To think feminism has gone too far.

[Coralcolouredchrome]

Mr Men books, Little Miss books. Why are they saying these children's books are giving the wrong impression to children. All the books we read as youngsters, are being dissected as being sexist. Snow white looking after the dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty, needs a kiss from a Prince to wake her up. I love a man opening a door for me, to let me go first. My DH changes places with me so he's walking on the side of the pavement that is nearest the road. I know some of you are going to tear me to shreds, but I just had to say what I've been thinking for a long time.

DS had lots of Little Miss books, as a result of what I've always guessed might be unintentional and low-level sexism in the bookshop. The Mr Men books were at the top of the stand ('cos men are more important?) while the Little Miss books were at the bottom - and toddler DS could of course only reach the ones near the bottom. So we ended up with rather a lot of Little Miss books chosen by him.

@G5000 👏👏👏👏👏

Yes.

There's a petition to imprison Mr. Tickle for being a pervy fucker who can't keep his hands to himself.

PLS SIGN!

@Singlenotsingle

Why do some women want to be footballers and boxers? It's so masculine, almost as if they want to be men

You really can’t understand why women enjoy sports they’re good at? Do you find other basic thinking tricky?

I like the idea of toast we don't have to bite. Though now I want toast.

Lucky I'm stuck in this kitchen

Won't anyone think of the children?

Yabvu. Feminism hasnt gone far enough. Opening doors and walking road side are not anti feminist gestures in themselves, but they are if the male perpetrator expects the woman to be subservient to him because he's done that.

Feminism is not about stopping being kind to each other, it's about women fighting ensure that men don't continue to think of them as 'secondary' open a door for your missis by all means. Just don't assume that by doing so, you are somehow superior.

very good OP

I don't know that it's feminism that has gone too far. Older books now do often appear dated in their attitudes, and that can include sexism, racism etc.

I half agree with you op and half don’t. I expect all the things you state and will judge a bloke for not opening doors etc and I think many people have confused politeness and etiquette with feminism. In my eyes feminism is not that women should be treated as men, we are absolutely very different with innate differences. Feminism should be about protecting everything it is to be a woman and ensuring a woman’s contribution is valued as much as a mans, feminism has been pushing in the wrong direction for too long, must ensure equal amounts of men and women are on the board, how many femal ceos in ftse companies. It suggests women are only scribing equality if they achieve it in a mans world. In order to push this agenda we’ve been told there’s no difference between men and women, yet in every other species of animal there is, what makes humans so arrogant to think they buck this trend. What feminism needs to be about is valuing what are often women’s roles, caring jobs, teaching young children, teaching arts/humanities. All of these roles are valued less by society (although arguably some of the most important). Instead of telling women they are only worth something if they succeed in male dominated environments let’s make female dominated environments more valued. Mind you then men try and infiltrate those environments to take away any power or sense of achievement a woman might have! So like you op in some sense I think feminism has been side tracked by attacking social niceties, but in many ways hasn’t gone far enough in recognising the value ofwomen’s achievements outside a male dominated world.

ILikeMyChickenFried - this thread sounded like it was started by a GF, so yes I checked if it was a first post and brand new poster before engaging. Happens too often with posts about feminism.

A film to make you think, Question of silence.
Yes it's gone too far, but then you realise it hasn't

Did you not see the thread yesterday where a poster put her baby boy in a dress. You'd think she had suggested something awful.

A long way to go.

Bear why don't you start a thread? They are issues that would be interesting to discuss.

G5000 perhaps it would be better to not respond at all if you think the OP is trolling?

What's your point, OP? That we should burn all books that were written more than 50 years ago? Or that people should have no manners? Things like holding doors open is good manners - for everyone.

It's a shame the pregnant woman laughed at your son - that shows she has no manners. Has no bearing on him - he did the right thing.

But how would you like to see feminism today??

Not quite sure why I am letting myself be drawn into this, but I would have reservations about a man who didn't shift himself over to the road-side of the pavement. Can't get worked up about feminism either way. But I was struck by this: my son, some years back, stood up to give his seat to a pregnant woman, on the train, she looked at him, and laughed, saying, she may be a woman and pregnant, but she could still stand on her own two feet. Everybody laughed, and he was so embarrassed

The pregnant woman ought to have accepted graciously. Manners are what it's all about, never mind feminism. FWIW, I think young men have a bit of a tough time: whatever they do, it's somehow wrong in someone's eyes.

I watched an advert for kids clothes on telly yesterday. The boys were all running, jumping, climbing trees, playing on beaches and the girls were sitting neatly in pretty dresses. The difference was stark (and I am normally a noticer of these things). I was quite shocked. My daughter runs, jumps, climbs trees and plays on beaches and would also like cool shorts and T-shirt to do this in....

I suspect feminism has a way to go yet. The gender pay gap is yet to close, the % of women in parliament is still shockingly low, the percentage of senior jobs in companies that go to women is still very far from 50%. There are still business events run by men for men where women are there only as waitresses and eye candy.

I don't think any feminists object to a man opening a door for them. They do object if he smacks their arse on the way through.

“The responses to this OP on this thread are vile, condescending, patronising and if this is what "feminism" looks like, it's damn ugly.”

I haven’t responded yet-how would you like me to?

I haven’t responded yet-how would you like me to?

People can criticise the tone of a response without silencing people. You can say whatever you want but there are ways to object without being rude.

Feminism won't have gone far enough until (among other things) people stop lazy gender stereotypes and engage their brains before their tongues (or typing fingers).

I've no particular problem with individual men behaving 'chivalrously' (so long as they don't have a strop if their efforts are deemed unnecessary). The problem is when people assume this is the natural and right state of affairs.

Small example. The other day, I was carrying a sack of bird food to the car; DH was carrying my coat. Couple walking the other way 'jovially' said to him "you should be doing that". My response "no, he really shouldn't". They looked askance (perhaps thinking 'feminism going too far"). DH felt obliged to explain that he was waiting for a procedure to correct a heart problem. "Oh, we'll let you off then" says unabashed stranger. DH was quite upset by this thoughtless combination of sexism and 'hidden disability' .

can you not see how rude such responses Are?

Chicken, you do know you are on AIBU don't you?

Too right. I was just thinking the other day that I have far too much freedom and equality. Fuck, I'm almost paid the same as my male counterpart and my DH did the laundry without calling it woman's work. Time to put an end to this feminist thing.

silencing people - seriously

MirriVan

“People can criticise the tone of a response without silencing people. You can say whatever you want but there are ways to object without being rude.”

Can you explain how in this particular case that could happen?