Three mannequins tackle the issues of gender. |
Three mannequins are dressed in brightly-colored skirts: one red, one green, one yellow. They each have feelings about the clothing. A: "The green skirt does look good on you, mademoiselle." B: "If I had arms, Dora, I'd slap you." A: "So hostile, for one so pretty and petite." B: "I'm a man trapped in a woman's body. How about a pair of pants, for once?" A: "I don't see a penis, Gary." B:"I have been here a long time, and I've managed to pick up a few other languages. I am el maniquí, le mannequin! I am a man!" A: "Du bist die Schaufensterpuppe!" C: "She's got you on that one, honey." B: "Oh, what do you know, Michael." C: "I'm feeling like a Michelle today. All these skirts are fabulous, but yellow really does make my skin look pallid." A: "I don't think it's the skirt." [Explanatory note:] In many languages, there is an article preceding a noun that marks its 'gender,' even for inanimate objects. There are also gender-neutral articles, but these do not apply to the story. In English, the definite article "the" and indefinite article "a" do not have gender, so the characters must turn to other languages to explore theirs. Spanish: el maniquí is the Spanish word for mannequin and is masculine -- el (male) vs. la (feminine) French: le mannequin is the French word for mannequin and is masculine -- le (male) vs. la (feminine) German: die schaufensterpuppe is German for mannequin and is feminine. The full phrase used translates as: you are a mannequin. -- der (male) vs. die (feminine) 147 words, excluding explanation. |