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5/13/2013

Girls & Guns, Breaking News

By Gabby

I have been doing my absolute best to inform the non-gunning masses about why we "heart" guns. I've been at this for almost two years, and have met tons of gun-girls like myself. I guess I had forgotten that there were still many people, outside the firearm community, who were not aware of the strength of the gun-girl movement.

Not to worry, I was brutally reminded of this last week when a friend posted an article from Jezebel magazine on my timeline. The writer, Doug Barry opened his article, NRA Convention Featured Pink Guns, Bra Holsters for the Ladies with the line, "GUNS!!!!! Right, ladies?? You like GUNS, don’t you?" dripping with sarcasm. He went on to describe how, unlike years past, this years NRA annual meeting, did everything it could to market to women. He specifically mentioned the Flashbang bra holster, but made the concept of a woman carrying a gun, sound like the most ridiculous idea anyone ever dreamt up.

I have no problem with this writer being anti-gun, but I have to wonder, what was he doing at the NRA meeting anyway? We get that he's not the target market of ANY of the the vendors at the event, and he could attack it from any angle he wanted, but that's not what he did. He attacked women in general, proposing that we would never be interested in guns. Further, as a woman who is VERY interested in guns, I am offended by his whole sarcastic approach to a topic he obviously knowns absolutely nothing about.

Late on Saturday, I was watching SNL when one of my favorite segments, Weekend Update, began. Seth Meyers began the skit by mentioning the NRA Annual meeting that had occurred the weekend prior. Within the bit, Seth pointed out how the NRA, atypically, had focused on the female-gun market with offerings like purse holsters. The punchline was predictably, "because the one thing that women are best at, is quickly retrieving anything from their handbags." Then he mimed a woman digging through her purse for entirely too long.

There are plenty of funny observations I have made about the process of, as a female, trying to conceal carry. I'm no comedian, but I'm sure there is one out there who could work up a great routine around this topic along with many other tid-bits from the mind of a gun-girl. I know we are a small group in the grand scheme of American communities, but since we have now captured the attention of the mainstream comic population, I ask that we are given the same consideration as any other minority.

As far as I know, it's generally considered bad form for redneck comedians to target city folk and 20 something comedians to glean laughs at the expense of 80 year olds. The general rule seems to be: unless you are one, have been one or have known a lot of them who have some innocuous little habit they are already willing to laugh at, leave it out of your act.
©2013 ArmedCandy,LLC

5 comments:

kalaryn said...

Where
can I get a Barbie-G.I. Joe hybrid doll of doom? Just kidding but on a
serious level and maybe it's just me but I didn't feel totally attacked by his
comments and I am a female gun owner, advocate and lover. I got more
a sense he was attacking the NRA's way of introducing women's carry options.
Most of the comments to the post were about the flashbang bra, which I
agree, I don't see that as a safe carry option but I'll never find out because
I lack the real estate. I'm also not one to pick up on sarcasm
sometimes. My thoughts on opinions, they are like assholes, everyone has
one and most of them stink. Fortunately not everyone concurs with this
man's thoughts.

I do agree women and guns still have a long ways
to go to be instilled as "normal" in society. I remember
telling my sister that our chiropractor likes guns, has her CCW, etc. and her
remark was, "But she's such a lady!". It hit me in that moment
that I think a lot of people have this visual that maybe burly, man-like women
are the only ones to like guns or in my sister's case (who just recently
learned of my love of guns and owning them) that those people and her weird
sister are the only ones to like guns. It really isn't the case since
joining local female gun groups; there are a lot of girly girls who are into
guns and being proficient with them for themselves and not because of the guys.

These things are just a part of instilling into
society that women are into guns, whether it's positive or negative, it
still puts it out there and gets it into the minds of people. I would much prefer to see positives being
thrown out there over negatives but I don’t have the control over those
people. In time though, despite the
negatives, we will prevail in the efforts of female gun owners/advocates being
just as serious, proficient and respectful of firearms as any man out there.

Jason Van Haaften said...

How inconsiderate of them! Making fun of women that enjoy guns and the NRA. Both have a right to own AND to advertise. Even if it's not able to be worn by or used by all. As a man, I won't ever own one. But my wife may like to have that option. How close minded can some people be?!

ArmedCandy said...

I'm glad you said that. It's not that I was sooo offended by what they were saying, I was just sad that they didn't realize that gals like me have been around for a while now.

Also, we've come so far, so fast with the guys within the firearms community, I forgot that there was a whole other group of chauvinists that needed conquering.

kalaryn said...

I actually didn't take you as being offended so much as you were laying it out that here is another belief out there. It just got me to thinking and I like that ;)

ArmedCandy said...

Then my entire goal has been accomplished!!! Thank you!

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