This is part of the BBC4 Women series to celebrate International Women's Day and feminism. The first show was about women's lib in the late 60s and early 70s. I liked the opening statement 'Feminism is like a religion, I don't know how I would think without it.' I like that ideology; I COULD think without it, but I'd be much less of a person now if I didn't care about feminism and women's issues. I know; because I once was that person who didn't care about it. Yet today as I went up the escalator at King's Cross I divided the posters into 'sexist' and 'not sexist'. The sexist ones were mainly cartoons of blonde women in heels, shopping. These images permeate society. It's no wonder so many women haven't got a clue how to position themselves in society.
Who knew Cilla Black was a feminist icon? Not me! I might not have read The Female Eunuch (although if it's any good, I'll give it a go on audiobook) but I do understand the importance of access to abortion, access to jobs, access to freedom. The lack of those things is what equals oppression to me.
It's so exciting to hear views I believe in expressed eloquently on TV. So rare! Marilyn French was particularly cool; 'no man is going to save you'.
I feel continuously disappointed by my fellow woman; every time one changes her name unthinkingly when she marries, every time they say 'bird', every time they cheer on sports that would never accept them as participants. When you begin to see it, it is everywhere, and you can't stop.
It was quite exciting to see Germaine Greer all young and lippy in the 70s rather than shuffling around the Big Brother house after Jade Goody and her mum.
I kind of agree with her comments on not being a fan of marching (but I'm lazy) but I can understand the community spirit side of it even if it's not really for me.
The stuff about domestic roles was interesting; I have a completely equal relationship, in that there is no task that one or other of us is incapable of. I don't need someone to 'take the bins out' and my boyfriend picks up his own pants. So any mythological bunkum that men 'don't notice' washing up, or women can't hook up a stereo system is just bullshit. We both have brains and hands, we can both do it, and we both do it because we care about each other. I feel genuinely sorry for anyone living differently, and I know millions of women live differently to that, even women my age and younger. We have not progressed. Look at the adverts, look at TV shows. It's depressing.
Violence is another issue close to my heart, and women do live in fear of men, and always will. Men take for granted walking down the street at night; women find it frightening. We ARE prey, I totally agree with that.
Of course ALL men don't rape, but men should blame MEN for the fact they are seen as having this potential. I would be ashamed to be a man almost every day. Prisons are full of men. I watched a To Catch a Predator recently where they did a sting on hundreds of male paedophiles, and did not catch one woman. I'm not saying it never happens, that no women ever does it, because they do. But the number is minuscule in comparison.
The 'all women are lesbians' thing was interesting, that we can't be free unless we all go gay; I am curious about the idea of a society without men, except I don't fancy women, so it's difficult! I an envious of lesbian feminists though; just like I'm jealous of vegetarians. They really DO have the moral high ground!
Interesting stuff. So now it's 2010 and women's magazines are still telling you the 'right' way to have sex, and Loose Women is winning awards for 'factual entertainment'. The battle is far from won. I'll be interested to see the rest of this series.
Showing posts with label equality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label equality. Show all posts
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Equality... maybe in the next world
Was incensed by this 'lighthearted article' in the Daily Hate today by no-one's favourite horse-faced harridan Amanda Platell (I think the usual policy of not attacking people's personal appearance can be waived when discussing someone who makes a living from doing exactly that in the most disgusting way possible).
Amanda has written an article standing up for poor beleaguered men, and adverts taking the mick out of them (ironically whilst posting images of decades worth of sexually-insulting adverts aimed at women). And it's not like sexist adverts against women have stopped, as anyone who saw the recent(ish) BT advert with that plod from My Family on and his girlfriend going 'I lost the folder'- as if even merely glancing at a computer if you're a woman causes the entire hard-drive to spontaneously combust. Very subtle.
And what about that advert where that guy is watching the football and ordering is girlfriend to get his dinner? I don't know what that's for, but it offended me.
Platell goes on; 'As a society, we have become so institutionally sexist against men that it is now accepted practice to treat them as secondclass citizens. ' Oh well, not to worry, in the developing world women are still being stoned to death for not being virgins on their wedding night, so it's all swings and roundabouts, hey? And presumably 'in our society' the pay gap miraculously closed overnight and all the battered women's refuges were closed, and half naked men are appearing on Page 3 of The Sun now, yeah? How's that for a bit of role reversal? Gotta love equality!
