Cultural Stereotypes and Offensiveness

[debka_notion]

"Eat lots of food and help snip my hair. Make me Finally look like a real boy!!" -Chabad rabbi, in an email putting words into his 3 year old son's mouth.

I suppose that means that my 3 and a half year old cousin Daniel with long hair isn't a "real boy". Or that my uncle, several male friends with long hair, and at least one former teacher aren't real men either. I'm kind of contemplating emailing back and being offended- their standard isn't the only one around here. I know men who look perfectly manly with long hair. I know it isn't in their cultural preference for boys over the age of 3 to have long hair- but that doesn't imply that there aren't perfectly real boys out there with long hair. (What's an unreal boy?) I don't know if they're just being oblivious in their attempt to be cute, or if they're really out to make statements that say that the way a number of people I'm close to deal with their hair is illegitimate. If the latter, I want to send a nice upset and angry email in their direction.

Comments

[shirei-shibolim.livejournal.com]

I imagine the rabbi in question would be mystified at being told that his letter had seriously offended someone.

[debka-notion.livejournal.com]

Oh it isn't serious- just offense when I read it early in the morning after under 6 hours of sleep. But- still trying ot figure out if it's worth a mild mannered email explaining how it was a bit offensive.