Cross-dressing

I just finished Self-Made Man by Nora Vincent. It's a very interesting account of the experiences of a woman who dresses like a man for more than a year. It's a very interesting examination of gender roles in our culture.

I'm intrigued by things like this. "Tootsie" is one of my favorite movies. I love the way Dustin Hoffman reacts when he can't get a taxi, and when his boss calls him Sweetie or Tootsie instead of his name. I actually could accept Dorothy as a woman.

"Yentl," however, was a different story. I never thought Barbara looked enough like a man to fool Mandy Pantankin or Amy whats-her-name.

Is Gender behavior inborn or learned? I think the answer is both. Nora thought it would be very liberating to be treated like a man, but found out just how much pressure there is to BE A MAN! She started her experiences like a boy and learned along the way what it really means to be a man in our culture. There are some good insights in her book.