She continues; 'On a more serious note, think of the raft of legislation that has been put in place to benefit women, and indeed positively discriminate in favour of them, often at the expense of male interests.' Like what? She doesn't offer a single example! Is she, a working woman, referring to maternity rights? (which incidentally do not apply to childless women- I can't personally think of any benefits I have over my male colleagues- and statistics have shown time and time again that men get paid more). If she is referring to maternity leave, then the implication is clear: get back in the kitchen and raise those babies, and keep your mouth shut, just like in the 'good old days'.
Does it not occur to this thick, humourless excuse for a woman that women have been ridiculed and abused for THOUSANDS of years? So now my boyfriend has to watch an advert where men are made fun of every once in a while. I think he can handle it. I don't think he needs you rushing to his defence, you traitor to your own sex, and a traitor to causes actually worth fighting for.
Even if men were routinely raped, beaten, mocked and paid less than women for the next ten thousand years it still wouldn't scratch the surface of levelling the playing-field. Doesn't she get that? And i'm not saying that I want that to happen, I'm saying that a couple of stupid adverts isn't exactly a big price to pay for a zillion years of supremacy.
I'm not even going to go into the bigoted drivel she spouts after that about any given minority, but her claim to speak for 'most people' is just plain offensive.
(Not) funnily enough, there was also a small story about a woman being sexually assaulted by a migrant, in an area where another woman was also raped. I can't find the link, but a police spokesman said (and I quote)... 'We constantly advise women not to walk alone in that area.' Can you see how insidious that language is? Oh, I see. So it's the victim's fault for being in that area! Silly woman, what was she thinking? Here was I thinking it was a free country, here was I thinking that the police might actually do something to protect women in a dodgy area, not wag their finger and go 'well, we did warn you...'
Equality... you're right, Amanda, we're far from it. And you disgust me.
Amanda has written an article standing up for poor beleaguered men, and adverts taking the mick out of them (ironically whilst posting images of decades worth of sexually-insulting adverts aimed at women). And it's not like sexist adverts against women have stopped, as anyone who saw the recent(ish) BT advert with that plod from My Family on and his girlfriend going 'I lost the folder'- as if even merely glancing at a computer if you're a woman causes the entire hard-drive to spontaneously combust. Very subtle.
And what about that advert where that guy is watching the football and ordering is girlfriend to get his dinner? I don't know what that's for, but it offended me.
Platell goes on; 'As a society, we have become so institutionally sexist against men that it is now accepted practice to treat them as secondclass citizens. ' Oh well, not to worry, in the developing world women are still being stoned to death for not being virgins on their wedding night, so it's all swings and roundabouts, hey? And presumably 'in our society' the pay gap miraculously closed overnight and all the battered women's refuges were closed, and half naked men are appearing on Page 3 of The Sun now, yeah? How's that for a bit of role reversal? Gotta love equality!
She continues; 'On a more serious note, think of the raft of legislation that has been put in place to benefit women, and indeed positively discriminate in favour of them, often at the expense of male interests.' Like what? She doesn't offer a single example! Is she, a working woman, referring to maternity rights? (which incidentally do not apply to childless women- I can't personally think of any benefits I have over my male colleagues- and statistics have shown time and time again that men get paid more). If she is referring to maternity leave, then the implication is clear: get back in the kitchen and raise those babies, and keep your mouth shut, just like in the 'good old days'.
Does it not occur to this thick, humourless excuse for a woman that women have been ridiculed and abused for THOUSANDS of years? So now my boyfriend has to watch an advert where men are made fun of every once in a while. I think he can handle it. I don't think he needs you rushing to his defence, you traitor to your own sex, and a traitor to causes actually worth fighting for.
Even if men were routinely raped, beaten, mocked and paid less than women for the next ten thousand years it still wouldn't scratch the surface of levelling the playing-field. Doesn't she get that? And i'm not saying that I want that to happen, I'm saying that a couple of stupid adverts isn't exactly a big price to pay for a zillion years of supremacy.
I'm not even going to go into the bigoted drivel she spouts after that about any given minority, but her claim to speak for 'most people' is just plain offensive.
(Not) funnily enough, there was also a small story about a woman being sexually assaulted by a migrant, in an area where another woman was also raped. I can't find the link, but a police spokesman said (and I quote)... 'We constantly advise women not to walk alone in that area.' Can you see how insidious that language is? Oh, I see. So it's the victim's fault for being in that area! Silly woman, what was she thinking? Here was I thinking it was a free country, here was I thinking that the police might actually do something to protect women in a dodgy area, not wag their finger and go 'well, we did warn you...'
Equality... you're right, Amanda, we're far from it. And you disgust me.
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