Steve told me about this video from Free to Be . . . You and Me, an album and TV special from the early 1970s that challenges gender stereotypes. It's pretty fantastic, especially the line, "Crying gets the sad out" (oh, and Rosey Grier's giant glasses). I have a little bit of sad to get out myself, since I ate all my beetroot, coconut, and lime soup. Oh, I miss it. Must make more.
7 comments:
We watched this every year at my elementary school. It was embarrassing to watch Rosey's performance then and it's embarrassing now.
Wow that was awesome!
I can't believe I just watched this! (Marmot Dad)
What I can't believe is that a former member of the "Groovy Gang" has never seen "Free to Be . . ." The Groovy Gang, folks! (Marmot Mamma)
I was conscripted into the "Groovy Gang" under duress from a third grade teacher. Well, we were asked if we wanted to be members. But this was third grade, and we were smart enough to know what the answer HAD to be! (Marmot Dad)
I think we need to rap about this, man. (Marmot Mamma)
I went to YouTube and watched the entire video last night. As a kid, I would not have described it as something that "challenges gender stereotypes," but that is obviously what it does. My favorite part is during the "Parents are people" segment when Harry Belafonte and Marlo Thomas are both on a park bench dressed in shabby clothes. Apparently, we need to make sure girls know they have an equal right to grow up and be homeless.
CSIowa--I haven't watched the Parents are People segment, but it sounds like I'll have to check it out.
Ann-Marie--Isn't it? AND I just remembered that Rosie is the author of this book, Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men, featuring some of my favorite cover art of all time.
Marmot Dad--The Groovy Gang! That sounds amazing, but if you didn't like it (if you feel sad about it), now you know you can cry about it and get the sad out.
I found this awesome comment on YouTube:
"As a therian who also feels incomplete without a small vestigial tail, I must say that I am kind of offended that this seminal hippy classic does not say that you can be any SPECIES you want to be or have any animallike body marks. They didn't know, but to me this seems to say "Free to Be Whatever Human You Want to Be, Nothing Else"."
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