Drunken women

So the first problem with this blog is that my HTC doesn't let me write text in the box, only give a title.  Must work on that one.

On Friday I went to a dinner as part of the "playing corporate wife" bit of this trip (I'm not actually anyone's wife, but playing corporate girlfriend doesn't have the same ring to it).  It was mostly good, slightly weird but mostly good.  There are some people who rate your worth but visible characteristics - at an academic conference, some guys think that you're not at all worthwhile if you don't have a PhD.   And others don't want to speak to you if you can't be used as a step up for their career.  And I'm used to all of that, I don't like it but I'm certainly now able to ignore it - people who don't want to speak to me really don't interest me.

But what I really didn't get at this event, and it's the first time I've witnessed it, is that there were a number of younger women (late 20s, early 30s) who are bright and not just there as the "plus one" - some who work at well-renowned universities, some with PhDs or studying for them - who needed to prove their worth by hanging on the words, and arms, of the most influential men.  There was an incredible amount of eye-lash fluttering, giggling, flicking of hair ..... and as the evening went on, there were some drunken women throwing themselves at guys who, frankly, in ordinary society are the academic nerds and are not going to turn down the attentions of females, particularly young attractive ones.

But WHY, I found myself wondering.  I work in a totally different sphere, the public sector, but still find myself in the middle of conversations when I'm assumed to be stupid because I am young (well, now I have to say "younger" as I go through my 30s) and female.  I quite enjoy wiping the floor with these ignorant men during meetings or conversations and that's how I assert my worth in a work context.  Fortunately, there aren't that many woman who try to play on their femininity to get things done and that is good for all of us.  Because what I really didn't understand was that these women were setting their own cause - and those of all females in all fields back decades.  These men were learning that they could chose who was academically useful based on who flattered them the most and was (possibly, I wasn't there at the end of the evening) willing to sleep with them ..... or at least might sleep with them at some point in the future.  And this was seen as right.

I can't conclude anything from this because I'm still confused by it all.  But can suggest that these women need to look in the mirror, develop some self esteem and simply grow up!