Any conversation that asks me to critique feminism along of Birkenstocks vs non birkenstocks
will be handled thusly
1) Everyone does know that the cheapest " classic" style Birkenstock is well into the $100 dollar range right? So when you throw up the we're not THEM , it's less of a comment of your purpose than your spending habit cause you're actually not that far apart.
2) The stereotype of early feminists as non shaving Birkenstockers is why you have things like sex shops , and NOW etc.etc. so before you get all indignant about I AM NOT. I'm gonna need you to point out why your so adverse to such a characterization considering for a lot of you speaking they are the ONLY reason you have some of the shit you are saying
3) Because last time it happened in "the movement" it was the worlds thinnest veiled homophobia.
4) I respect no commentary by anyone who would be up in arms about it and then use it as a contrasting "caricature" for how non stereotypical they are.
5) Notice how no analysis of WHY this dumbass conversation comes round and round again and how it has to do with institutionalized power and privilege and avoidance of change in EITHER "side" ever comes up.
6) If you notice that any discussion of this phenomena constantly focuses you on white ablebodied women of a certain privilege. This is not an accident, and it's not something that you going " BUT BUT IT CHANGED MY _____________" makes any better.
6b) If you only notice this sort of thing because your group of choice is USUALLY included. See number 6
7) If you counter by listing the "activist brand" shit you do . The convo has failed keep it moving
8) This is not actually a generational conflict because you bet your sweet bippy the issues women who aren't in these groups run into with there elders NOT in these groups WHOLLY different.
9) The proper answer to any woman critiquing another woman for choosing her own aesthetic style un informed , for the sole purpose of providing not so subtle hints about how one could be more palatable to patriarchy is not " THAT'S SO UNFAIR TO ME" but so the fuck what ? Her life her choice , or does that only apply to you.
10) You know what the strawfeminist DOES EXIST. Somewhere out there there is a hairy legged 6ft manhating lesbian vegan, is she as prevalent as people want us to believe . Probably not, but before you fall all the hell over yourself declaring NO NOT TRUE " She doesn't exist , and fine if she did we'd understand the shit you do. Please Please for the love of humanity consider why we are okay with
- declaring such a person unreal and or unvalid and some sort of collective boogey man
- running from her as fast as our variously be shoed feet can take us
- invoking her only when speaking to or in view of patriarchy
- and re enforcing the belief she should be treated badly
Thank you and have a nice day
9 comments:
thank you for this. i actually giggled.
SO MUCH YES!
Birkenstocks are out of my price range but if they weren't I'd wear some and proud, and the hairy hippy feminist stereotype still applies pretty well anyway.
And I'm sick of people using me as a measuring stick about how far we/they've come or some shit (because the very act of hating on that caricature shows how far we/they have NOT come as far as I'm concerned).
LOL I do try mama!
Whats her name
AND YOU WIN COOKIE FOR DAY
if there is a movement for all women and the instant reaction for multiple ( and we fill in their id's here cause that shit gets long totype) women when this specific woman comes up is to RUN AWAY even as they acknowledge that this "type" in whatever form
i dont DID A WHOLE LOT OF SHIT FOR THIS DAD BLAMED MOVEMENT
we're workingw ith something other than self defense
but the day i see that analysis is the day i call myself a feminist again
um i don't know what inspired this but i do know that i just keeled over laughing and LOVE YOU so freakin' much, lady.
(and yes, in that laughter there was a lot of "whew! TRUTH!")
MMMMMMMMmm Cookie!!
Yah I could definitely list some names...
I've written a "hi, you're demonizing us" post before, but it was rather specific to one book... Might be a good larger analysis to revisit...
Maybe after finals LOL
OH MY GOD SO MUCH YES TO THIS ENTIRE POST. my agreement is of the sort that can ONLY BE EXPRESSED ENTIRELY IN CAPITAL LETTERS.
seriously though, how do people not get that if you say "but feminists aren't all [insert something THE PATRIARCHY DISAPPROVES OF here]" that means that you are BUYING INTO A SET OF PATRIARCHY-DEFINED NORMS? like you do know that the lib in women's lib stands for LIBERATION right? are we not supposed to by your own definition be LIBERATING ourselves from this bullshit?
SEE ALSO: "size eight isn't fat!!!!!!!!!" k, maybe not, but size 24 is [which I say with no judgment at all], where's your defense of those women? where are you telling "actually fat" women that they are sexy & beautiful & should be confident & proud of their bodies? or does sexy stop just a few sizes above julia roberts?
and maybe more importantly, how can you actually be so stupid as to not see that without challenging head-on the idea that fat = bad/worthless/undesirable/etc. you are leaving out so many women and even if you do convince some size eights that they are thin you will never take away the fear lurking in their self-hate? how can anyone not see you can't just try to expand the boundaries of what's okay, you have to redefine it from scratch because the plan we've been given is so fucked up?
ahhh. thanks for this post.
@isabel: most of my social interaction is on the internet nowadays, when I get to the point with folks that they've seen my face or my body they'll react with "you're not fat!!!"
or "you don't LOOK like you weigh 230 pounds!!!"
or "you wear it well!"
and it's exactly that kind of comment that has me thinking things like "oh god, what if I get to be 250 pounds? then I'll REALLY be fat"
even when I *know* it's bullshit.
these are all women who try to build up other women by reassuring them that they really do meet the correct standards of beauty, so it's okay, and *that's* supposed to be how you build women up?
I tell em so sometimes but I've never really yelled at them, but one day I'm just gonna say "I AM FAT! FAT FAT FATTIE FAT FATTIE FAT FAT FAT! AND FUCK YOU!"
now that's a self-esteem booster.
giving me, giving these kinds of women the permission to take up space. Showing us/them that you'll support them without checking to see if they might make you look bad in the eyes of the folks we're supposed to be tearing past.
Quixotess - I don't know if you're still checking here but in case you are - if you don't already, I'd recommend checking out http://www.kateharding.net & the links they have there. incredibly refreshing writing when it comes to size-related issues.
(if you already know them, uh, aren't they great??? heh)
yes on so many many levels.
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