’s Weekly in the 1890’s. The Gibson Girl is said to be based on Camille Clifford.

The Biograph Girl was Florence Lawrence, who was one of the first named motion picture stars. The other was Florence Turner, the Vitagraph Girl, who when making appearances would hand out personalized photos

The Best Foot Forward

Hollywood soon followed. The actress Joan Crawford never left her apartment without full makeup and glamor because as she said “People expect to see a movie star”!

The It Girl, Clara Bow, an early influencer

Known as the Femme Fatale, Veronica Lake

Mary Pickford was the girl with the curls. Everyone wanted to look like her. There was the waif or waifish, Lillian Gish, The It Girl, Clara Bow (also a flapper). In the 1940’s everyone wanted the Veronica Lake hair. Marilyn Monroe, Twiggy in the 60’s, Farrah Fawcett in the 70’s

Influencers are nothing new, most Hollywood stars would appear in advertisements for beauty products. These women embodied the idealized, perfect woman, what woman should strive to be.

The beauty industry has long been a major contributor of the decline of the mental health of women. Using our favorite stars to hawk beauty products, making women, younger and younger, feel worse and worse about ourselves. Even young girls are scared to get old. Anti-age this, and stop aging that. Why do we hate old(er) woman or getting old??

One of my personal favorites, Judy Garland

As Lucy Moore states in her book “Anything Goes, A Biography of the Roaring Twenties” it was during the 20’s when psychology and research was used. Cigarette ads like Lucky Strikes were linked to female emancipation. Smoking meant freedom. And dying your hair and wearing lipstick wasn’t just for “the fallen woman”.

It wasn’t until the 1980’s where girls began to form their own individuality. Madonna, Cyndi Lauper and Grace Slick. But even then, girls wanted to just like them!

Even today, in the “Everyone and everybody is beautiful, big is in, all bodies are beautiful age, we still see ‘use this face cream to stop wrinkles’ ‘look younger and more youthful’ use this hair dye.. Older women aren’t supposed to be sexy. Yet the messages are still be you, be authentic, just do it while using this product, everyone does! Its the standard of beauty you too can attain. Only you can’t.

This ad came out around the time the movie “How To Marry A Millionaire” was released.

Social Media

Influencers/Youtubers/ Creators/Tictokers and so called social media celebrities, what a load of crap. They are paid highly to get you to believe what they post is reality. Filters and photoshop so much, if you saw them in real life you wouldn’t even think it was the same person!

Snake Oil

Years ago they were called Snake Oil Salesmen. People who would travel from town to town selling their goods…’Look younger and attract a mate, look darker, look lighter. Make your skin glow.’ They would be run out of town for selling lies.

Lasting effects

The ads and media scrolling doesn’t just affect women and girls, men and boys see this and think that is what women should be. How they should act and dress. They have an unnatural idea that they will find a woman or girl like that and when they don’t, they wonder why or keep leaving to go find her.

This goes back far beyond the printed advertising, even ghost signs, telling woman they are not enough as is, be sexier if, whiten your teeth, erase your wrinkles, use this corset, wear this wig, this product,that product.. be the happy housewife…. and on and on. Only now ad fillers, botox, boob jobs, laser peels, ect.

A happy housewife! Both ads have the woman in heels and skirt!

Watch out!

Do you follow or buy something just because your fave star/celebrity or ‘influencer is using it?

Snake oil salesmen are still out there, they just use filters.

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March 17, 2021July 1, 2021

Hysteria: What the Diagnosis really meant.

While doing research for the last blog, Women in St.Louis, I learned about The Social Evil and the hospital for women and all the implications thereof. So much info, I had to write a blog about it. Women were diagnosed with ‘hysteria’ up until 1980, when it was removed from the medical terminology as a disorder. It was really a general diagnosis when no other would suffice. Mostly anxiety or nervousness would be happening, but no one knew why.

A woman who was irritable, fainted, or had a loss of appetite. Hysteria. A woman who was sexually forward or enjoyed it, or who didn’t. Hysteria. Any woman who did not act like a proper woman, made a scene or was out of line and different were all thought to have hysteria.

