Friday, November 18, 2005

GENDER BENDER

This has been bothering me for a very long time now. So I thought this weekend would be a good time to ask my blog friends this question.

GIRLS OUTSHINE BOYS IN EXAMS - Why do newspapers highlight this year after year? Does this solve some national problem, like imbalance in sex ratio or something?
Wise cracks, sexist jokes or rash comments are fine, but if someone thinks they know a serious answer, please drop in your comments.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

"90% of the girls study for getting good marks...Rest 10% move forward in life"

Really I pity girls who score 80's and 90's, win trophies and finally struggle to get a good job...Ultimately settling down with an MS graduate in US :-)

Ippadi padikkara padippu enna kaeta thevaiye illa....

"Azhagu irukkara edathula arivu irukkardhu romba aboorvam"....Idhu girls ezhudhara exam paper-a paathu yaaro sollitu ponadhu...Colour sketching, drawing, linings thavira oru stuff-um adhula paaka mudiyaadhu..(Again I have seen exceptions who really do justice to the exam)

Girls out do guys in exams...But why not in Professional course admissions? Why not in recruitments? Simply because 90% is "Vizhalukku eracha neer" :-)

Anonymous said...

I meant "Girls do out shine guys"...Sorry for typo :)

BlueByrd said...

Got here thru Murali's Blog. Kewl one you have here. Will hop back on soon !! Keep em comin ! GOODLUCK !

You are invited to my blog :)

ada-paavi!!!! said...

simple, some strange logic says that such news headlines attracts eyeballs. this is wat all news papers want, so they publish such facts.

RP said...

Vinesh
Nice observation. Psst... Am kinda flat for ur observatory skills. Hats off.
Coming to the topic, this is simply bcoz majority of Indian society is still an male chauvinist society.

So, female outwit males, females out performed males, etc... are, as vatsan put it, just attracts. These wound the MCPz in our society and make them read thru the article.

Dont get me wrong, Am not saying that everybody is an MCP but many, yes.

Ganesh said...

hmm, its been a long followed tradition perhaps in our MMS

;)
btw dude check out my blog for some awesome updates on a new composer Jay

Priya said...

they cudnt find a better headline.. lets suggest one..atleast for the next yr!

..p..

Marc said...

Well...to start with that's a very good reason...and I have some of my own reasons.
1) It's good publicity to sell papers.
2) Girls coming up to the level of finishing Highschool and joining college and finally managing to finsih it is something recent...I know ladies who got married in their teens 20 yrs back when they were only 15 or 16..Now given the freedom to study..they do study and do take the advantage of it.
3) Now having been given this new freedom of education wouldn't they want to prove something unlike the guys who had the fredom of education for a very long time and now just take it for granted.

These are my reasons...I hope I did not mean to offend anyone.

sai thilak said...

This is to help people to realise importance of Girls education. This movement perhaps started when there were low social thoughts on educating girls and blah,blah....but the real reason behind putting this kind of headline is, it is the way it happens year after year and after year...poor boys they couldnt catch headlines !!!! :(

Einsteinophile said...

Probably to bring up some discussion like this! as to who is better! :)

Anonymous said...

Yeah I agree with the previous comment girls generally mug up and vomit in the exams. And our education system is such that if whatever is in the text books is seen word to word in the answer sheets they give maximum marks. The examiners dont want to really read and give marks. Where as boys dont like to mug up. And regarding newspapers heading-just trying to egoboost the girls

Jeevan said...

You dont take it as i am supporting Girls, girls know there responsible and our boys have playing mind.

Anonymous said...

"GIRLS OUTSHINE BOYS IN EXAMS "

After competing with boys in all professional exams, securing top colleges, securing good grades, girls finally marry and settle down in life..

Pbly, the boy is left struggling for life despite his hard efforts.Had that seat gone to a boy ,it would have given him a great career ahead..

