Gurian mid-bitch

So, here are some of my impressions on the Gurian video featured in my previous post, "Locally-based gender learning".

I had to watch the video twice, because the first time, the fool *knocked me out* ala Alejandro; the only thing different was no lingering aftertaste of chloroform. Talking, talking, talking…like a man, I began to twiddle my fingers and nod off. I tried hard to stave off sleep by taking notes (like a woman)…and woke up well after the video ended.

Oh, that damnable bridge brain of mine; why, oh why, do I have to be like only one in five women? Perhaps if I was more like the other four, all this talk would have gotten my motor revvin’.

A quote that puzzled: why does the speaker consider gender discussions to be “very controversial”? It’s really not…except for those who, for whatever reason, disbelieve their gender, and those who believe they were born the wrong gender.

The lukewarm response of the audience at the end of the video is, to me, quite telling. Maybe we all got a glimpse of what is was all about, but what I was able to see made me want to shut my eyes.

I’m sorry, I’ve heard all of this before. I remember, a very long time ago when I was still a child, seeing a 60 Minutes episode about EST Training…and that’s what this is here. It’s nonsense…crazy talk…psychobabble…and unbelievable to me that anyone would steer money towards this type of sham “learning” for themselves.

And it ain’t cheap, either: $100,000 was the figure I heard quoted. Sure goes to figure: according to a Race to the Top link on the Gurian page, “President Obama has announced plans to expand Race to the Top and request $1.35 billion for the program in his FY 2011 budget.” For this kind of crap?

According to the video, sometimes women need to be stronger; we must adapt while staying authentic to our gender. WHATEVER THAT MEANS.

Actually, I do know what it means; my best friend from the Adams neighborhood had a special term for it, too: she called it, “bitching up.” Some situations called for a very strong woman, and in those cases, my friend would advise me to “bitch up”; other times, when a situation called for a softer touch, we would gently remind each other to “bitch down” a notch.

Well, I’m just going to mid-bitch right now, because as far as I’m concerned, the speaker in this video makes it all crystal clear: this is mumbo-jumbo nonsense from some guy who got beat up a bunch when he was a kid. I discount his “hard science”, I reject his “soft science”…indeed, none of this seems scientific to me in the least.

It all reminds me of the handwriting analysis kiosk that would appear in the mall every so often…with its lights a’flashin and gizmos a’whir; out would pop a fortune-cookie slip of paper containing an analysis of your signature. Novel information to have…but worthwhile education?

I think not.