the anti feminist "movement" still makes me ragey

[secretlyevil]

The Today Show (yes I know!) did a story on the fucking entitled and oblivious preciouses this morning. It makes me sick, absolutely sick that these women think it's ok to just shit all over the tireless effort of so many before them. They think it's no big deal that women all over the world are still treated like property. In this country every day strides are being made to strip away our personhood but hey whatev, no big fucking deal.

/soapbox

[secretlyevil]

Really it just makes me weary all the way down to my bones and soul-crushingly sad.

[ChillyMcFreeze]

What was the gist of the story? Was it critical of these numbnuts or supportive?

[josieposy]

Oh come on now. Who needs things like voting?

[ECB]

Jul 30, 2014 7:59:05 GMT -5 josieposy said:

Oh come on now. Who needs things like voting?

Or equal pay?  I LIKE being paid less!!!  It keeps me in my place.

[blink]

Jul 30, 2014 8:03:12 GMT -5 ECB said:

Jul 30, 2014 7:59:05 GMT -5 josieposy said:

Oh come on now. Who needs things like voting?

Or equal pay?  I LIKE being paid less!!!  It keeps me in my place.

In the kitchen?

[ECB]

Jul 30, 2014 8:14:28 GMT -5 blink said:

Jul 30, 2014 8:03:12 GMT -5 ECB said:

Or equal pay?  I LIKE being paid less!!!  It keeps me in my place.

In the kitchen?

Of course.  Or sometimes in the bathroom scrubbing the toilet.

[secretlyevil]

Jul 30, 2014 7:53:01 GMT -5 ChillyMcFreeze said:

What was the gist of the story? Was it critical of these numbnuts or supportive?

I can't find it online, must not be posted yet. It was neither. I only got to see the background part before I had to leave.

[ringstrue]

Jesus likes it when I'm oppressed!

[Deleted]

Disgusting.

[cville]

I also saw the Today show coverage (aside: I think I'm hate-watching the Today show now) and I started yelling at the screen when Savannah was all "some people say things like I like having the door open for me, but others raise more thoughtful responses such as they believe in equality for men too."


WHAT THE FUCK, YOU MORONS. SERIOUSLY. WHAT ABOUT THAT RESPONSE TO FEMINISM IS EVEN REMOTELY THOUGHTFUL OR COGENT OR ANYTHING THAT ISN'T DRIVEL?!?!?

p.s. The founder of that group had some video they showed and she said something like "we needed feminism before, but we have equal pay now" and I threw my hairbrush (and it's a Mason Pearson and usually I treat it with love). NO WE DON'T. JESUS HIERONYMOUS CHRIST.

[cattledogkisses]

We need equality for men too?

Yes, men have a long history of being oppressed and treated like subhuman property.

What in the hell kind of nonsense is that?

[doobeedoo]

The only upside of this movement is that it was the impetus behind a very interesting discussion with my 9 and 6 year old daughters this morning. They asked me about feminism. I told them that it means people who want women to have all the same rights and opportunities as men. They asked me why anyone would possibly NOT be a feminist and a fascinating conversation followed.

[blink]

Well women are taking men's jobs because of the whole "equality" movement and they are losing rights like being able to compliment a woman whenever and however he wants. Don't forget all of the free time they are losing when they are forced to babysit their own children. They are also threatened by female 12 year-olds stealing their work. HTH

I love the line about how we needed feminism before but we have equal pay now, as if that is the only thing it is good for and that isn't' even a thing. It's flameful of me but I assume a large majority of people that think like this are young and ignorant.

[bunnysmom]

I usually try to avoid watching/reading those kind of stories because they make me extremely sad and angry.

The other day I was listening to the radio and there was a story about a 12 year old girl who was raped. An unbelievably stupid old hag called and said that it was probably in the girl genes to be so slutty, that her mother was probably a prostitute. I lost my hope in humanity at that point, while I turned off the radio.

[laladypoet]

Jul 30, 2014 8:14:28 GMT -5 blink said:

Jul 30, 2014 8:03:12 GMT -5 ECB said:

Or equal pay?  I LIKE being paid less!!!  It keeps me in my place.

In the kitchen?

I just have to say that your dug sig? is making me all teary. that was one of the sweetest parts of that movie. I'm done being an out-loud crazy dog lady now.

[msmerymac]

This whole "movement" reminds me of when, in college, I had a magnet that said "Feminism is the radical notion that women are people," and someone asked if I was a Feminazi. *Sigh*

[MrsAxilla]

Jul 30, 2014 9:20:32 GMT -5 bunnysmom said:

I usually try to avoid watching/reading those kind of stories because they make me extremely sad and angry.