Truth and History Behind Hysteria

The real reason so many women were diagnosed with hysteria was because her husband or father could not control her. She would ‘have a mind of her own’ ‘wasn’t thinking straight’ or ‘proper women don’t behave like that’ or even possessed. Men were scared of a strong woman and didn’t want to be thought of as not being able to control or keep quiet, his woman. Sometimes, if a woman caught her husband having an affair, he would say she was hysterical and have her committed.

Close to home, I pass the second oldest mental institution in Missouri, almost daily.

For hundreds of years this catch all diagnosis was used and a wide range of ‘treatments’ were given as a ‘cure’. It was thought that this woman’s disease was due to the uterus. It was thought the uterus moved around in the body. In ancient Greece, the uterus was described as “an animal within an animal” and was “sad and unfortunate when not joined with a male or bears child”. It was chronic and common. Mostly it was synonymous with normal functioning female sexuality. Often times the woman diagnosed was placed into an insane asylum.

The St. Louis Lunatic Asylum was built in 1869 and was an architectural dream built on the highest point of land in the city(at the time it was considered the county). The Dome was fashioned after the White house and only one other remains in the area, atop the Old Courthouse in downtown. I often drive by and wonder how many women were sent here because their husband’s couldn’t, or wouldn’t, deal with them.

The Cure

Several horrific and gruesome things have been done in the name of science and medicine to women as a ‘treatment or cure’. The simplest was scent therapy whereby good smells were placed under the genitals and bad odors at the nose. (who went to school for this?!) Rubbing ointments, sexual intercourse, and fulfilment of natural desire. The fact that these doctors thought nothing of virtually rapeing women in the name medicine! Some treatments also included electroshock therapy, water massage, manual stimulation and lobotomy. A transorbital lobotomy was like an ice pick going through the eye cavity to cut certain nerves in the brain. Some patients were tied to beds, and given medication.

Behind Closed Doors

What went on behind the locked doors of insane asylums? There has been much written about and sensationalized into dramatic movies, one that comes to mind is the movie Frances Farmer, based loosely on books about and by Frances. She was an actress in the 1940’s and was institutionalized several times. She was different, and did not conform to the gentile way a woman should behave. The book is a good read. Did it all happen? Only those there know for sure.

Actress Frances Farmer wrote a book about her experiences called Will There Really be a Morning

In 1887 a female journalist went undercover for 10 days in an asylum and wrote about her experiences. Nellie Bly used an assumed name and began the saga. She saw women beaten and without covering when cold. Tied down if they were thought to be violent. Given only tea and bread to eat and hit if they didn’t eat. Cold communal baths, threats of sexual violence and crowded conditions of 1,600 patients in a hospital meant to hold only 1,000.

Sadly there are other ways women are kept ‘in line’ today. Not given promotions when of childbearing years, real illnesses not take seriously, thought of as too emotional. Some say not pretty enough or too manly, women shouldn’t have muscles and women tear down other women. Where does it end? History should be our guide. Learn from it and move forward better for knowing what not to do. Drop a comment what ways you still find this happening or what you want to read about next. Share the love.

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March 16, 2021March 20, 2021

Extraordinary Women: A Brief History of St. Louis Women

St. Louis: The Gateway to the West

St. Louis may be known as the gateway to the west or the beer capital of America, but the history of the area is much richer and more interesting. While there are extraordinary women all throughout history, when looking at the whole picture, some amazing women stand out. Doing research for this blog, gathering information from various sources and my own knowledge, it became clear: There really is no written history of the contributions of women to our great city.

First Mayor

Via City of St. Louis~ Honorable Mayor Lyda Krewson.

It was not until 2017 that St. Louis elected its first mayor, Lyda Krewson. Who is not running for reelection. It was 2020 before the first woman was elected for United States Congress to represent St. Louis for the state, Rep. Cori Bush. In 2021 a new mayor will be elected and she too will be a woman.

Sure there are a handful of well known women who were born in or call St. Louis home, even if for a little while. The dancer Josephine Baker, singer Tina Turner, Maya Angelou and Betty Grable to name a few. But a deep dive was needed to uncover those who helped shape the city. Even the state of Missouri, as there isn’t enough info on women of St. Louis alone. So we will discuss those that we found that had a lasting impact.

