Now, onto what I really wanted to talk
about. This conversation may seem odd, but if you just watch the
movie, I promise a conversation like this may not seem as strange any
more. My boyfriend was not here to watch the movie with me, but I
gave him a run-down of the movie and we got into the hypothetical
conversation of what it would be like if we magically switched
genders. I felt that if I were to magically wake up one morning and
be a guy, my personality and interests wouldn't change. However, when
I see my boyfriend magically waking up as a girl, his personality and
his interests change. My boyfriend didn't see either of us having a
change in interests or personality. He looks at his sister and sees a
girl who hates shopping, loathes dresses, plays video games, and
can't cook to save her life. He sees me, and though I have a handle
on all the domestic things (like cooking, sewing, and taking care of
kids), I love to skateboard, go adventuring, play video games, and
taking me out to see a horror movie on Valentine's day is a
completely appropriate (and fantastic) idea. I asked a guy at work if
he thought his personality would change. His answer was yes, because
he would have, and I quote, 'girly hormones and PMS'.
I tried to figure out why I thought
about this the way I did.One reason for this could be the generic
things that are supposed to apply to the different genders. A lot of
people think of video games, horror movies, and skateboarding as a
'guy' thing. Sewing, baking, and being good with kids is seen as a
'girl' thing. For some, that could be the reasoning. However, that
doesn't make sense, because I like to do 'guy' things, Andrew can
cook, sew, and make clothes shopping bareable (I abhor clothes
shopping), and I know plenty of people who think that one gender who
likes to do things generally liked by the other gender is one amazing
catch.
I think my personal reasoning for
thinking that if I were to change into a guy my personality and
interests wouldn't change is because the few boys that are born into
my family (we're largely populated by girls) are taught that they
need to know how to take care of themselves. They are taught how to
sew, cook, take care of munckins, and end up spending a lot of time
with girls, so I don't see guys doing 'girl' things as immasculating.
However, when I think of a guy turning into a girl, I see them being
surrounded by 'catty' girls. They get caught up in dressing just
right, hanging out with all the right people, and getting wrapped up
in soap opera-esque drama, even though I don't even possess or
condone that mentality. One of the best Lines throughout the movie
was when Orlando awoke and found that he was now a she, “Same
person. No difference at all... just a different sex.”
What do you think of someone waking up
one morning as the different gender? Do you see them as keeping their
personality and interests, or do you see them as changing? Why?
