A New History Textbook Refers to Female Heroes as “Wives”
Controversy has stirred after the new MacArthur Bronze textbook, A Totally True History of the World: Jesus to Now, hit classrooms across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Large passages of the text refer to influential women in history as nothing more than “wives”. A section on science reads, “Radioactivity (whatever that is) is a scary thing only a man can handle. Pierre Curie was a science hero. He did things to radioactivity no one has ever done. Marie Curie (wife) was also there” (p. 116).
The textbook covers history in what MacArthur Bronze CEO, Briggle Bronze, claims is a “legit and empowering way” to teach young boys. We asked Bronze what young girls would get from the text and he stated, “Maybe fashion tips, like covering their ankles.” He later whined really loudly and said, “I don’t get why everyone is so mad. If it’s such a bad book then how did it get published, huh?” We reached out to the textbook’s publisher for comment, and senior editor Carl Charles replied, “No one could have expected me to read a whole textbook. No one reads a textbook whole.” Needless to say, things were missed.
The textbook is not only being denounced for its treatment of women in history, but critics are claiming it’s incredibly confusing. A Goodreads star reviewer, slowdown_megan, criticized the book by pointing out, “This book credits Katherine Johnson’s work at NASA to her husband’s amazing packed lunches and twelve minute mile time. A twelve minute mile isn’t even good.” Numerous sections of the text cover what husbands, brothers, or male neighbors were doing during the massive successes of women like Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Tina Fey. “When I grow up, I wanna be a woman!” exclaimed Conner Steele, an incoming 7th grade boy at Cowboy Pileup Middle School. “I don’t want to be stuck at the office while my wife is off beating math or slavery.”
The unexpected controversy of A Totally True History of the World: Jesus to Now has caused initial supporters of the book to call for its removal from schools. “Our company wants to issue an apology to all who have been affected by our textbook,” MacArthur and Bronze posted on X. “Our mission is and always has been men. The last thing we ever wanted to come from our work was the creation of more women.”
Volume two of the textbook is planned for release in early 2027. “We’re going to play it safe and just leave the women out this time,” Briggle Bronze said before entering a business meeting. “And we’ll do the same thing with the textbook.”