A Speech Delivered in a Ghost Town
As I was stumbling around teh interwebs just now, I revisited a feminist blog which I hadn't looked into for quite some time. The blog's publisher, Feministgal, was/is a pretty fair specimen of what we nowadays call an "earnest feminist", although just a tad bit on the snarky side. The blog appears to be defunct, given that it was last updated in November 2009. (Judging by the last few entries, she was running out of things to say.) Anyhow, somewhere deep in the post archive, I chanced upon a solitary reader comment with "MRA" written all over it! :) This comment is dated 20 July, 2010 -- which is surprisingly recent! I have edited slightly, for clarity:
"It is an interesting article posted. I don't think women own the term or definition of feminism any longer. What you declare is now irrelevant and doesn't really matter.Some things intrigue me here. Firstly, the comment itself, which is interesting. Secondly, that Feministgal let it through moderation at all, considering what it is saying. Thirdly, that the blog has apparently withered on the vine, and yet Feministgal still checks in . . .
"Feminism is now a political institution, entrenched to the extent that it serves women and disenfranchises men. This is now so pervasive in society that if you are female you are a feminist. Regardless of what you declare.
"This [attitude] has become an extension of risk management for men. Any man who declares himself a feminist, as most men now know, has simply not been tapped on the shoulder by reality.
"It's like believing in God. The safe bet says you should. Potentially there's less to lose. Well now it's the same for feminists; the safe bet is that you are, meaning potentially less damage and less to lose. Women have achieved deity status in the risk management department. Well done.
"This serves another objective of the movement, which is, to wipe out the institution of marriage. Since the risk is no longer worthwhile, again, well done. I think the point I'm trying to make is it doesn't matter to another woman whether you say you are a feminist or not.
"Now it no longer matters to men what you declare. For men, if you are a woman you are a feminist. End of story. The old saying "you go girl" now means "go away", and "go it alone".
"July 20, 2010 7:36 PM"
posted by Fidelbogen at 7:03 PM
9 Comments:
The better safe than sorry attitude is understandable, and on average most women needn't declare that they are feminist. For those who adamantly declare they are anti-feminist (and show themselves to be so), I think a differentiation should be made. It isn't as if being an anti-feminist woman is considered by female-dom as laudable - in a sense, it's considered worse than if a male were anti-feminist, traitor to the cause and all that.
Continued antagonization of the small minority of women who are against feminism, using the safer than sorry argument, will simply slow down the eradication of feminism. As the commenter stated, feminism is culturally pervasive; it can only be eradicated by a cultural movement away from it - the speed with which that will happen partly depends on the reception anti-feminist men give to those men and women who are struggling to see the light.
One can't expect everyone to have a sudden epiphany about the evils of society; it's a slow process, and patience with the removal of entrenched feminist ideology is absolutely necessary if this is going to be fixed.
If a speech is delivered in a ghost town and no one is around to hear it, was anything really said?
Those who reap the benefits of feminism rather than deny them are most certainly feminists, regardless of whether they claim to be sheep or wolves.
TDOM
@Trent:
"For those who adamantly declare they are anti-feminist (and show themselves to be so), I think a differentiation should be made."
Agreed. What the commenter was possibly saying, was that women in general, who are not yet known, need to get the better-safe-than-sorry treatment.
Of course, the purely practical problem from a man's POV, is that ANY woman could (in theory) suddenly, without warning, turn against him and make use of the anti-male powers that feminism has placed at her disposal.
So again, original point taken (in principle), BUT. . . the whole situation is a still a minefield, whether we like it or not! :(
"Continued antagonization of the small minority of women who are against feminism, using the safer than sorry argument, will simply slow down the eradication of feminism."
Yes, I largely agree! And I know that your are speaking from the background of your own observations, in saying this.
And you have given me an idea!
So, I will be putting up a new post in the next 2 or 3 hours. Watch for it! ;)
@TDOM:
"Those who reap the benefits of feminism rather than deny them are most certainly feminists, regardless of whether they claim to be sheep or wolves."
We might (in some cases) refer to such individuals as "objective feminists", or "passive feminists".
I believe that feminism has hurt women more than its hurt men.
Why do I say that?
When I was 35, I started "dating" as many women as possible (I lost count at 60). What I noticed was that most of them were absolutely miserable - by the time they were in their 30's. Listening to them talk, I sorta-kinda realized that the entitlements that feminism had granted to them - were responsible for their misery.
By catering to some women's hatred of men (when they are in a bad relationship and whatnot), it seems to me that they remove the woman's sense of "maybe its not the man, maybe its me".
I hope that more women realize this.
Ugh, I am not the most eloquent of speakers. This will probably get taken WAY out of context. oh well.
"Of course, the purely practical problem from a man's POV, is that ANY woman could (in theory) suddenly, without warning, turn against him and make use of the anti-male powers that feminism has placed at her disposal."
Unfortunately true.
"I believe that feminism has hurt women more than its hurt men."
You may be right about that. And I think it is possible that the worst damage (to women) still lies in the future.
@Fidelbogen.
That is something I really wonder about.
IMO, feminism dragged women through the mud.
What I watch out for - is something that is out to do the same to men.
@ScareCrow:
I would say that feminism has dragged men and women both through the mud.
Also, I would point out that the world contains, and has always contained, plenty of people who happily drag THEMSELVES through the mud.
All I've got to say is, leave the latter to their devices.
In an ideal post-feminist world, where an hierarchical sense of better and worse has been re-established, that is how it would be! ;)
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