See Paul Robert's Sexy Legs and Typewriters for much more historic material along these lines.
(Of course I am not condoning the behavior represented in this postcard in any way.)
(Of course I am not condoning the behavior represented in this postcard in any way.)
Well, back in the old days the women operating the typewriters were called typewriters.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a strange book.
You've lost me here; while I haven't read the book, the relationships you describe are problematic. For example, the old stereotype of the male boss hitting on his secretary is really about someone abusing his position of power.
ReplyDeleteSorry to be unclear. I certainly agree that that's an abusive situation. (The postcard, where the "office boy" is participating in the "fun," depicts degradation and harrassment.) My point was that, in my view, "objectification" is not a particularly helpful concept to describe these situations, or other situations where sexual feelings are involved.
DeleteFortunately, Siegel seems to have no interest in dominating women. Whether he deploys the machine/woman comparison inappropriately is something each reader would have to decide on reading the book, but I didn't want readers to assume that the comparison automatically amounts to objectification, or to just another case of the old stereotype.