I’m reading the Feb. 21 1964 edition of “Life” magazine, full of pictures of happy women with their hair sprayed to hell and gone (“Does she or doesn’t she?), busy in their kitchens and with their kids – there’s hardly an ad picturing a woman without children. Also lots of manly men smoking cigarettes and drinking scotch, exclusively white male politicians, ads for Polaroid cameras, transistor radios, tiny televisions (“Take two, they’re small!” cries an ad for the 11″ Admiral Playmate), and cars the size of small cottages. The issue contains two very long analyses of the lives of Lee Harvey Oswald and of Jack Ruby.

And there’s this letter to the Editor, with the heading ESKIMOS GET COSMETICS
Sirs:
Your special report on “Eskimos Get the Make-up Message” in the Jan. 31 issue is truly amazing.
The article proves a woman, if given half a chance, is willing to try and better herself.


Evelyn J. Boyd, Concord, Calif.  


Thanks for that, Evelyn.

Enjoying the quiet – because it’s the Indy 500 this weekend, and soon the air will be filled with the high-pitched giant mosquito whine of testosterone on wheels.

And – here’s a beautiful excerpt of an interview with Dustin Hoffman, about making “Tootsie” and what he learned about being a woman.

www.upworthy.com