The moment you knew mumsnet feminism section was starting to influence how you think?

The moment for me was when I started this thread:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/1244671-The-theatre-plays-section-of-Kevin-Spaceys-website

There are three websites which were set up by Kevin Spacey and his business partner Dana Brunetti which are being merged to form one website. The sites are to provide Feedback, Exposure and Opportunity for film makers and scriptwriters.

Trigger Street www.triggerstreet.com/gyrobase/index
Trigg L.A. (blog) trigg.la/
and Trigg LA TV www.triggla.tv/

The Trigg LA TV features the following podcasts:
THE FIRST 15 - one of the scripts on the site is analyzed by industry professionals, the writer is also on Skype as part of the podcast.
FASHION MATTERS - presented by Costume Designer and Dana Brunetti's long-term girlfriend Johanna Argan.
COMICAST - about Comics, a big industry in the US.
MUSICAST - about music.

... but the site also features KAYDEN'S REVIEW presented by porn star Kayden Kross.

                    <a class="break-all" href="http://www.triggla.tv/kaydensreview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.triggla.tv/kaydensreview/</a>

The latest episode is a review of "Fatal Attraction", feel free to check out the first five minutes. Also, feel free to read the thread I've posted (link at top of this message).

My moment came yesterday.

We were at the waterpark in Paphos (yes, for the AIBUers, I won the argument) and we noticed that the park had employed 2 female dancers to dance at the top of the wave pool. I muttered something about objectification to DS (who's 3, and probably doesn't get what I mean) as we walked past.

Even if I don't agree with all of radical feminism, it's a breath of fresh air to think critically about all sorts of issues - rather than just assume like a sheep what the media/the patriarchy tells us - that women should enjoy porn/wear high heels and make up to be socially acceptable/avoid lonely walks or being drunk due to risk of assault etc

When I got (and read!) a copy of Delusions of Gender from the library, which I wouldn't have done without this section. before this section I felt vaguely aggrieved at misogyny/body fascism/porn is harmless fun school of thought, reading posts by Dittany, Prolesworth et all has helped crysatllise my thoughts. The recent Caitlin Moran thread has instilled my resolve to read Andrea Dworkin (Dittany you v helpfully pointed out that some of her writing is freely available on the internet, thanks)

Last night I had a dream where I was arguing against porn! I used to be of the each to their own camp but reading here totally changed my mind.

When I spotted a post on Facebook from someone wanting to swap a pink bumbo for any other colour so she can use it for boys as well as girls, my immediate reaction was anger over the fact that colour is gender less.

Another was when I went off at someone at work for watching Diary of a Call Girl.

AHHHHHHH those puppets in the Vauxhall ads made me incandescent with rage.

Another lurker here. I realised how much you lot have affected me when I started challenging all the stupid stereotypes friends and family have brought up around my 7mo DS.

Like flippinada I think the thoughts were always there - I've made it in a very male dominated career as well as smaller stuff like keeping my name on marriage and insisted on DS getting my name as well as DH's - but the discussions here have helped clarify a lot of my thoughts.

I didn't intend to particularly participate in the feminist section when I joined MN, but all the interesting threads in 'active' were always here or AIBU so you all just crept up on me.

When I saw the Vauxhall Corsa ad with the flashing puppet. (Puke).

Was raised by a feminist mother, tended to believe everything she believed was bollocks, but have feminist friends and when I think about it I'm more of a feminist than not, really.

I no longer feel any inclination to defend pornography even in a 'devils advocate' way

Respect to dittany, Prolesworth & all the other anti-porn feminists out there

When I was embarrassed and ashamed of the fact I used to like Eminem (disclaimer as I now lurk -NOT claiming to be a feminist, just showing that the section has had an impact . Even after I decamped I was amazed (as was Mr TW) at how mad I got due to the hostile reaction in a cinema to the Daniel Craig advert.

RAAAGGGGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

RRAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEEEEEE.

