In my elementary school days, I had a firm grasp of the way I thought gender politics should shake out: girls were as good as boys, if not slightly better. My year-older cousin with pretty blond hair told me that one of her new favorite songs was “Girls” by the Beastie Boys. As she was older, wiser, and cooler than me, I listened closely. The song didn’t grab me until the refrain:

Girls – to do the dishes
Girls – to clean up my room
Girls – to do the laundry
Girls – and in the bathroom

I was scandalized. Continue reading “Beastie Boys” →