Background on FNTT here. Click through to read this round’s contenders. The usual reminder: Comments below are abusive, insulting and may be triggering.
1. Alex
Let’s all agree forever and ever in circles until we’re dead. Let’s shut out any input that may be “derailing” or disagreeable. Let’s keep the minorities agreeing with the minorities and the majorities (who?) agreeing with the majorities. Let’s ask the people in power for change whilst telling them they don’t know what to do and refusing to let them ask.
You say there’s a time and a place for questions and yes, buts, but where is this place? I know in my short time questioning the people who claim to espouse Feminism that questions lead to hyperlinks to faceless, condescending websites. Where can you genuinely talk to a feminist online without them claiming to be too busy or too fed up to catch you up to speed on the most important aspect of their lives?
The Amazing Atheist (please don’t tell me what you think of him) recently had a quote on one of his videos that said:
“Feminism is the idea that we can make both sexes equal by focusing solely on the issues of one of them.”
While this is obviously not true in the dictionary sense of the word, at the very least the dictionary sense of the word for the first and second waves, it seems to be a perfect summary of “Feminism on the internet”.
It’s no wonder Feminism today, at the very least, online, has had almost zero effect on the misogyny we see all around us. The Us vs. Them situation online feminists have carved out for themselves has hardly made progress easy.
And while we’re on that topic, what defines a feminist online these days? A woman (or man) who says they are a feminist. That’s it. There’s no way to check what people know or they believe with any real measure of objectivity. The basic probability of the thing leans towards the fact that many people online who claim to be feminists are not conveying the ACTUAL beliefs and ideals that feminism entails.
The internet has a great way of putting misinformed people in a room, then filling that room with like-minded people to create the illusion that opinions are indeed facts. One only needs to see the issue of online piracy to understand the gravity of this fact. People these days are literally justifying their theft as both a victimless crime, and for that matter, not a crime at all, to rousing applause.
You can’t argue against the fact that many people having conversations about feminism could be completely different to your own, and that at times, you will be wrong, or not speaking the whole truth. Yes, buts are entirely warranted, and conversations that are ‘better for another conversation’ may in fact be interlinked (like almost everything is in the world) with the topic at hand.
The next time a man or woman says or asks something about your brand of feminism, do not push them aside so you can continue agreeing in a circle. The next time a man brings up his gender’s own issues do not shut him down, then accuse him of misusing moral relativism when he brings up starving children in third-world countries as a point of comparison. People of privilege don’t really have much to lose from trying once to join in and then never again when they are met with judgement and scorn. You can not discuss one gender without discussing the other.
Do not ostracise your next greatest ally. Equality will never be reached through segregated conversations. Equality is one of those things that, funnily enough, needs input from EVERYBODY, even the ones with privilege.
(I am aware my response probably ticks many boxes in some sort of feminist bingo and or derailment article, but these systems were put in place to derail conversation to begin with, so instead of telling me this, tell me what YOU think.)
2. A:
Feministe Admins: this is a little unusual for your mag, I know, but certainly relevant to Jill’s “Sex & Marriage” topic. Also, I see that “we are not afraid of controversy” in your guidelines. The download link below is for a simple compressed “zip” file, a folder within which are eight photographs.
The point of my comments here is that feminists in the US are generating a set of conditions which will have unwanted results for some of them and, certainly, for their daughters. I am a man; white, tall and, according to my Mom, affable and near-genius. My ex may have a more balanced view, however. In any case, I have a lovely grown daughter who, for many years resided in Northampton. She and I are well-schooled in the realms of feminist thought. My take on the good stuff is that you want equality of advancement at all skill levels, a clear shot at political power, a chance to elevate enslaved women in other nations and to bring a safe standard of living to these women and their kids.
My topic in response to Jill’s article will address only one aspect of American feminism, one which feminists seem to have moved to the backs of their minds. Probably a majority of American men, men of all ages, feel that there is nowhere in the US where they are likely to find a mate who is more traditional yet fun and smart: Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy), Samantha Stevens (Bewitched) or Laura Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show), to try some recognizable figures. These women brought peace and joy into the lives of their families. Men feel that feminist thought, the more aggressive line, is too much grief to have to live with. Many have gone overseas to find wives. Others are beginning to turn to female simulacra, life-like constructs, the newer (Japanese) of which offer female voice responses to simple phrases or questions. This is a growing, need-based phenomenon, not some pastime of fringe trenchcoat wearers (except for me, perhaps). American men dealing with work and financial stresses, already fated to die eight years before their female contemporaries, want to come home to peace and quiet, not the demanding regimen which is life with a devoted feminist. I’ve uploaded the folder not to be blatant or stupid, just to show readers here the mechanical fact of the existence of these “alternative partners.” I know it is still out-there in the US but fully accepted in Japan. I believe this phenomenon will be fully accepted as a way to live a peaceful and non-distracting life in America soon, certainly in under twenty years. By the way, these sims are available as males or females, so fems can snag a few too. Peace.
Feministe.zip (577.6 Kb)
3. Chris
God!!! – Why are all you ”people” (translation: feminist liberal democrats) on this woman’s side!!! She MADE IT UP!!!
If HALF of what was put out there about some of her previous sexual liasons (she wasn’t even MARRIED!!!) are true I wouldn’t believe a WORD she said.
I studied this case. She didn’t even have any CIRCUMSTANTIAL evidence and ZERO witnesses!!!
Jamie Leigh Jones DOES, however, have a history of being sexually active BEFORE being married and a history of LYING. Oh, also a history (by her OWN ADMISSION) of mental illness.
