to not understand the words "I'm not a feminist"?

[bushymcbush]

I've seen this countless times on MN and I really don't get it.

Actually I've heard it quite a few times in RL too.

So, to those of you who are so keen to communicate your non-feminist standing, could you please explain to me which part of 'total equality between the sexes' you disagree with?

Alternatively, you could (gently) explain to me which part of that generic description of feminism I seem to have misunderstood?

I suggested upthread we renamed the bunfight. It is just too ladylike and makes me think of Boden clad ladies chucking aga baked fancies at one another. I suggested bundle as it was a favourite at school, everyone jumping in and yelling, the ones on the outside join in because it is happening and don't even know what the fight is about. I was usually the kid inside the bundle.

There was a tribal yell at the gates at 3.30 BUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNDLE! and everyone would run forth. Maybe that was just my school in the 70s

Are you comparing piss soaked feminists to Agas now theo?

Worra fuckin liberty!

You must have gone to the same school as me Theo

Haha we used to have the same tribal yell at my school

Glad the joking and sniggering is about piss and wind and me and not the IRA or religious terrorism.

Most excellent change of subject.

I love this thread. I am off work but am seriously considering quitting if every day is like this.

smashing As far as I was aware extremist just meant someone who holds more extreme views. Often they defend those views using violence, but the word extremist doesn't actually refer to violence.

I really must go and tidy my room

So you're saying the IRA and religious terrorists smell of piss, wind and you?

Blimey....

Then hang your carpet in the wardrobe catgirl what's wrong with you?

Genuis plan.........................

Piss, Wind and You

Fantastic name for a fragrance.................I;m going to bring out a range

Imagine the adverts. I;m seeing something arty with a sexy, breathy voiceover

Right.......am off to tidy up

Have a fun bundle.......I'll be back later for a fag round the back of the bike sheds

Finding the personal attacks in your posts a bit tedious TBH WorraLiberty.

I don't think I really identify with the 'different types of extremist' mental gymnastics.

Right so now you're saying women should be ashamed of their natural body odor and cover it with pissy perfume??

And that all women smoke and ride bikes?

Unbelievable!!

Good day to you!

I managed to get turnip's point. I also find it tiring to explain to people my entirely mainstream feminist views who are either dim or intent on labouring a feeble joke. I suspect the latter in this case btw.

My father was Irish and I never felt the need to hide my identity through the IRA's mainland campaign. He had a london accent, absorbed but not deliberately, and being british I obviously had one too. My family credited people with a little more imagination and those it was wasted on we pitied.

I expect moderate Muslims feel the same way and have no reason to explain themselves either.

Would you like a lie down limited?

Thanks for your concern catgirl but it's not necessary. I said I find obtuseness tiring, not debilitating.

Just returning to the bunfight thing, I am considering a thread to suggest a change to bundle. I have just spoken to an old friend who confirms I did indeed stop her scratching her twin sister's eyes out out a 1986 after school bundle, she recalls "I was just joining in, caught up in the moment. I had no reason to fight with , we were actually very close. It was just was what everyone else was doing" Neither of us can remember a good reason for any of the bundling, whatever had started as a small disagreement between 2 people resulted in a free for all, a bandwagon on which everyone willingly jumped.

My husband is a headmaster and says that any bundling on here WILL be dealt with. It's ok, I have just lobbed a rock cake at him.

Ok, let's try this again shall we?

Working from this paragraph
"How about, some people will refuse to call themselves Catholic, despite agreeing with the core beliefs, because they don't want to be associated with the more extreme view of homosexuality needing to be cured. "

In the same way some of us prefer not to call ourselves feminists despite agreeing with the core beliefs because we don't want to be associated with some of the more extreme views held by some feminists.

Note I wrote extreme views, not extremist.

And by extreme I mean "of a character or kind farthest removed from the ordinary or average" {ref}

Hopefully that's removed any confusion wrt feminism and violence

Now does anyone want to tell us why it matters that we don't use the feminism label if we are still trying to make things equal?

theo there is always a reason to fight with a flat line and a comma...you just didn't look hard enough.

BUUUUUNNNNDDDDLLLE!!!

Because surely Feminism doesn't describe a particular person. Germain greer didn't do the term any favours because it is so evocative. mabe it should be changed. They changed Refugee to Asylum Seekers years back didn't they?

I think we already agreed that it makes better sense as a concept once any mention of the IRA or terrorist bombers has been taken out.

Although TBH comparing feminists to people who think that homosexuality is an illness ain't great either.

Surely it is enough to say that you don't identify with a movement because you disagree with the ideology/views it promotes?

Is there really any need to paint these views as nutty/offensive/alienating/violent extremism? That sort of thing generally smacks of strawmanism IME (unless one gives an actual real commonly held example of such a view and argues why it is so nutty/offensive/alienating).

Surely it is enough to say that you don't identify with a movement because you disagree with the ideology/views it promotes?

No because that spectacularly misses the point.

The point being that many women do identify with feminism and the ideology / views it promotes but do not wish to be labeled as such as they do not identify with some of the extreme views held by a small number of feminists and do not wish to be associated with these views.