Time to get back on track, time to hate someone or something. So today, fine people, I shall hate feminism. Yes. I will hate the movement for equal rights. It annoys me. At the same time, I can't help but feel like I'm kicking a small puppy, it seems to be an easy target these days, and the movement has more schisms than a major religion. And yet, it annoys me. Probably because I'm a man.* Where is my world wide movement for equal rights? Celebrating manliness, beards and close study of the penis? Can we please get some focus on penis art? No, don't point at some phallic symbol, that doesn't count, I want some guy with a really long beard painting stuff with his schlong and naming it "Ode to my sack". That being said, there are plenty of women that are fed up by so called feminism, and different types of feminists that don't really get along with "those other feminists". That is usually a sign of something gone wrong. Not horribly let's-make-pipes-of-asbestos-wrong, but wrong enough to irritate the blog out of me. So let's have look.
A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle.
― Gloria Steinem
In the developed western world**, women have in general, reached equality. Well, at least they can vote, and that's what it was all about back in the days. In a logical world, the movement should have ended right there, I mean, think about it. You want the right to this and that? Well, good for you women, so do I, so I vote for the politician or party that will give me that. Or something approximating this and that, as the world isn't quite ready to recognize my this and that needs. Anyways, seems straight forward to me. But alas, I hear you scream it isn't so, and the evil patriarchy has thwarted your plans. What, who? The freemasons? Illuminati? Men in general? In all fairness, there are some valid points when statistics show an overabundance of men in some key positions, the problem is that those key positions are niches that have precious little to do with most people. Those key positions will not magically be filled by women, just by shouting "No means no".
Yes, no does indeed mean no. That phrase shows that you have mastered 2 words and possibly the understanding of one, but I have already covered this topic here: http://ihatetohatethethingsihate.blogspot.no/2014/04/sex-and-violence-one-where-we-poke-bear.html
***
Anyways, it seems rather straight forward to me. Women are smarter than men. They are better students, they mature faster and they get a running start at school where the boys kind of come limping after them. It should only be a matter of time before women surpass men on most fronts, education (and voting) is the key here. I don't have the numbers, but I'm willing to bet my neighbor's life that the percentage of women taking higher education has multiplied a few times the last 50 years.
So what is my big problem, really?
It could have something to do with a society beating itself to death with political labels and slowly dying under the weight of it's own morality and hypocrisy. The front page of the Spider Woman comic got a lot of flak from various fronts. If you don't know about it, use Google. The cover was made by an artist well known for his erotic work. That must be why she (miss spider) most of all resembles a giant penis, but that was not what the complaints were about. The body is too well defined, the pose is sexualized, blabla. When has any comic book superhero not been wearing revealing super-tight costumes? Are you seriously trying to tell me that the super guys don't show off their firm, muscular thighs, abs and buttocks? You even get quite a fait amount of "junk shots" from time to time. You know what is going on under that well-defined bulge. If I remember correctly it was even an alternative cover.
And while I'm on that topic, I want to throw out some names of franchises, like 300 and He-man. I mean, holy cow, where to begin? In 300 every man is a muscle machine in a skimpy outfit.**** He-man and his crew of comrades and enemies all have one thing in common. They are insanely muscled and wear little clothing except for boots and some sort of furry loincloths, breastplate optional. Men are portrayed as bodybuilding killing machines, and not necessarily with a lot going on in the brains department, and they are just as easily objectified. The difference is that is only ok for women to publicly say they are objectified. The social stigma for a man to come out and say he is abused by a spouse, is huge compared to the other way around. If your girlfriend beats you, you would probably be told to hit back. What if you don't want to hit back? What if the abuse isn't physical. Manning up won't help.
Maybe my problem is Anita Sarkeesian. Damn, she is clever. Or at least I hope she is, the alternative is depressing. Of course the amount of abuse and threats she has received is unacceptable and inexcusable. But was it unexpected? If you've played any games online for any time at all, you know what random abuse and threats you will get from random gamers. And that is for taking the wrong lane, shooting them or having a high ping. If I wanted controversy and media coverage, I would take on online communities and gamers in general too. Sarkeesian points to reddit and 4chan in particular, well big whoop, what a surprise. And what is it she wants exactly? Games for girls? Well, that is sexist. Less killing of random female npcs? They go in the same virtual mass grave as all the male npcs. Mario getting saved by the princess? Then I suggest someone makes a franchise of their own instead of making demands of fat mushroom-eating Italian plumbers. There is in fact, no one forcing women to buy games they don't like or keeping them from making the games they want to play. Is there a market for something, well fine, then the product can be made and sold. Last time I checked, the gender balance of active gamers was 50/40-something to the guys, so it can't possibly all be that bad.
Another problem could be the Radioresepsjonen debacle. It's a Norwegian comedy radio show, where one of the guys, yes, they are 3 guys, called a 19 year old so called "pink blogger", a fuck doll. Time to check our priorities. There is an ebola epidemic in Africa. Russia is semi invading Ukraine. People die from hunger every day. Some policeman, sorry, policeperson, probably shot another black kid in the US just now. Are we going to have a big discussion about this? They certainly have said far worse on many occasions. And let's face it, she really resembles a living doll. That you do stuff with. And the world has enough stupid blogs about fashion and cosmetics, bought and paid for by the producers of the products they recommend.
I'm not.*****
How about the stunt where a fictitious Norwegian 12 year old made a blog about how she was getting married to an adult. What if the feminist movement got behind those kind of things, wouldn't that be great? Maybe focus on female circumcision, the role of women in islam, the whole China and girls thing? But no, alas, it often comes down to men are evil, not enough female superheroes in practical body armor and no means no.
To me, the feminist label has become somewhat silly, outdated and hardheaded, all by their own doing. The same way I look at the animal rights label. You see I don't like the animal lovers either... I kind of hoped to smack them down too, but I see now I'll have to do that later.
To conclude, I'll talk about my dear old grandmother again, gone for some years now, and a product of her time long ago. I recall her watching the news on tv and say in a somewhat incredulous and surprised tone "Well this is something. I didn't know you could charge someone with rape when they are married to the "rapist". Tut, tut."
I think we all agree those times are behind us. Feminism, please become intelligent and relevant again.
*See what I did there?
**A stupid phrasing that doesn't really make sense, but people understand what you mean when you use it.
***I'm linking to my blog in my blog, hooray!
**** In real life they actually had armor. Because they were not Gerald Butler.
*****Any takers? Please? I'm cheap.