VERY credible. /Sarcasm/
If I were the corporation, I would now COUNTER-Sue her for time lost, defamation of character – whatever I could think of and just really mess her life up. She (and ALL women like her DESERVE no less!)
I don’t like minorities. I don’t like feminists. I don’t like atheists. I don’t like anti-war protesters. I don’t like people who don’t stand for God bless America. I don’t like those who pressured Arizona on certain things in recent years. I don’t like people who go after Big Business. I don’t like people who don’t spend at least a fair portion of their life in Texas, and the rest of the South. I don’t like N.O.W. … I don’t like the ACLU … I’m a proud card-carrying member of the NRA. I hit my neighbor in the face the in the 2010 midterms when it became clear the Republicans had the House back and said ”Take that!!!” … I don’t like people that have no Family Values. I voted for George Bush – BOTH TIMES and still have the bumper stickers on my car. I cheered when that $^^@# Erin Brokavick was getting death threats for being a SNITCH.
I would give my life for a Blue state and there have been nights when I have *literally* physically shaken with pride over the fact that this country has elected a republcan five out of the last seven presidential elections. Im not a weirdo or anything, it just makes me feel proud.
I don’t like people who believe in ”Global Warming” and I don’t like all this ”Green” Buls#@$@$#
Ask my youngest brother what I did to him when he told me he was thinking about being a PU$$Y and bying a ”Hybrid.”
Please do not remove my post. I am not trolling. Anyone can email me and I am VERY educated on all of the topics I mentioned above and welcome intelligent political discourse. I stated honestly who I am and what I believe without breaking any of your site’s posting rules. Again, I’m no fly-by troll – I just want to have my say and will answer any questions with respect and no vulgarity. I spent three hours yesterday explaining to my neighbor (shes 23, lives alone and is one SWEET piece, let me tell ya, lol) why she BETTER be in favor of Tort Reform or she and I would be having a little talk. I have worked my TAIL off for this country!!!
I walk what I talk. I have been an Activist. I have been a Delegate. I lost part of my family in the late 90s because I was working so hard to get Clinton out of office.
I am not alone…friends, family, fellow members of my congregation at church are VERY similar to me.
We are not the type of American citizen you need to be afraid of – we are the American citizen that is going to SAVE *your* sorry behinds.
And we will do it with love for all. One nation, under God.
God Bless you,
Chris
4. the truth hurts:
The fact is this comment will probably get deleted but I don’t care as when it gets deleted it will only prove my point further. Modern day feminism is a big fucking joke; now most of the people calling themselves femenists these days are just trying to demonize men and make them seem like they are to blame for everything that is wrong in every womans life.Case in point being this article. Boohoo I dressed like a skank at occupy wall street and somebody made a video showing me dressing as such, this is not opression. This is nothing more than what you wanted when you got up in the morning and decided to put on that slutty outfit when you knew that there were gonna be a slew of cameras and videos being taken where you were going. If anything the makers of this half assed website should be demonizing the women for dressing like this in public. Now that being said we move onto the point that they made a joke about rape. Well if the makers of this website ever actually looked at facts instead of just going off their emotions they would know that there is about a 2:1 ratio of men getting raped to women. Take out the prison rape scene and it is still a 1.16:1 ratio of men getting raped to women THAT WE KNOW OF.I say that “we know of” because most men don’t report that they got raped and robbed as to us it is generally something that we could have avoided as can women. Now the awesome facts don’t stop there it is believed that about 45% of rape claims made by women are lies just to get back at somebody because of whatever reason they so choose, the worst part is that even with no evidence against them as long as some bitch starts crying in court they will probably get convicted of rape.But wait there’s more, the average jail time for a man convicted of rape is 12 fucking years and a big stain on their criminal record… for a woman its 15 months no big stain.
Now all that being said the last thing i would like to touch on is how fucked up it is that you would post not only this mans name and pic but his friends pics as well.Why can’t you grow a fucking sense of humor and get the fuck over it.Its not like he was saying I would rape all of them, no he is making a joke to his friends on a fucking facebook leave the man alone.
My mother was a feminist back when it meant something. Back when women were not supposed to wear pants and had only the worst pay in the job force and got no respect. Women these days are not oppressed they just want reparation’s for what they think is and was happening to them.The fact is unless you are talking about the top 10% of our country women not only have a higher opportunity of employment but also have a higher chance of getting employed.They get treated easier then men in courts (case in point the woman who chopped her husbands dick off when he wanted a divorce) they get less jail time time and they get away with a lot more crimes then men do.
I will argue any stupid ass point you think you may have to the contrary, BRING IT ON I will be doing an AMA about chauvinism on the 20th of October on reddit.com starting at about 12 noon eastern time. If you think you have a valid point about modern female oppression bring it up and I will show you 6 ways you are wrong.
Again I just have to say that this article sickened me.It accomplished nothing and only showed that feminists are just women with no sense of humor.
5. Jim
Oh puke. Hey now you get treated like one of the guys and it’s misogynist, we treat you different and it’s discriminatory. Collectivism is bullshit. You’re a person with a vagina. You want to interact in a certain place with a certain people, deal with how those people are, or go somewhere else. You keep wanting the double standard in your favor, where there shouldn’t be one at all. Seriously, you need to grow up, realize the world isn’t roses, and stop making it an issue of sexism. You don’t want to be ridiculed or harassed on reddit? Don’t go there. Adult solution. You seem to want to avoid that and instead try and throw a pity party because someone went someplace and was mocked. Be glad it wasn’t 4chan, and move on with your life and concentrate on yourself and your personal responsibilities to better your life, and quit whining about how much of an asshole everyone else is. You’re an asshole too.