I’d like to think that I’m an educated feminist.
By educated, I mean that I dedicated four years of my life to understanding feminist theory. By feminist, I mean that anything a man can do, I can do better.
Joking - but seriously, I am a strong believer in gender equality, blah blah blah.
That being said, I am not one to complain about perceptions and stereotypes that we as Americans have created. (After all, perception is reality.)
I am much more interested in how these “gender roles” came to be.
So, every now and then, I like to throw a bit of knowledge that I learned in college Joe’s way, help him understand how I see certain things. Normally, he’ll just ignore me or rattle on about how feminist theory makes no sense as all. You know, the typical male response. ;-)
Regardless, I still keep trying. Well, a few weeks ago we were making the cake balls when I decided it was a good time to give Joe another feminist history lesson. He actually listened, so I thought I’d share this little snidbit of information with all my friends. So, here you go. You’re welcome.
Did you know that we can thank Betty Crocker and our grandmas for having to buy a cake mix and eggs together?
Yep, that’s right. By the 1950s powdered eggs had been added into cake mixes and allowed for a quick and simple method for baking cakes.
After slow market growth, Betty Crocker hired Dr. Burleigh Gardner and Dr. Ernet Dichter, both business psychologists to conduct market research.
‘The problem, according to psychologists, was eggs. Dichter, in particular, believed that powdered eggs, often used in cake mixes, should be left out, so women could add a few fresh eggs into the batter, giving them a sense of creative contribution.”
As a result, General Mills altered their product, abandoning the powdered egg in their mixes. The requirement to add eggs at home was marketed as a benefit, conferring the quality of ‘home-made’ authenticity upon the box cake mix.
By adding eggs, women didn’t have to feel guilty that they had not slaved away in their kitchens all day making a cake from scratch.
They were still cooking, like lovely ladies should.
So, next time you go to the store and remember the cake mix but not the eggs, give grams a call and give her a piece of your mind. Hmm, or just ask her to borrow an egg or two.