Just thought about this..dont call me MCP , but this is the reality in our society.

div said...

aiyyyo vinesh... its bothering u??..
its the truth that repeats every yr.. so news(papers) enlighten these ....
"girls outshine boys in exams"..not in all exams though..

we outshine u in only the most difficult exams in ones life..(in the 10th and 12th)
its a trend.. even guys outshine us in many fields.. but we agree to the fact..

only once a yr we get to hear such good words on us..
so u too be happy for us(girls)..;-))

Anonymous said...

"GIRLS OUTSHINE BOYS IN EXAMS"
this is just a comparitive statistical information. i cant imagine y so much fuss is being made on this issue.
and i dont really agree the nonsense abt girls mugging up and writing the examsand tats y they score high...y, a lot many boys do tat too..anyways, EVEN IF the girls are just mugging up the answers, they r still putting an effort towards the exams in some way.whos asking the guys not to do tat?they can work too, instead of just sitting back and giving such rash comments..
the fact is, girls are take things seriously and try to do justice in wat they do.

and there was somebody who expressed "PITY" for girls who score high,struggle to get good jobs and ultimately settle down with an MS graduate in US. tat person himself might be knowing very well tat this is not something the girls choose to do thsemselves. they are forced into this. their educational career doesnt last very long and they try to do their best when they DO have an opportunity to give it a shot.

Random Access said...

For every 1000 girls, there are some 928 guys in India. That makes it quite obvious. But its juz that anything related to "girls" provide inspiration for the "boys". Maybe thats why this booster dose :P

Random Access
The search has just begun !!!

Srinivas said...

Man its simple...Its something like inventions..its something like a new things...its always been a MALE dominate world (which where field you take like..Science, Literature, Economics, Sports, Arts...) its all happening newly...recently Girls/women are upcoming..thats how it becomes a NEWS...Only new, surprising, shocking things become the highlight in newspaper...Male's achivement are all know and expected. Got it??!!!

யாத்ரீகன் said...

kalai has spoken out the rite point !!!

newspaper matter ethukuna.. atha padichitaavadhu pasanga naama konjam denjon aagi top varuvomnu paakuraanga pola... naama viduvomaa.. maatomlaa ;-)

-
செந்தில்/Senthil

Anonymous said...

Only in the recent days we see girls going to schools,colleges..They were deprived of many things.. including education in this society. Now given a chance girls really are proving themselves in every field. They need to be encouraged..
And I consider this highlight in newspapers also as a source of encouragement .. nothing more..

I dont think any guy will get Hurt by seeing this fact in the newspaper. If it really hurts let 'em also prove in the exams!

Anonymous said...

Gender related topics always a source of discussion, that's why this is like an eye-catching headliner. Couple of other reasons being the attention and importance given to board exams and the general interest in statistics (my mom used to get the Maalai Malar on 12th results day until I studied 3rd year just to see how the results that year were and who topped that year).

Other than your own performance in the board exams, these statistics have no use in anyone's life, then where does this come to solve a national issue?. mebe girls can pull their guy friends into chota-mota fights with these articles, so far I have'nt seen any girl getting motivated seeing such articles for the gender based issue (if she is, beware she might overwhelm you with loads of statistics :))) ).

-narayanan

Vinesh said...

@Srinivasan: I agree with your observations (except for the color pencils, linings etc) and I also feel sorry for the girls who dont work after working hard to study and secure jobs.

@Bluebyrd: Thx buddy. Will visit your blog soon.

@Vatsan: Newspapers' gimmick to attract attention...hmmm

@RP: Yup buddy ours is a MCP society, but very rapidly turning into an ASF (Anti-male Sympathetic to Female) society

@Ganesh: Vaazhayadi vaazhai-nnu solreenga!

@Priya: My suggestion is, "85% pass percentage this Year"

@Marc: Point 3 of yours made me think.. seems valid, but how many girls are in that situation?

@Sai Thilak: Your suggestion makes the most sense to me, buddy. But the intention to start this several years ago was fine. But I think there is enough awareness now (definitely in the cities where these newspapers are published) and they can stop! Villages-le venum-na indha maadhri pamphlet ottalaam.

Vinesh said...

