Briya Myers
19 March 2016
“Math Class is Tough” by Denise Duhamel is the epitome of how an expression of feminism is treated under the traditional values of the patriarchy. Her use of free verse in the poem instead of the traditional format displays how much she is willing to disobey the status quo to prove her points. Barbie, for a long time, since 1959 to be exact, has been the ideal figure to be for little girls, and mature women. She symbolizes beauty and high stature, but unfortunately, not intelligence.
Denise Duhamel’s opinions on the simple minded “Teen Talk Barbie” definitely can not be considered appreciative, but frustrated:
Barbie hasn’t spoken in twenty years
and when she finally does, little girls
and those who remember being little girls with her
cock their ears, smile, and listen.
Math class is tough, says Teen Talk Barbie,
Math class is tough? (Duhamel 60)
After a long hiatus from speaking, Barbie finally returns with her influential tongue only to utter the words “math class is tough.” All of her fans, varying in ages, were excitedly waiting to hear what she had to say and were disappointed by the simplicity of her statement. The last line, Barbie’s repeated phrase is formed as a question and this was not done accidently; this was Duhamel’s bold move to express that she cannot fully fathom the idea that after all of these years, the only thing to be said was “math class is tough.” The structure, syntax, and grammar of the phrase is perfectly comprehensible, but the meaning is left in that gray area; the same gray area women and their intellectual capabilities have tried to crawl out of, as Duhamel will express.
The exasperation with Barbie’s unintelligence is continuous throughout the poem especially when Duhamel says:
Is that is?, we all wonder, pulling her string again
to see if she’ll say anything more enlightening
The American Association of University Women
wants Teen Talk Barbie pulled from the shelf
until Mattel agrees to let their favorite doll say something else.
There’s enough anxiety around algebra, geometry,
calculus and trig. That’s just what little girls don’t need--
someone else telling them they’ll never balance
a successful checkbook. (Duhamel 60)
Duhamel explains how dumbfounded Barbie’s fans were by the simpleness yet strange ambiguity of Barbie’s statement. They hoped she would say something that would justify their excitement for her return, but to their dismay, all she continued to repeat was “math class is tough.” Some people may be confused as to why feminists took to the offense because of a doll’s phrase, but with close examination, it is not hard to understand why. It is widely believed that women as a gender are less capable than men of performing math such as the ones listed in the poem. It is no secret that math can be difficult, so when it’s supposedly proven that men are better at it, that causes apprehension about the subject. Barbie has essentially been a role model, despite the anorexia, for females, but the blatant self deprecation forms tension between those who wish to overcome this hurdle and the doll as a trope of female identity. Feminists' argument is not to cause trouble, but rather to suggest that women are perfectly capable of doing math, whether it be in the classroom or handling their finances.
The feminist argument only gets stronger. Denise Duhamel begins pointing out even more degrading features of patriarchy hold in regards to women:
Barbie herself tried to run for president
against the Ross Perot Troll Doll, sure
her red white and blue cheerleader’s skirt
would appeal to male voters. When she didn’t
make the primary, tabloids spotted her
shopping at Macy’s and eating a hot fudge sundae
So maybe this time she’s aligning with the feminist--
saying that math is particularly tough
on women--there are scales and dress sizes,
bust measurements and calories
all designed to keep us counting and counting. (Duhamel 60)
In the presidential race when Barbie ran against another doll, which conveniently was male, she lost. Her loss of the vote was not the demeaning aspect. That feature came into play when she went into the election wearing a red white and blue cheerleading skirt. Yes, the colors were quite patriotic; however, Barbie was given no pass from objectification because it was obvious that the garment would appeal to the male voters and their perverse fantasies. Maybe this is the reason why Duhamel decided to give Barbie the benefit of the doubt; saying Barbie was actually on women’s side when she said “math class is tough.” After all, she could have meant that math class is tough on women because it teaches them how to perform all of the counts and measurements that society convinces them are their defining features. It is possible that Barbie was not only eating the sundae to comfort herself because of the loss, but that this is a trope of resistance aimed at those who only see her as a pretty face in a patriotic cheerleading skirt.
Regarding Barbie’s ambiguous statement, Duhamel tries to decipher if there were any hidden messages:
In anagram-language Math class is tough
translates to Last hog scum hat
or Shout at clam gist. No one knows for sure
exactly what Barbie is talking about.
Yet we sense she picks her words
the way she picks her wardrobe--
nothing sloppy, always a grand design
that makes the rest of us feel half in, half out. (Duhamel 61)
In no language is “math class is tough” translated into a less vague meaning. However, Barbie is famous as a trope for the "perfect" woman. It is unlikely that she chose those at random because nothing she does is anything less than planned. Her “perfection” is what makes women feel like they could never reach the high standards that she can, but will certainly still be expected to.
Denise Duhamel is trying to give insight into how under the patriarchy, women are constantly being degraded and underestimated for their intellectual capabilities. Because she never does much to be seen in bad light, it can lead one to think that perhaps Barbie meant exactly what she said--no double meaning attached. It is fathomable that she was manipulated into thinking she was giving simple commentary on the subject when in fact, she was a messenger for the patriarchy-- sending women the daily reminder that they will always be the underdog.
Work Cited
Duhamel, Denise. “Math Class Is Tough.” Kinky. Orchises P, 1997, 60-61.
