18 Absurdly Offensive Postcards About Women That We'd Never Let Fly Today
One won't hear anyone around here arguing that life as woman is perfect in 2016, but we're not about to claim that we're worse off than our foremothers were. Cool hats aside, being a woman in the early 1900s was utter nonsense. Before August 18, 1920, the suffragettes had to do the dirty work to get us the right to vote, and after, women fought hard for social equality. Half the time, straight dismissal was the kindest reaction they got from society -- most of the time, it was cruel ridicule if not flat-out imprisonment.
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We know this, but still, the evidence is shocking. Want to know how tough it was to be a woman in the 1900s? Most women were expected to cook, clean, and raise children, and if a woman wanted to join the women's suffrage movement, she was discouraged, ridiculed, or even ostracized. We forget so easily, but it's important to remember the past so we can build a better future. These postcards are a reminder of these dark times before a woman had the right to vote or had the same rights as a man. We can prove it, too: Here are 18 postcards from the early 1900s that show off the truly disgusting way the world hated suffragettes. We still have a long way to go -- but we've really, truly come far, too.
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Image via Palczewski, Catherine H. Postcard Archive. University of Northern Iowa. Cedar Falls, IA.
My Wife Won't Let Me
We're not sure which part of "we want to vote" turned into "we want to vote and we want you not to," but apparently, it did for those fellas. Poor men, washing clothes. Must stink.
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Women's Sphere
We're not sure why this postcard was made for Valentine's Day --specifically when it's a sentiment that seemed to dominate every day in 1900, but whatever.
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Well I'm __
This wife's note reads, "Gone to a meeting. The children are next door and the cold meat is in the pantry. Ethel." Can someone explain to us why this is such a post-apocalyptic scenario and why it warrants that jaw-dropped face?
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Find the Head of the House
The artist here clearly had some ideas about what feminists look like (and we're not sure those ideas are totally gone today). But this woman looks like a gem who knows how to handle a household ... so, like, his cruel joke DIDN'T EVEN WORK.
I Want!
Yes, because the women fighting for basic democratic rights are whining babies screaming for food. Of course! Actually, this makes sense, if only because judging by the other postcards, men would have no idea what to do with this baby ... just like they had no idea what to do with feminism.
When Women Vote
Okay, to be totally honest, the scene shown here actually looks ideal. We'd love to kick back with cigars and cards and our lady club for a while while the men take care of the kids.
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Bearded Lady
JEEZ. We don't know if this is a comment about how suffragettes looked or if it's them trying to disguise themselves as men, but we hate it either way.
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Votes for Wimmen
Of all the insults men could throw at suffragettes, we don't know why they went with stupid. Also, we don't know how voting would even make them spend more time with men, so, like, we hate this on all levels.
Don't Marry a Suffragette
Don't marry a suffragette becauuusee ... she'll paint the trim the wrong color? Is that what he's going for?
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Mummy's a Suffragette
Oh, okay, so now they care about the kids. But only because they're crying because their mom's out protesting. Cool, guys.
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