Stupid people.

RAAGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

I've always felt passionately about equal rights for women but before I started reading this section I hadn't given nearly enough thought to how much sexism still permeates our society. I think the first time I realised it was influencing me was when I was arguing with my boyfriend over the Scottish 'this is not an invitation to rape me' campaign (he perceives that he is being accused of being a potential rapist and is hurt by the implication...) and started ranting quoting rape statistics. He went a bit green and conceded that I might have a point

LOL I taught my kids about the Bechdel test last night. We watched the Bourne inheritance and concluded it didn't pass.

Then today my DS was going through all the films/ programmes he knows to see if they pass. Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings, etc.

When my 10yo DS was watching something on the TV and said "mum, that's sexist isn't it?". I was very proud of him and pleased that my MN influenced waffling had been sinking in.

In answer to OP, the thoughts/ideas were always there..the feminist section just clarified things for me.

It was also great to see so many women saying I'm a feminist and not being ashamed.

Some examples I remember complaining about the lack of good female roles in Hollywood films to an ex boyfriend (he was quite bewildered :)), feeling 'eurgh' about porn and not quite getting why, feeling angry when reading MN threads where women are/were critcised for not liking their partner going to strip clubs/looking at porn and not quite being able to articulate why.

I remember being scared to describe myself as a feminist because I was worried about how I would come across, that men wouldn't like it etc.

Trinity, there is nothing wrong with 'traditional roles' if they are chosen roles. I'm a feminist. I also wear make up, craft, bake, can't fix a puncture and hate taking the compost out. But those are all my choices. The problem is women traditionally didn't have choices when it came to money, education, child rearing.

The first moment I knew was when I started to read much loved "romance" books and thought how controlling the men were. Which turned into realising that romance books are simply another form of propaganda for the patriarchy.

It's lots of things now though. Calling myself a feminist and being proud of it. Talking to friends about feminism (though I'm still trying not to feel apologetic when I bring it up which I know is a contradiction to the prior sentence). Telling a friend that she shouldn't go near a man who doesn't use condoms because it is a deeply misogynistic act and then explaining why instead of just saying "but you could catch anything!" Buying feminist books suggested here. Really thinking about how I want to bring up DD - even little things like buying her the babygro with a tractor on it instead of asking the assistant to order a different one in much to the horror of the assistant. I get furious when I read the comments section for some online papers.

I'm still learning every single time I log on to this section. I had no idea how ignorant I was.

I love this section. Have read Cordelia Fine's Delusions of Gender and bought more books, still in my to-read pile, thanks to posters' recommendations here. I am currently in the young family phase of life and running a relatively new business so have very little time to do more than a bit of reading, meet-ups sound great though, and I have felt a real surge of excitement at the thought that there are so many interesting and feminist women out there to meet (one day!)

The cognitive dissonance thread was a big eye opener for me and has had a positive impact on my life, my relationship and my parenting. That's when I realised this board was more than just stimulating reading for me.

not sure queen
do read it a bit

maybe I dont read it more cause it smacks of cultish religion thing
I dont completely dislike the traditional roles either

i noticed when i realised that it was actually ok to be a woman.
its ok to be a angry woman and i lost my shame.
i also noticed that mn feminism was influencing me when i kept having trouble trying to get into my e mails-
i had accedently been writing"womens rights/feminism mumsnet-instead of my password!

It hasn't

ta for that, pippi

I think you are right Dittany. We (at least me) want to hear about this stuff but it too often gets shouted down almost anywhere else. In general much of the internet is an uncomfortable place to express any kind of feminist argument. What surprises me is that what might be called "typical misogynist trolling" has happened to me on Facebook, with people who I had (until that point) respected and even liked. No wonder lots of people would rather keep quiet or not be interested in following such tripe as appears of CIF and other newspaper comments pages regularly. The Feminist MN board seems to go to show that talk of the death/failure of feminism are wishful thinking on some peoples' behalf.