Just in time for Hanukkah!

Humphrey is very excited that Hanukkah and Christmas will be here soon. He was kind enough to participate in a project with his Guardian to kick off the holidays.

The Saddest Dreidl by Dr. Laura Elizabeth Pinto | Make Your Own Book

Guys n' Dolls

“When men and women are treated the same, it means women are being treated as if they were a man; when men and women are treated differently, the man remains the norm, against which the woman is peculiar, lacking, different.”

Humphrey held his head atop his little squeaky doll as he contemplated that quote by Anne Philips. What could it mean? Usually, he liked to chew on rawhide on lazy afternoons, but now he would chew that idea. 
A very wise student tipped him off later that day.
"It's just like the Canada Post union negotiations about 'equal pay for equal work' not too long ago in the news," she explained. "At the time I thought to myself, 'of course, absolutely! Women should be paid the same amount as the men.' But you can see what this quote brings to it."
"What's that?" Humphrey asked.
"Why did I automatically think this meant women should be brought up to men's pay? Why didn't I think that the men were being paid less money, or that the men's wages should be reduced or increased to meet the women's wages.  Why did I think of the men's wages as 'normal,' and that the women needed to meet that standard? I've been programmed by society to assume that the women's wage is not the norm and I didn't even realize it."
"Thank you!" Humph said to the wise student, "I get it. Now I can get back to my rawhide."

EPILOGUE: Kim Schaefer, CEO of Great Wolf Lodge was on Undercover Boss recently (this episode aired on W January 4, 2012). In the introduction, she was talking about her leadership style and getting to be in position. She mentioned that people are often surprised to see a female CEO. Quite astoundingly, she made a statement something like, “I didn’t let aspects of being a female affect my becoming a CEO” – wow.

Finnegan's Birthday: Memories of a Dog Busting Gender Stereotypes

Today, November 22, would have been Finnegan the dog’s twenty-third birthday. Humphrey often hears stories about Finnegan, many of which are very funny, and some touching.

Finnegan playing poker, 1991

Humphrey loves hearing the story of Finnegan’s ongoing social project that challenged gender stereotypes. Since he was a puppy, Finnegan was drawn to anything bright pink. Whatever it was, if it was fuchsia, he had to get his paws on it. Lucky for Finnegan, his accommodating Guardian obliged, and made a point of ensuring his possessions, when possible, were pink. That included leads, harnesses and collars.

Every so often, people in the park would stop, and say things like, “Pretty dog! What’s her name?”

“His name is Finnegan,” Guardian would respond.

On several occasions, the Guardian found herself scolded – “How could you put a boy in a pink collar! That’s terrible!”

You’d never hear such responses to a female dog in a blue collar! So Finnegan made a point of clarifying that he was merely expressing his preference for pink to challenge people’s gender stereotypes. Pink as a girls’ color is a Western construct. The opposite is the case in Poland, and even India! Moreover, the fact that North Americans believe it’s problematic for a boy to wear pink (and not a girl to wear blue) is an expression of how society continues to subjugate women. It’s an insult for a boy to do girl things, but certainly not the other way around. This reminded Finnegan of the opening lyrics to one of Madonna’s hit songs:

Girls can wear jeans
And cut their hair short
Wear shirts and boots
'Cause it's OK to be a boy
But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading
'Cause you think that being a girl is degrading

That was but one of the many important lessons Finnegan taught those around him. Humphrey encourages those who remember him to post comments!

Finnegan on the picket line, 1997 teachers' work stoppage

Finnegan consorting with his patchouli-scented hippie friends (without his guardian's knowledge!), 1990



Finnegan's portrait, which becomes more prominent at dusk when the contrast is enhanced in low light.

Humphrey’s Unpaid Labor

Unpaid household and care labor in Canada alone is estimated to be worth up to $319 billion in the money economy or 41% of GDP,and as high as $11 trillion worldwide!  

While most people (and dogs) do at least some unpaid labor – caregiving, cooking, shopping, household security (woof!) – in most mixed-gender domestic arrangements, women take on the larger share of household and care labor. Statistics Canada reports that in 2005 wives put in 46% of the total time couples spent at jobs and 62% of the time they spent on housework. Much of the gender differences in wealth (women still only earn about 0.75 on the dollar to men for the same job) can be explained by the gendering of work and family roles that restrictswomen’s ability to build up assets over the life course.

 

Humphrey is extremely sensitive to these gender inequities, and he always makes a point of pitching in to try to help his Guardian. Given his diminutive stature and absence of opposable digits, his contributions are limited – but he helps out every day in the hope that he can equalize the gender gap. He firmly believes that “the personal is the political” - if he perpetuates gender and species inequities at home, they will continue to exist in society. So, by taking action in his own personal relationships, he can chip away at hegemony little by little.

In addition to security, he makes a point of doing laundry….

 …and recycling…

Here's a video of him on the job:

 

 

Humphrey equates a dog gym with commodification

Rather alarmed, Humphrey saw a feature on the local news for something called "Woof Fit," a Toronto "boutique fitness studio" that specializes in "dog human workouts." Classes of four (or eight, depending if you're counting dogs) engage in a workout.
"You've got to be kidding me," Humprhey said to his guardian, who seemed rather intrigued by the news story. He lifted his head from the strawberries with home-made fat-free cheese he was dining on. "You're not actually thinking of subjecting us to that, are you?"

"What? It looks like a good idea," she said.
He put his head down, wondering if she ever, ever listens.
"Don't you see, Guardian? This is yet another note in the orchestra of commodification."
"Refresh my memory, Humph," she said, not sure where he was going.
"Where do I begin?" he asked rhetorically. "So, there are lots of ways we can have a 'work out.'" He tried to use air quotes when he said work out, but his paws were too small for the effect.
"So, a work out can be scrubbing the bathtub well - that will work your arms, and you'll have amazing bicepts if you do it right! You can work your legs by walking me around and around the neighborhood - even jogging or running maybe, to get the cardio on! Then vacuum really well as a cool down! Daily!"
"Yes," she said, nodding.
"And you can carry me around for enhanced upper body strength."
"What are you getting at?"
"Don't you see, Guardian? People discount the things I just mentioned though they're really good work outs! Instead, people pay a domestic to do their cleaning (so the hired help gets the work out). Then, they get it in their head that the only exercise is exercise that you pay for - so they pay a gym to have a place to work out that has some kind of 'added value' when there's no value at all - other than they should be walking their dogs and scrubbing their floors with great enthusiam instead."
"Okay, so you're saying exercise can be free. And don't I do all that for you?"
"Oh, you do!"
"So?"
"Well, then there's the added thing of commodificaton of animals! Dogs, even! And this Woof-Fit totally commodifies dogs!"
"How's that, Humph?"
"I hope you read that article I gave you, Critical Pet Studies by Heidi Nash. Did you read it?"
"Sure did, Humph!"
"Well, what did it say," he asked.
"I can't quite remember - that was a while ago!"
"Okay then, I'll help you out. Now, Heidi Nash said a lot of things - too many for me to get into right now. But, relevant to this conversation is that people - now, I'm not saying you, but people - are getting into a habit of using pets as a conduit for narcissistic conspicuous consumption! Consumerism at its height! Really, all I want is to be on a walk, to follow you while you vacuum, and to visually assist you as you scrub the floors and bathtub. So please, please don't put me through the Woof-Fit workout."
"Not a problem Humph. I promise. I'd never drive out to The Beach for a workout." She winked and they went on their walk.