GENDER NORMS Dissecting the stereotypical and exclusive concept of powderpuff TANVEE SAI writer
10 | THE PROSPECTOR
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upertino High School strives to be a community that is inclusive for all. Despite this vision, certain traditions at CHS hinder progress towards this goal. One tradition in particular that still has room for improvement is powderpuff. Powderpuff is a yearly class competition at Tino where girls play flag football and boys cheer them on. According to History Teacher Wes Morse, powderpuff at CHS started in 1962. Initially, games were held only between Cupertino students, but as time went on,
CHS began competing in powderpuff games against other nearby schools. Historically, only juniors and seniors competed in powderpuff, but Principal Kami Tomberlain expanded it to include all grades. The name powderpuff comes from the common name for a soft cloth pad used to apply face powder, a common cosmetic. Including a makeup product in the name itself pushes the gender-conforming stereotype that women are hyperfeminine and obsessed with their appearances. More than just the name, though, powderpuff is entirely based on gender norms that women are supposed
to cheer for men as they play football and that the fun part of powderpuff is the reversal of these stereotypes. However, these stereotypes remain unchanged and unchallenged because these reversals only occur during this one week. While role reversals are widely accepted and celebrated within powderpuff, they are not continued after the week ends. Additionally, powderpuff is predicated on a two-gender system: students choose between a masculine or feminine activity. Students who do not fit in the gender binary may feel uncomfortable participating in either position of powderpuff and are consequently implicitly excluded.
