Supervising Women Workers (1944)

Factory foreman Joe sits down with his boss for a talk about how to handle the "problem" of female workers, after Joe admits "women scare me." (?!)

Joe learns that women are "not naturally familiar with mechanical principles", that they must have everything explained down to the last detail, that they are naturally jealous, and that Joe should never "mix business with pleasure", though that last statement goes unexplained.

An interesting document of gender relations in the new WWII co-ed factories.

Producer: Kerkow (Herbert) Productions
Sponsor: U.S. Office of Education

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• 1944
• workplace
• politics
• gender
• roles
• sexism
• sexist
• boss
• WWII
• factory
• rosie the riveter

[ratter88]

Actually, it's not nearly as sexist as it looks.

It's even subtly mocking the male fear of women of the time.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into things..

[lachefderouge]

in 7:34 that guy looked like jerry stiller.

[blackcatbunchie]

@Duirward And that's why I put rat poison in every meal I serve for every guy

[dancepiglover]

8:43 Well, I was with him on the explanation until she reacted like an airhead at the end. But I like the ending of the clip, though

[kawaiinekochick2]

man they had films on EVERY subject o.o

[joshjhutton]

Now why isn't Joe in the Army? 4-H?

[qinella]

This guy Joe is wearing a bizarre outfit for a factory foreman.

[AnjanaHalo]

@wtallen4

I like to view it as the last bit of her passive aggressive raging at hubby for his "women can't stay on task" comment. She lists the (abridged) list of all the shit she's done today while he's at work, and points out that dinner's going to be late because she's been doing all this stuff that he never thinks about and quietly knocking him because you know he's just going to sit in his chair and read instead of helping.

Maybe I'm getting too into it, though.

[berot3]

oh klasse, da kann Mann wircklich was lernen!

[11LindZO]

The wife's expression in the middle of the vid makes me think she was actually a bit pissed off by the husband's comments...maybe this wasn't the actress's first choice of jobs

[Foxstab]

@odirex Try to think about gay furry porn, or naked grandma, should distract you long enough to be able to do some work.

[Foxstab]

2:10

WTF did he say? Even I didn't get that, and I have no problem understanding or operating most machines. Sounded like the Ebonics version of mechanist.

Honestly, this "women are clueless about industrial work" could very well apply to everyone without any mechanical background in today's world. Any new employee who is brought completely fresh to operate heavy machinery is needed (and oft is instructed/educated) about the entire process to the last detail so that they understand its workings.