Kailee Morikubo!

Pd.4!
Commentary!
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Charles M. Blow argues in Williams, the Princess and the Gender Pay Gap that
men have the upper hand when it comes to income and having jobs that are higher in
pay. Americans today tend to believe that it is normal for men to have high paying jobs
while the women either have lower paying jobs or stay home taking care of the housework. Blow first claims that women and girls automatically think that men have the upper
hand and that it is normal for girls to receive the short end of the stick because of how
women's and mens roles are portrayed in media. For example Blow tells us about how
his daughter wouldn't get into the car because she claimed that she was a princess and
touching doorknobs were deigning. I said, Get in the car, sweetheart. She repeated
her refusal. This was now a standoff. So, I started to inch the car forward as if I was going to leave without her. She jumped in the car in a huff: Why didnt you open that door
for me, Williams? Who is Williams? I asked.
You, she said. On TV when people have servants theyre always called Williams or
something like that. Due to the fact that males and females are portrayed a certain way
in media children pick up on that and they believe that it is the norm for males to have
the more dynamic role and girls to have the more damsel in distress types of roles.
Blows general argument all together is that it is unfair that men have better pay just because they are men and that we need to fix the gender pay gap.!
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In my opinion Blows argument is valid because it is true that women are often
portrayed in media as the damsel in distress so we believe that being weak and needing
assistance is the norm. From my experience I agree with the author that These kinds of
disparities and inequities are unconscionable, and men must be more vocal about saying so. Why should a Dr. Williams be expected to make more than my Dr. SwordFighting Princess?, although there may be faults in women as well as to why women have
lower pay. For example, women tend to easily believe that they have to play the role of
the damsel in distress and they automatically think that they cant achieve greater
achievements. It is also important to consider different perspectives such as how men
are often portrayed as the manly hero who always saves the day but some men are often discouraged from achieving certain jobs that seem more on the feminine side. While
Blows argument is effective, it would be more persuading if he considered that women
often have the occupations that are lower paying while men have occupations such as
being doctors, lawyers, etc Although this argument may seem to be only directed towards women, it should matter to anyone who thinks that the gender pay gap is unfair
or are concerned.

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Quote

Comment

Why should a Dr. Williams be expected to

make more than my Dr. SwordFighting
Princess? (Blow, par. 12).

This quote is effectively placed because it

is at the end so it leaves the reader with a
question which makes them think about
the argument even after they have
stopped reading the paper. Also the
reference to Dr. Williams ties back to the
beginning when the author mentioned
how the authors daughter says that she
say on t.v. that princesses usually call
their servants William or something
similar.

A 2012 study by the Institute for Womens

Policy Research found that, while the pay
gap varied by occupation, Womens
median earnings are lower than mens in
nearly all occupations, whether they work
in occupations predominantly done by
women, occupations predominantly done
by men, or occupations with a more even
mix of men and women. (Blow, par.9).

This quote is effective because it is

evidence that proves the authors point.
The quote explains why women have
lower paying jobs than men. It proves the
point that it is unfair that women have
lower paying jobs than men.

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Vocabulary!
Deigning (verb) - To do something that one considers to be beneath ones dignity.!
I told her that in our family, as in life, she would have to be self-sufficient and self-reliant, and that included deigning to touch doorknobs, or in this case, car door handles.
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The princess was so protected that she never thought of deigning to dress herself.!

Unconscionable (adj.) - Not right or reasonable.!

These kinds of disparities and inequities are unconscionable, and men must be more
vocal about saying so.!
Asking your friend to go shopping with you and then asking them to pay for you is unconscionable.