Feminism chat thread II

[ElephantsAndMiasmas]

Since it looks like the first chat thread is about to fill up, here's the next one all ready and waiting.

Think of it as the gated commune with babysitting on demand and gorgeous poolboys serving the drinks :o

Oh yes I think there is a huge amount of that - you have all the material trappings you could possibly want, what's a little smack and destroyed self-esteem every now and then?

and possibly if you don't leave because you're scared, everyone who knows about the abuse will assume you're not leaving because you can't bear the thought of losing the lifestyle and hence will see it as a matter of choice.

Sorry to interrupt the flow of the thread, but has anything by Dworkin been read by the book group?

Thanks. I just read first chapter of 'Intercourse' while waiting in the library. I'll have a look at the Dworkin thread.

Unwind "Agreeing with you makes me feel powerless."

You can reverse it. Naming and pointing out the horrors problems is our strength. It's reassuring to know that this has all been socially constructed which means we can take steps to create ripples. The hardest part is realising that the harm done to women is deliberate and follows a pattern, but this understanding is quite freeing, because you get a sense of waking up from a deep sleep, and then things that previously confused and frustrated you suddenly begin to make sense. Fem-lit helps.

Milly, have you read the blog femonade I've linked you to "the intercourse series" where she breaks down Dworkin's ideas

regarding marriage, I think the main problem is the fantasy of the happy ending that little girls are fed by patriarchy. I find it amusing that they have to keep creating cinderella fantasies through the media and stories otherwise women would never fall for it. that's how precarious it is and they know it.

Thanks Engelbert, that's a good tip - not heard of it before. [miles to go emoticon]

hey DM.

It is very easy to start a blog at WordPress, you could try that.

I wouldn't worry about not thinking you know much about feminism, the thing is it CAN be a personal journey, it's in the nature of the blog format that it can be personal and subjective. It's not like you are talking about writing a Massive Tome on the subject.

In some ways not knowing much is a virtue as it means that each new book or idea you encounter will be fresh and a blogging opportunity, whereas if you had already read everything there is to read it could feel more stale.

Just watching the C4 news and they had some women saying what they wanted/thought on international women's day. The last one was a young woman who said "I know it's international women's day, but I feel fairly equal".

Fairly? Is that good enough? GAH!

that was a good feature on C4. I couldn't help noticing that the last one was a young pretty blonde; there are a lot of women who are only hit by sexism once they have children or cease to be young and pretty.
I didn't really listen to Cristina Odone though, she doesn't usually have much worthwhile to say IMO.

There are a lot about religion, I notice. I don't really listen to them.

I just switched the telly on and saw the older woman saying something really powerful, followed up by this comment about being fairly equal. It just struck me as so silly, the language gave the game away even as the protest that we've got equality was being made. It's such a thin facade.

It's the whole tick in the box thing - let's get a young woman, an old woman, a black woman, a white woman, a Protestant, a Catholic, a Muslim, a Jewess etc etc

Then obviously we are covering all the bases because clearly each one of them speaks for the rest of their gang

Sorry for rushing in and going off at a tangent BTW

I really must read some of the books on here - I've just got so much on my plate at the moment I can't. It's annoying as they sound so fascinating and important. Am about to put mary daly on my wish list

ROFL @ it saying "hurry almost sold out" that alway happens with books recommended on this section. Every few weeks Amazon's computer must go PING feminist rush on again!

Loving this quote from Sarah Brown in the webchat:

^Picking just one intervention that would make all the different to the world?s women is such a tough thing to do because all the issues are connected. The brilliant book Half the Sky goes through, in remorseless detail, just how many different types of injustice woman are subjected to and how each one can only be defeated by one thing ? the victory of feminism. So I guess if I had to pick just one thing, it would be really really really early education efforts? of boys as well as girls ? that made them understand feminism and its implications and encouraged them to be proud to use that f word.^

yes, that was very pleasing.

perhaps she is not only a MN lurker but a MN feminist lurker.

(or maybe she is Dittany.)

lol at "maybe she is Dittany"