Periodically, it's time for a cat fight. Everyone knows how easy it is for me to get my panties in a twist.
Found this on HuffPo:
Yeah, that would be the same HuffPo that, on its front page, has yet another article ridiculing the Secretary of State and the Speaker of the House about their clothes.
"Letterman Quietly Ushers In the New Wave of Feminism," by Amy Siskind, claims that the Palin/Letterman feud shows there is a new wave of feminism a-risin'!
Wow.
"Not-feminism," apparently.
Because -- eee-ew -- feminism is just so icky?
Quoth Siskind:
It's not your mother's feminism. In fact, it's so revolutionary that the word "feminism" is being updated. The next wave is here. The players are different. The words are different. The asks are different. The weapons and tactics are different. Even the feel is different.
We knew it was coming. We just didn't know when or what it would look like. Quietly, cloaked in the unfortunate choice of David Letterman's words, the next wave has washed ashore, sight unseen by our national media. This explains why the media's constant query of "where are the feminists" is not being answered. The "feminists" are still there, yes. But the media is peeking under the wrong rocks as this next wave sweeps calmly over them and reaches our country's shore.
Gone is the "women's movement." This wave is not focused solely on women. This wave is primarily about the next generation -- our daughters and granddaughters. We see the sexualization of the next generation. We see the disturbing parade of misogyny and sexism. Mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers are sick and tired of the constant assault against women and girls.
Gone is "equal rights." This wave is not focused solely on above-ground demands for legislative change. This wave is about reaching down beneath the surface to eradicate the roots of sexism that lie deeply buried in darkness, ignorance and bias. The next generation deserves to be safe and be given a fair shake, yes; but we realize our daughters can only get there by changing our culture.
Gone is "domestic violence."
Wow. Just like that. DV -- gone?
Wowee.
Well, I know feminists, and you, madam, are no feminist.
Feminists don't make ageist frames: "not your mother's feminism"? Pfft.
"It's not about women, it's about the"next generation""? Did you really say that? Why?
Feminists don't throw domestic violence/domestic abuse under the bus.
Feminists don't ridicule the history of the women's movement, putting "protest rallies" in quotes, disparaging feminism, and suggesting the notion of "equal rights" is trivial. Cripes. Where you been?
You so need a big cuppa consciousness-raising, sweetie.
1 comment:
I think that you're reading it incorrectly, somewhat. I see her as challenging the language, from a focus on domestic, which also means personal and shielded from outside influence. So s she chooses the phrase, violence against women and girls, which is a much more apt description, and could possibly invoke the correct reactions to the fact of millions of women and children living in fear for their lives, than the tame terminology of "domestic violence".
So I don't see how the two of you are working at cross purposes.
I mean you bring up that it's HuffPo, but the author is Amy Siskind, one of the founders of The New Agenda, who stood against the misogyny of last year as much as anyone.
I don't agree with all of the New Agenda's goals, who seek to make common cause with anti-choicers. I don't see how you can advance the cause of women and children with people who don't believe women have bodily autonomy, but wev.
Still, that's a far cry from disappearing the victims of violence in the home.
Now, I do agree with that whole, "it's not about women, but the next gen"...line. It was odd. The whole piece was odd. I get the point she was trying to make, that there are many people who have been recommitted to gender equality and tolerance because of the past year, and new alliances can be made. But I still feel that you must be choosy amongst your allies, because you will have to compromise with allies.
Post a Comment