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November 03, 2005

Gender Feminism -- more roosting chickens

E.M. Zanotti of The American Princess writes an excellent analysis of the latest silliness in the marketplace where Abercrombie sells slutty-slogan t-shirts and politicians are quick to pound the podium in Outrage! Outrage, I tell you!. (And in this instance, it is a Republican state senator that needs to be slapped upside the head.)

EM points out the obvious -- Abercrombie and Fitch is not holding a gun to the head of the customers demanding they buy the shirts. When a girl slips into that shirt with Who Needs A Brain When You've Got These blazoned across her boobs, it is not because she can't read.

EM almost hits the mark with her explanation of where this trend to exploit one's inner 'ho originates:

I prefer to believe that this is not a reaction to feminism, but a symptom of feminism. What started as a quest for equality has morphed into a self-centric individualistic theory that has stolen women's feminine nature along with their souls.
However, there is nothing individualistic about gender feminism. Equity feminism -- feminism premised on equal opportunity and choice, never eschewed the feminine. But the movement was radicalized by gender feminists - radical leftists dedicated to promoting equalitarianism, the proposition that men and women are the same. Not only the same, but that FEMALE GENDER was nothing but a social construct.

Gender feminism not only has promoted the idea that the sexes are the same but that the male model is the genuine role model. Gender feminism is not about individuals pursuing their own dreams, secure in their own identities -- it is about conforming to the collectivist list of proper-authentic-womyn behaviors.

It is that ideology, that runs counter to common sense and reality, that produces a reaction in many women that the only way they can distinguish themselves from men is to show more skin. Women who have been told time and again they must compete like men, think like men, drink like men, have sex like men...indeed that they are the same as men, what is left to show their difference from men?

Posted by Darleen at November 3, 2005 12:43 PM

Comments

- Why not just read it and decide she's proud of her rack... or is that too simplistic in this "elitist based" mellenia....*snort*

Bang

Posted by: Big Bang Hunter at November 3, 2005 05:40 PM

From that there local TV news Web site:

The 49-year-old state Senator says he doesn't pretend to be the bellwether of what's cool but he believes the T-shirts disrespect women.

I'm pretty sure the word "bellwether" hasn't been cool for quite some time. Particularly considering what it, you know, actually means.

I'm also pretty sure that using "disrespect" as a very isn't cool either.

You know what's cool? Literacy.

Posted by: Jeff Harrell at November 3, 2005 09:22 PM

Feminism, T-shirts;--it's all so confusing.

What's a man to think? Or do?

Posted by: Carl W. Goss at November 4, 2005 07:48 AM

Nothing brings Jeffy outta hiatus like misuse of the word "disrespect" in a sentence. Be advised.

Anyway, I like the shirts, and I have a brain with an intricate network of highly functional synapses too!!! Like TOTALLY 'n STUFF! They're the things you wear at a mall, college party or a noisy club where brains aren't really being used anyway. If you're not in the demographic where you'd be found smacking gum mindlessly at the sale rack at Charlotte Russe, you PROBABLY don't need to be commenting on the shirts at all (e.g. a 49 year old man, unless he's commenting with respect to his own minor children). I think grey wool business suits on women are offensive, but you don't see me protesting. You don't see me wearing one either...

Posted by: Feisty at November 4, 2005 10:15 PM