10 Reasons Mary Poppins is my favorite feminist!
Awe Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way, spoon feeding children sugar to make them take their medicine and clean their rooms and filling every child with the hope of someday having a nanny that will take them to tea parties on the ceiling and on carousal rides that take off and become horse races. Sure, you can view Mary Poppins as that unattainable ideal of a female or you can appreciate her for who she truly is, the ultimate feminist!
The following ten reasons are why I think Mary Poppins is the epitome of feminist ideology:
1. She knows what she wants and won't take no for an answer. The opening scene has her whisk all other competition (if you can call it that) away and she enters the Banks household head held high and ready to take on the patriarch.
2. She negotiates a fair wage and a day off. No she demands it, she demands respect from Mr. Banks and she tells him not only how much he will pay her but that he will spend one day with his children each week whether he likes it or not. Way to lead Mary! Show us women that it's ok to negotiate for our pay and not be ashamed about it! You go girl!
3. She dresses modestly and is still sexy as hell. Ok, what can I say, she seriously has a way of being uber confident in her turtleneck dress that covers every inch but she carries it so well. You can't tell me any male hasn't looked her over and mentally undressed her, releasing her hair from the tight bun and taking that apron off... come on?!
4. She gets people to comply without being rude or crass. Mary Poppins has a way of demanding what she wants but in this super sweet way. She doesn't curse or yell, she simply requests in a statement rather than a question. She literally gets everything she wants from anyone.
5. She doesn't have to have sex to have Bert wrapped around her finger! Everything between Mary and Bert is mutually respectful but you can tell he wants her and he wants her bad. Yet he has no problem waiting and she has an air about her that says she's worth it!
6. She is proud of who she is and she isn't afraid to hide it. She knows what her strengths are and she plays on those strengths constantly. She can create the world in which she wants to live and she does it, unapologetically. Which brings us to seven.
7. She never explains anything. Her line to Mr. Banks when he demands and explanation and she refuses. Even her refusal is strong but not bitchy!
8. No means no! The scene where they are singing stepping time and all the guys gather around her saying "come on Mary," she simply holds up her hand and turns her head. Clearly when Mary says no, she means no, and the men respect her decision.
9. She knows when to walk away and how to do it without drama. She acknowledges her role in the lives of others and respects the roles that other people play also. When she leaves, she does so without a bunch of tears or yelling, or drama, she simply whisks herself away and allows everyone to be happy.
10. She is confident, her confidence oozes from her every pore. From the way she dresses to the way she carries her old bag and wears her hat with daisies. As she says of herself, she is practically perfect in every way. I mean who wouldn't love to have that much confidence?
Sure, May Poppins is a fictional character who uses some sort of magic to ignite children imaginations but can't we all be just a little bit more like her? Confident, sexy, fun, kind, and practically perfect in every way?