A Most Extraordinary Woman

As far back as the 1700’s we have three women who owned property. Not just any women either. Free women of color in French colonial times in the area while under the French and Spanish laws. This was at a time when most women could not own property unless they were married. Not much else is know about Ester, Franiose and Jeannette, but its important to add them. They couldn’t vote or have many other rights, but owning land was not common.

Early suffragette, Virginia Minor, while living in St. Louis, was an officer in the National Woman’s Suffrage Association. During the presidential election of 1872, Minor went to register to vote and was refused by a ward registar. She and her husband sued him( Minor v. Happersett) Virginia started the movement in St. Louis and helped found the Women’s Suffrage Association of Missouri. Thus a full two years before Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony started the National Woman’s Suffrage Association.

Virginia Louisa Minor, an extraordinary woman.

Virginia Minor’s case was based on the 14th amendment. The amendment that stated “no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States, nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws”. ~this meaning All persons born in the United states, were not to be denied the rights given to them as citizens. ALL Persons and that is where she hung her hat. She was a person, She was born in the United States and She was being denied the right to register to vote. In Missouri, as in many other states at the time, women could not own property in their name, nor could they file a lawsuit, or be counted as a person or vote.. Legally, women were treated as property or as children. One lawmaker even said Women were dead to the law. SIDEBAR(see end for Evil Hospital)

As luck would have it…

Virginia was married to a lawyer. It was both Virginia and her husband Francis that took the suit to the U.S. Supreme Court. The lawsuit was thrown out as having no merit based on the assumption that the 14th amendment did not state voting as a right of citizenship. This did not stop Virginia. She would later not pay her taxes because, being a woman, she was counted as a ‘femme covert’ legal doctrine, meaning she could not own money, so legally, she did not have to pay taxes. The MO legislature, being held by all men, did not rule in her favor. Curiously because, it was by law her husband’s money, but she was held liable for it! Nothing like hypocrisy of men and politicians. Virginia Minor did not live to see Missouri become the 11th state to ratify the 19th amendment.

Other well known women

Susan Blow opened and ran the first public kindergarten in 1873. As a child, her home on the Mississippi riverfront was burned in the great fire and she lived through the cholera epidemic.

“If we can make children love intellectual effort, we shall prolong habits of study beyond school years”.

Harriet Woods became the first Lt. Governor in 1984, after getting her start in local politics. Jean Carnahan was elected the first female U.S Senator. Phoebe Couzins was the first US Marshal and the second female lawyer in the country, her mother, Adeline was an early suffragette. Margaret Bush Wilson was a lawyer and civil rights activist and the second person of color to practice law in Missouri. Virginia Masters, Sheryl Crow, Sara Evans, Rose O’Neal(illustrator of Kewpie dolls + suffragette), Jean Harlow, Phyllis Diller, Joyce Meyer and many more from the great state and everyday extraordinary women.

The Social Evil

When I first learned about this hospital, I thought it a joke. It was on a map I was researching for breweries in STL. In 1870, the boards of Health and St. Louis Police Commissioners initiated the Social Evil ordinance in an effort control and regulate prostitution. Taxing the brothels and women. Police were to visit brothels with a doctor to test and identify those infected with diseases and were then sent to the city hospital. When that proved to much, they established a separate hospital for prostitutes and a house of industry where they could be trained in vocational skills. This was called the Social Evil Hospital which opened in 1872. It soon became the Female Hospital for women and the training part closed. Evil women…how about curing the men from straying from their wives? In 1864 in England a similar experiment took place where women were tested for STD and locked away in ‘The Lock’ hospitals. Thus being why this experiment failed. The site of the hospital is now a park.

All through history, women are the ones expected to change, to get along. Not to speak out or not to walk alone at night, change our behaviour and men will not need to change theirs. We need More extraordinary women to keep up the right for equality. Remember, the Equal Rights Amendment has still not been ratified by all states needed to make it into law!?! Crazy right, 2021 and women do not have, by law, equal protection.(MO not one of the states to ratify). What are your thoughts? Who is a woman in MO history or history in general that you find extraordinary? Leave a comment.Video coming soon.

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