onehandclapping

Wednesday, June 13, 2007,9:20 AM

I'm Not A Feminist, But...

So another Facebook find, from the group ""I'm Not A Feminist, But...' Makes me want to bash my head against a wall!". There is such a fear of the f-word and an utter lack of historical perspective. The number of times I've heard "I'm not a feminist, but I support equal rights for women" and then some ridiculing of women who call themselves feminist follows. Is it just the easiest way to make fun of women (like that's a good thing)? Do people just not stop to think or are they really ignorant of what the legacy of feminism has given them? It's just sad. This video clip comes down on the ignorance side, I don't know if it's so pathetic it's funny or if its just really really sad.

Labels: Gender Issues

posted by Julie at 9:20 AM

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7 Comments:

At 6/13/2007 11:29:00 AM, Erin

Sigh. Don't they teach this stuff in college anymore?
At 6/13/2007 11:38:00 AM, Katherine

I knew there was a reason my high school English teachers always had us learning vocabulary... :-)

The video reminds me also of a public official who used the word niggardly and many strongly called for his resignation, first because they thought it was a racial slur, then, after they were enlightened, they insisted on it anyway because it "sounded like" that particular racial slur...
At 6/13/2007 02:16:00 PM, Miz Melly

Oh. My. God. And I am not taking the Lord's name in vain. I'm praying!!!! That's just terrible. How embarrassing!
At 6/13/2007 03:49:00 PM, Anonymous

embarrassing indeed!! i'm glad it was vermont just so i can say it wasn't my alma mater. (not that mine would have done better)
At 6/14/2007 09:00:00 AM, Julie

I guess the history of women still isn't important enough to teach in schools...
At 6/15/2007 11:15:00 PM, Elizabeth Chapin

I didn't find the video humorous at all - since my daughters have watched Mary Poppins enough, I hope they would at least have a clue about the difference between suffrage, sufferance and suffering! But, this is one more reminder of my responsibility to train them well! Thank God I have four daughters ;-)

I am saddened by the negative stigma associated with the term feminist and how it has been totally separated from it's historical context. Perhaps it is akin to the stereotyping of radical, right-wing, fundmental christians giving "church" and "christian" a bad name. There have been some radical feminists with ideologies that are counter productive to the egalitarian cause, but just as I choose to not be afraid to be indentified as a follower of Christ, I choose to be fully feminine and fully feminist, fighting for truth, justice and the Way of Jesus!

And a new super-hero is born...

:)
At 6/20/2007 06:19:00 AM, Unknown

i've always liked alan alda's definiton of a feminist - 'some one who likes women' - i guess i'd add as they like themselves - but that sounds almost familiar..