Feminism and its wussification of men
SO. MANY. FEELINGS. right now.
This afternoon I had the pleasure of working with writer, director, and friend Craig Jamison on an upcoming podcast about women in tv, film, and media – how they’re portrayed, sensationalized, and, often, overlooked. It was great sitting down with an intellectual, fair, opinionated man and considering things from a different perspective – i.e. not mine.
You see, I am a feminist. I write about it, I talk about it, I dream about it. And I believe and support feminism when its intent is to define, establish, and defend EQUALITY FOR ALL SEXES AND GENDER in terms of political, economical, and social rights.
None of this man-hating bull shit. None of this “I was born with a vagina” so I am a woman, and “I like sports” so I must be a man nonsense. None of this heterosexual, metrosexual, queer, dyke, faggot, tranny-labelling. None of this “I checked this box” at the doctor’s office and she wears the pants in that house and he’s an American. I don’t care where you’re from, I don’t care what you look like, I don’t care what you identify as – I believe in you and I believe in your equality in terms of political, economical, and social rights.
Why, you ask? Because – thanks to my friend Alina who is so much more eloquent with words – this, everybody, this:
“The complete destruction of gender roles and the debasement of essentialist definitions of what delineates femininity and masculinity are neither necessary or inevitable in order for us to understand and relate to one another in the name of egalitarianism.”
This morning, I watched – and then promptly wanted to extract my own eyeballs from my own face – FOX news anchor Elisabeth Hasselbeck ask her guest Nick Adams, author of new book, “American Boomerang” if FEMINISM IS AFFECTING AMERICA’S NATIONAL SECURITY AND OVERALL OPERATIONS in terms of being a strong presence globally?!
When I first watched it (and posted about it on Facebook), I thought I had no words. It turns out, I do have words. I have so many words that I can barely breathe. Here are just a few of those words, in no particular order:
If feminism is affecting the national security and overall operations of America, my work is done.
Hasselbeck (who should have stayed on “The View” where she already barely belonged) and Adams and whatever the other fucktard reporter’s name is are of the very large majority that believe feminism is all about women wanting to be the more powerful sex and squash men like bugs. True feminists do not want to be president if their male co-worker or friend or brother or partner can’t. They don’t want to make 77 cents to his dollar for doing the same damn job. They don’t want to be in constant competition or VIEWED as the smarter, faster, or more efficient sex. True feminists just want to be given the same chances as men politically, socially, economically.
If Adams’ definition of feminism is about women wanting to be better than men and earn more than men and obliterate men in all spectrums, if his whole bull shit idealogy of the current “WUSSIFICATION OF MEN” (top ten most inane things I have ever heard uttered in my life) isreally the reason he thinks national security is in danger, THEN WHERE THE FUCK HAS HE BEEN WHEN THE MANNIFICATION (or some other ridiculous word as pathetic as “wussification”) OF WOMEN HAS BEEN HAPPENING? Where has he been when women have felt forced to be more assertive and more domineering and more, dare I say it, CUNT-Y, to be heard and respected and valued in this country? (Also, Adams, you’re from Australia. Shut the fuck up about our American men.) Why does he blame women (or feminism) for making men be less like men, but not blame men for making women less like women? Or is he only the defender of beer-drinking, sports-watching, javelin-throwing, CEO-titling MEN and not not NOT the defender of women or gay men or metro-men or latte-drinking-men?
I do not blame men for having opportunities that I do not, although I know some women do. I do not blame men for making more money than I do, although I know some women do. I do not blame men for (predominantly) being the breadwinners and working outside the home and feeling more obligated to provide for their family, although I know some women do. What I do blame SOME men for doing is seeing the inequality and the inconsistency and doing nothing about it. I blame them for promoting the equally-qualified men over women and for telling sexist jokes when their wives aren’t around and for discounting men that are gay or trans and allowing their differences to further injustice. What I do blame SOME people for is asking men, “What if it was your daughter or your sister or your [insert here any female friend or family member that said man should care about]?” when any gender-topic arises like rape or abortion or anything remotely controversial. How about, why the fuck does it need to hypothetically be your daughter for you to think about THIS WOMAN in THIS SITUATION as A HUMAN BEING with RIGHTS AND BELIEFS?
And, lastly, thank you, Carleton for providing the link to Camille Paglia’s article entitled, “It’s a Man’s World, and It Always Will Be”. I’ve always disliked her, and apparently, that is the way things will continue for me and her in this universe. She is pretty much the worst ever and her article title annoys the tits off of me, and maybe that’s its shock value intention, but I don’t care. People like Paglia are the reason it’s a man’s world, and people like her are the reason it will be for a long time. She fuels no forward progression, believes feminism is what Hasselbeck and Adams do, and spends entire paragraphs harping on the physical limitations of women and how if someone has to be out getting dinner for the caves and building bridges and growing beards, then by golly, it might as well be MEN. (She writes, “The modern economy, with its vast production and distribution network, is a male epic, in which women have found a productive role — but women were not its author.” Well, no shit, Paglia, because of people – men and women – just like you!) And ends her titillating piece with: “Surely, modern women are strong enough now to give credit where credit is due!” When the fuck were we ever not strong? OHMYGAWD I HATE HER (but I love you, Carleton)!
Listen, a lot of work needs to be done, but I know that men are fucking awesome, they really are. I have been with one in particular for almost four years that I just cannot get enough of. I’m serious, I literally will fold every one of his dirty-ass boxers and search high and low to match his socks forever if it means I get to keep him and force-feed him all my thoughts and alliterations until the end of time.
I don’t care if you drink lattes or run with bulls or like the Kardashians or hate cats, because if you wish to define, establish, and defend EQUALITY FOR ALL SEXES AND GENDER in terms of political, economical, and social rights, you’re alright by me.
Sick of the muck and the mire? Me, too.