4 Alternate Stereotypes for Vancouver Women

#notallmenVancouver

I’m writing this because I’m upset at the wealth of male prejudice in Vancouver, and the #notallmen conflict inspired me to talk about it.

I keep watching local men respond to #notallmen, lashing out in blind fits of diluted misogyny. It’s like watching an indignant child swing a rake around your living room: it may seem silly and harmless at first, but sooner or later they will hurt someone, and you will want to slap them afterwards.

Vancouver Girls in A Nutshell

I was thinking of #notallmen as I read an article on Vancity Buzz today, published last October: “Vancouver Girls in A Nutshell”. Written by self-styled Vancouver blogging maverick Demi Christou, the post characterizes 7 stereotypical types of women in Vancouver based on neighbourhood, including the best pick-up lines to be used on them.

The Vancity Buzz post was originally from Christou’s blog The Demi Perspective, where he slings opinions on Vancouver men and women, news and sports. Christou, a self-professed ‘former douchebag’, has also penned such posts as: “Dating Only for Free Meals makes you a Whore [But Worse]” and “The More Expensive your Shoes Are, The Less I want to Bang you” (capitalization author’s).

#notallmentakecharge

I’m writing this because Christou’s posts made me realize that I need to take charge. Just saying “you don’t get it” is not enough. “You don’t get it” drives the conversation into a dead-end, and teaches men that understanding feminism is a penant they are not worthy of flying.

Men need to lead by example in teaching the community of men around them. If you’re a man, you need to take charge. Not because it’s manly, but because women deserve it from you.

11 Vancouver Women In A Nutshell

Here’s an addendum to Vancouver Women In A Nutshell, four more stereotypical women from neighbourhoods that The Demi Perspective didn’t catch: the West End Girl, the Strathcona Girl, the South Granville Girl, and the Coal Harbour Girl:

#8. The West End Girl

This type of Vancouver woman was born in the West End. As a young girl, she strolled around in shadows of massive bridges with sand in her shoes and excelled at physics because she was fascinated that a ball thrown off a cliff hits the ground at the same time as one dropped from the same height. She’ll punch you in the chest before hopping onto her snowboard, hitting a massive tabletop and doing a trick you have only ever seen on a screen. She loves her girl friends more than most people love their relatives, and she smiles more often than Vancouver rain.

Best pick-up line: The best way to pick up this woman is to do something cool in your own life, something that harnesses your most inspired moments and fills the deepest hollows within your soul with unmitigated joy. She will be impressed by this, and will let you know if she likes it enough to talk to you.

#9. The Strathcona Girl

Another stereotypical Vancouver girl is the one from Strathcona. This type of girl actually meant it when she said she liked fashion, and started her own business. She just went ahead and did it. She’s had to bulldog her way into a particular circle of Vancouver’s markets, and she knows she’s smart enough to keeping breaking down the barriers in her life. She likes Radiohead and Korean food.

Best pick-up line: When picking up this type of woman, take the straightforward approach: congratulate her on her success with her small business, and then let her make a decision about whether she wants to keep talking to you.

#10.The South Granville Girl

The tenth type of Vancouver girl lives in South Granville, but hails from abroad. She is an international traveler for whom this city is only presently home. For the South Granville girl, Vancouver is a beautiful gem in a string of wondrous places she has seen. The spit-shined streets are an novel curiosity to her. She can teach you a lot about the world, if you’ll listen. She is ambitious and present in her own life, and might speak 3 languages.

Best pick-up line: The best way to pick up this type of woman is to avoid making comments that she will know are untrue because of her extensive world-travelling, or will find off-putting because they are highly offensive in other parts of the world.

#11. The Coal Harbour Girl

Yet another type of Vancouver woman is the Coal Harbour girl. Countless walks along the Seawall haven’t quelled the gentle flutter of emotion that plays across her heart when she scans the skyline of Cypress, Grouse and Seymour. She is someone’s boss, and she can handle uncomfortable situations with eloquence, drawing on years of experience and attention paid to interpersonal dynamics. The chaos of downtown might overwhelm her at times, and she enjoys dining out in neighbourhoods that aren’t her own.

Best pick-up line: You can earn passage into this type of woman’s heart by having a good understanding of where your sources of validation and happiness come from in your own life, as well as following through on mutually agreed-upon engagements.

Honourable mention:

There is one last type of Vancouver woman that many men do not even realize exists. This type of woman is one who just wants to be your friend. She likes when you listen, and will reciprocate your time and emotional investment. For activities, you can talk, and enjoy your mutual sense of humour and understanding of the world. If you get deep enough into it, you might meet her family. You can find this kind of woman in libraries, at the airport- even among people that you already know.

Best pick-up line: A sure-fire way to pick up this kind of woman is by leading with “Hello” and then talking about some commonality that you notice.

Men are from Vancouver, Women are from Vancouver

I wrote this because wen need feminism more than we need science. There are hundreds of women in Vancouver who inspire me to be an active feminist, and I wish I could introduce all of them to you.

Regardless of what local blogs say about them, women are just people. Once we stop stereotyping them, it’s easier to see that this diverse, wonderful group is seriously and collectively wronged by the condition of present day society.

If you’re a man, you owe it to everyone to break down the norms that you grew up in. Stereotypes have not been fair to women in the past, and they aren’t fair for them now. So get to work.

Look at these if you don’t know where to get started:

http://www.upworthy.com/51-pretty-shocking-facts-that-make-things-harder-for-every-woman-you-have-ever-met

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/digital-culture/why-the-web-needs-yesallwomen-as-a-counterpoint-to-notallmen/article18846264/