Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Fighting the Stereotypes!

I guess this is library news week. I'm a bit behind on my news browsing because I've been writing some library literature. And you know what the Annoyed Librarian has to say about library literature: Yuck!. The things I do to keep my job!

Some librarians in Santa Fe, NM have been protesting! They've been picketing! They've probably also been shouting stupid slogans and singing "Solidarity Forever." And why? Because some film crew shooting a television program used an actress that the librarians claimed was too old to be a real librarian. They're fighting the sterotypes, baby!

"'She's probably 80 years old, gray-haired and frail -- that's not us,' said [the] city library director."

Oh, that's good to know. That's not us! We'll show 'em! We'll picket like a bunch of morons! We're not old! We can march around like idiots just like the young folks!

They were marching wearing matching tee shirts that read "Santa Fe Public Library ... Not Your Stereotypical Librarians."

I hate to break it to you, baby, but being old ain't the stereotype of libraians. Middle-aged, obese women who say shush a lot is the stereotype. This is the stereotype! There was no picture, but I sure hope the picketing librarians were slender violets like the Annoyed Librarian and not loud, fat women bulging through their cute matching tee shirts.

"The newspaper said [the offending actress] looked 'trim, athletic (and) active,' but did in fact look older than the Santa Fe librarians."

Trim, athletic, and active? We don't know too many librarians like that, now do we? We wouldn't want that image associated with librarians.

These librarians are definitely challenging the wrong stereotype. So how do you fight the real stereotype of librarians? The answer is right here, baby.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed Summar's story in the ABQ Journal:

Geary got whisked out the side door of the Southwest Room into a waiting van before she could be interviewed. But how does one ask: "Um, the librarians here are upset because you're old and gray and perpetuate a stereotype. What do you think of that?"

Anonymous said...

She could have said, "They should get their fat asses back into the library and mind their own business."

Anonymous said...

Your blog always makes me laugh because it's right on target. Hilarious!

Repressed Librarian said...

The video is hilarious, as is your unfortunately accurate description of Librarian's bottom.

I admit that I suffer from some degree of this condition. I'll be hitting the gym for the first time in a long while on Monday, the day after I cease being a practicing librarian (at least for a while).

Anonymous said...

Do you think the ALA will issue a commendation to Target for helping to fight stereotypes (librarian stereotypes, anyway) with this ?

Anonymous said...

Let me try that link again...

link

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the protesters are going to be on film.
http://www.hollywoodlibrarian.com/