@Einsteinophile: Adada... namma blog-ukkaaga indha newspapers ellaam uzhaikkardha paathu aanandha kaNNeer varudhu :'-)

@Kalai: It was a bold statement coming from a girl! But my problem is not about girls doing better, but the media for highlighting it even after it has become a routine. This is like saying, "Last night it was dark"

@Vasanthi: Are all newspaper editors women? I know N.Ram is not.

@Jeevan: Ennadhu vilayaattu manasa? :-) PoNNunga romba adakkamo? :-)

@Anonymous: That's how I feel, too, when some girl beats a guy to a college seat and sometimes a job, only to leave it and get married. I also feel the same way when a guy beats probably a girl (from a difficult family) only to get a job in some other field.

@Div: Please be clear. I have NO issues with girls scoring more than boys. If that is fact, there is no question of whether I am happy or sad about it. I have sisters too and I would be happy if they top their class.

What bothers me is why this has to be the headline. Girls and boys study together and equality is stressed in schools (especially in co-eds). So why create a sensational headline (when it is not sensational anymore) and show an invisible difference between boys and girls is my bother.

@Maha: I think Srinivasan was expressing pity for those girls in the right sense. After they work so hard to get the marks and a job, they are forced to get married.

Speaking about "comparative statistical information", why don't they have headlines like:
"TALL PEOPLE SCORE BETTER THAN SHORT PEOPLE"
"SINGLE CHILDREN OUTPERFORM CHILDREN WITH SIBLINGS"
"FEBRUARY BORNS ARE THE BRIGHTEST IN THIS YEAR'S TNPCEE"

I too agree with what you said about rash comments being made on girls mugging, etc. It is not right to make generalisations about who mugs, who studies, who applies and so on.

You asked why a fuss is being made. Exactly my question: Why is a fuss made if the girls score more? So WHAT?

Vinesh said...

@Random Access: Buddy, haven't you got the statistic the other way round? It somehow pisses me off to read the headline, don't know if it acts as booster dose for anyone.

@Karan: Now I understand that I am naturally chauvinistic. I actually felt happy to read your comments :-) haha, good for laughs

@Yaathreegan: Hahahahaha! :-D Kodiyaethitta!! :-D

@Padma: Conversely, if any girl is encouraged by seeing such headlines in newspaper (if they are THAT desperate for encouragement), good for them :-)

@Narayanan: This is why I think Sania Mirza winning the first round of any tournament makes more news than Mahesh or Leander winning Grand Slam titles!

Vinesh said...

@Ayshu: You dont get it, no one is jealous. But why is this divide/comparison on the basis of gender, and not on something else like economic status or family background??

If Manmohan Singh goes to Pakistan, and he goes to the loo everyday, will they report "PM VISITS PAKISTANI LOO EVERYDAY"?

And if we question that, will the reasoning be: "That is the fact, avarukku varudhu poraaru"? It is a fact no doubt, but is it a headline?

Random Access said...

I think the stat is juz right...And I said its juz "supposed" to be a booster dose. Dun think tht ever happens :P

I dun get pissed off, I juz ignore!

Random Access
The search has just begun !!!

Vinesh said...

@Random Access: Buddy, what I meant when I said you got it the other way round is, there are actually 927 Females for every 1000 Men. Nothing else :-)

Anonymous said...

Coming to the issue of why only guyz Vs girls, may be it is the only statistics that the "Super knowledgable" staff of TN examination board have learnt to provide, all these years... :-D

May be some training cud be given for them to get those statistics u had mentioned :-)

Jagan said...

namma exam le bit copy adikura mathiri antha journalist previous year newspaper copy adikiranno ? so y is the "girl scored" more thing highlighted ? because it was tht way last year :-)

Paavai said...

It is not uncommon to hear -

1.ponn kuzhandai padichu enna panna pora, paiyanukku thaan padippu venum
2, home science, nursing indha madiri padikka vekkaradu thane, edukku computer science ellam

in middle class families

1. potta pilla padichu enna seyya povudhu, chinna pasangala pathukittu veetla irukkattum

in a different socio economic strata

maybe these are the reasons that girls doing well in education is still considered a news worthy event

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Anonymous said...

cuz gals r freakin geeks

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