The other day I was listening to the radio and there was a story about a 12 year old girl who was raped. An unbelievably stupid old hag called and said that it was probably in the girl genes to be so slutty, that her mother was probably a prostitute. I lost my hope in humanity at that point, while I turned off the radio.

[lyssbobiss, Command, B613]

How about we support feminism because without it, these women wouldn't be able to read and type such idiotic statements that oppress themselves and everyone else? Because I'm pretty sure girls didn't go to school back in the day. To learn to read and write. Because we had to make babies and cook.

[aurora]

Jul 30, 2014 10:38:54 GMT -5 @majorwife said:

Jul 30, 2014 10:37:53 GMT -5 lyssbobiss, Command, B613 said:

How about we support feminism because without it, these women wouldn't be able to read and type such idiotic statements that oppress themselves and everyone else? Because I'm pretty sure girls didn't go to school back in the day. To learn to read and write. Because we had to make babies and cook.

i need to bring my glitter "if you can read this, you are a feminist" siggy

Nuh unh.  I was forced to learn to read by all you feminazi's before I was old enough to understand my true purpose in life, which is to serve men and bear as many babies as humanly possible.  I wish I could go back and unlearn it, but I can't.

[downtoearth]

Jul 30, 2014 8:14:28 GMT -5 blink said:

Jul 30, 2014 8:03:12 GMT -5 ECB said:

Or equal pay?  I LIKE being paid less!!!  It keeps me in my place.

In the kitchen?

...Barefoot and pregnant and with an allowance from my husband.

[AJL]

You know what I find highly ironic and infuriating about the "I Don't Need Feminism" tumblr pictures? Those women are overwhelmingly WHITE, MIDDLE CLASS, and EDUCATED generally beyond a high school school level. Many of them look to be college age.

If privilege was a dead carp, I'd slap them up side their heads with it.

[msmerymac]

Jul 30, 2014 11:00:31 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Jul 30, 2014 7:53:01 GMT -5 ChillyMcFreeze said:

What was the gist of the story? Was it critical of these numbnuts or supportive?

This is my questions, because I kind of feel like these people are getting the "equal air time" treatment, as if there some ethical obligation to balance a story on "the glass ceiling" with a story about women who think that ceiling doesn't exist or it does, but women should be glad.  I don't understand why these groups get any airplay at all.  I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that ABC doesn't think it needs to interview David Duke every time there's a story about how our public education system disproportionately disadvantages minorities.  

But they sure as fuck think climate change deniers should be "respected" for their belief. 

The dumbing down of America.

[blink]

Re Feminanzi: Taking away (but not taking away) men's right is a genocide because men are people and women aren't?

I also think these things get media attention because if men are against feminism, well they have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo and they are biased. Whereas if women are against feminism then it is seen as validation that there is nothing wrong and we can just KOKO. Not to mention things like this can serve to put women against each other. So now not only are we working against the men in power, but we are working against women who believe everything is puppies and rainbows right now.

[secretlyevil]

Equal pay my ass. I do more, I have more talent and in some situations I'm just better than my male counterparts in my company and they make more than me. This is just a personal anecdote but it's common.

[lys]

When feminism makes it wrong to choose being a SAHM - then they restrict a right of the woman to choose. That is when I am against feminism. A choice to take time out for children does not negate your right to pursue a career.

I have seen a good many women lambasted for not putting their career first as hurting the women's movement.

There will never be a time when we will not need to continue to improve conditions and circumstances for women and children.

[chw57]

Jul 30, 2014 12:48:09 GMT -5 lys said:

When feminism makes it wrong to choose being a SAHM - then they restrict a right of the woman to choose. That is when I am against feminism. A choice to take time out for children does not negate your right to pursue a career.

I have seen a good many women lambasted for not putting their career first as hurting the women's movement.

There will never be a time when we will not need to continue to improve conditions and circumstances for women and children.

Oh god, seriously? Feminism is about being able to make the best choice for you, whether it's working or staying at home. And it's only fair that those who choose to work are compensated equally as those who do the same job.

[leeba25]

Did anyone see this? She's funny as hell, but more than that, she makes some great points.

thebloggess.com/2014/07/women-who-are-ambivalent-about-women-against-women-against-feminism/


So...yeah. Right now there’s a lot of talk about a tumblr called WomenAgainstFeminism. It’s just pictures of some women holding up handwritten signs entitled “I don’t need feminism because...” Some of the reasons they give for not needing feminism almost seem like a parody (“How the fuck am I suppose to open jars and lift heavy things without my husband?”) and some (“I don’t need to grow out my body hair to prove I’m equal to men”) just make me wonder where in the world they got their definition of feminism.

At first I considered starting my own “I Don’t Need _____ Because” tumblr with people holding equally baffling signs. Signs like:

I don’t need books because YOU KNOW WHO WROTE BOOKS? HITLER. HITLER WROTE A BOOK. NO THANK YOU, NAZIS.

I don’t need money BECAUSE I HAVE A CHECKBOOK, ASSHOLE.

I don’t need air because LOTS OF IT IS FARTS. I’M NOT BREATHING FARTS. YOU BREATHE FARTS.

But then I remembered that I’m too lazy to make a tumblr and that this whole thing was a bit ridiculous. Here’s the thing: Do you think men and women should have equal rights politically, socially and economically? Then you’re probably a feminist. There are a million tiny aspects of this to break off into and I get it. It’s complicated. There’s not just one type of feminist, just as there’s not just one type of Christian or Muslim, or man or woman. Hell, there’s not even just one type of shark. Some are non-threatening and friendly. Some get sucked up into tornadoes and viciously chew off people’s faces until that guy from 90210 stops the weather with bombs. (Spoiler alert.) The point is that sharks, much like feminists, are awesome, and beneficial, and the world would be a worse place without them. Plus, they’re incredibly entertaining and even if you sometimes think they’re dicks for eating cute seals you still yell “HOLYSHITLOOKATTHAT!” when Shark Week comes on. I think this is a bad analogy. Lemme try again.

Feminists are like bees. They are adorable and fuzzy but people run away from them because they don’t understand that they just want to make things good. We’d be fucked without bees. Seriously. And yes, some bees are assholes and maybe one killed your great-uncle and there are some that you give the side-eye to when they start acting crazy but eventually you realize that you have to take the good bees with the bad bees and maybe just be picky about what honey you choose to eat. Eat the raw honey, by the way. It’s way healthier. That last part isn’t part of the analogy. It’s just good advice from my great-grandfather (beekeeper). Also, like bees, feminists secrete a non-edible wax and are easily distracted by smoke.

I’ve lost my point.

Wait, no. I’ve got it again.

Feminism is inherently good. It’s not even close to perfect and still needs lots of work and sometimes it gets all fucked up and backward and awful but that doesn’t mean it’s not still worth fighting for. Now go back and replace “Feminism” with “The human race”. It works, right?. That’s because feminists are made of human. Men and women. In fact, one of my favorite feminists is Sir Patrick Stewart.


Patrick Stewart, feminist. His mother made 3 pounds 10 shillings for working a forty hour week in a weaving shed. She was also an abuse victim and he’s an anti-domestic violence advocate. More at the bottom.
I’m not saying you can’t choose to not be a feminist but know what you’re choosing. Don’t make a decision about a group based on the most radical beliefs of a group. Don’t get defensive if you get deeper and are exposed to difficult ideas about intersectionality and race and gender and colonialism and patriarchy and male liberation. Just listen. Some of it will make sense. Some of it won’t. Some of it will later when you’re a different person. Some of it you’ll change your mind about throughout your life and the world will change too. Some of it is bullshit. Some of it is truth. All of it is worth listening to.

And now you get to decide. Are you a feminist? Yes? No? Well, don’t worry because tomorrow you get to choose again. And that keeps happening every day for the rest of your life.

As for me, I am a feminist (among so, so many other things). I believe in equality and I think we still have work to do. I’m thankful to the men and women who worked to give me the freedom and rights I have today and I am proud to be a part of a movement that I hope will make the world better and safer for my daughter (and for the men and women she’ll share that world with). I’m happy we’ve come so far and I’m glad that we’re becoming more aware of feminist issues that don’t just focus on straight, white women, even though confronting those issues is sometimes painful. And I’m happy that the womenagainstfeminism tumblr exists. Because even though I disagree with most of them I’m glad that those women have a platform on which to speak, and also because if we know what the arguments or misperceptions are against feminism then we can better address them. Or agree with them. Or ignore them. Or discuss them with our sons and daughters so they can make informed decisions for themselves. It’s up to you.

We’re all equally deserving to express our opinion. After all, that’s what feminism is all about.*

*Or maybe not. I got kinda confused after the shark analogy went sideways.

[omgzombies]

I recently had to explain to one of my male friends that he was a feminist. The only person he'd ever met who claimed that title besides me was apparently of the "all men are evil" variety. He was shocked to the core when at some point I commented that I was a feminist. "But your nice, and you wear makeup!".

I was good though, I didn't cuss him out, and I didn't bury my head in my hands or smack him across the back of the head. I explained what feminism was, and that yes... he was a feminist. Welcome to the club boyo.

[smock]

Jul 30, 2014 12:48:09 GMT -5 lys said:

When feminism makes it wrong to choose being a SAHM - then they restrict a right of the woman to choose.

So your argument is that all the anti-feminists want is a woman's right to choose? That being pro-choice is a big part of the anti-feminist movement?

Somehow I think not.