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Roderick

Feminism

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Why is it that self-proclaimed Social Media Experts never fucking understand social media?

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Yeah, but you'd think they'd have at least a normal understanding of it. They all seem to be people who have never been on the internet before.

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Interesting piece by Mia Mckenzie.

 

http://www.blackgirldangerous.org/2014/09/im-really-emma-watsons-feminism-speech-u-n/

 

I agree with pretty much everything she is saying. My only problem is that I think that Watson's piece is a good Trojan Horse in that she is poiltely saying 'hey come join us, you are welcome' and anyone who argues against that message is only likely to expose themselves as a bigot.

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I think those criticisms are legitimate in terms of the speech as a reflection of the state of gender relations, but I kind of think, like, any speech that actually gets people to do something is good. It may not be the best in terms of its worldview, but that doesn't mean it can't make the world better. I think it's probably more relevant to judge a speech by the impact it has than by the purity of its rhetoric.

 

It's still a valuable critique, though, don't get me wrong. I've been thinking a lot about why, for me, these asides about how these things affect men as well are messages I'm very appreciative of, even if they're not exactly feminist, and I think, for me, it has more to do than just being concerned with my own state of affairs as a male. The main thing that drove me towards feminism in the first place is the ideal that everyone should be allowed to be who they are, without being artificially constrained by social or legal constructs. There should be no boundaries on identity, only on harmful expressions of it -- you can self-identify as a serial killer if it pleases you, but if you actually kill anyone you go to prison. This is the ideal of equality that I, personally, strive for, and because feminism is a necessary step towards that end I am a feminist. However, for my personal viewpoint, it's not specifically the way the system restricts women that is my concern, but the way The System (of which feminist Patriarchy is a component) constrains EVERYONE.

 

So, I dunno. Maybe it's bad feminism to talk about how these things affect men, but it's good humanism. I think we should be attacking these problems from all angles, not just from that of pure feminism. That being said, framing the situation entirely as an appeal to men has, itself, a hint of patriarchy to it. These are good criticisms, but come from a point of view I don't completely share, because for me feminism is just one branch of a greater utopian movement.

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I think it's probably more relevant to judge a speech by the impact it has than by the purity of its rhetoric.

 

This. The message will generally reach more men by not lecturing them on privilege or bringing it up straight on. Building empathy is rarely a road to Damascus moment, it's slow change.

 

I've had so many patient conversations about privilege with other white guys. Some really understand but haven't had a clue before and want to improve. Some respond with denial, and some respond by just locking down in shame. It feels like that writer is picking on the fact that Emma's speech wasn't the whole truth, but the problem with unvarnished truth is that it doesn't necessarily have the impact you want or expect it to, or maybe any at all.

 

I think the critique really goes off the rails at the point it starts talking about false equivalency. Pointing out aspects of a thing does not falsely equate them. It's an aspect of inequality that men are hurt by it too, even if not anywhere near as much, and if you're aiming a message at guys, appealing to self-interest rather than altruism is by far the best way to get them involved initially. It'll generate some shitty allies, but lay the groundwork for people to grow in understanding too.

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I basically agree with Helen Berents here:
 
ByVvmozCUAAe0-F.png

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A Pennsylvania mother is serving a jail sentence for helping her daughter have an abortion. She ordered one of the pills that causes a miscarriage after her and her daughter researched their local options for abortion and discovered they would have been financially burdensome due to the state laws that have steadily eroded Pennsylvanian's access to abortions (with mandatory waiting periods and fewer locations that perform abortions).

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The misdemeanor charges are absolutely warranted. Buying medication off the internet is stupid, and it should be a crime whether it's abortion pills, viagra, or addictive pain killers. Ignorance is no excuse. The felony charge is complete BS, as is the judge's decision to choose such a strict punishment. The lady might not want to make this into a pro-life/pro-choice issue, but the judge has already made it that, despite his protests to the contrary.

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The misdemeanor charges are absolutely warranted. Buying medication off the internet is stupid, and it should be a crime whether it's abortion pills, viagra, or addictive pain killers. Ignorance is no excuse. The felony charge is complete BS, as is the judge's decision to choose such a strict punishment. The lady might not want to make this into a pro-life/pro-choice issue, but the judge has already made it that, despite his protests to the contrary.

 

While on one hand I don't entirely disagree with you, particularly about the possible risk of online drugs, the reality is that parents make medical decisions (sometimes decisions that might be dangerous for a child) all the time in this country and are rarely prosecuted for it.  And in a case where wealth and privilege come into play, I'm not going to automatically say that charges are warranted simply because the defendants did not have access to the services or options that would have been easily available to someone who was more wealthy.  And both the judge and prosecutor showed a pro-life bias in their choice of language in talking about it, which makes it look a lot more about punishing the woman for supporting her daughter's choice than in enforcing the law. 

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I definitely think that abortion rights are a class-based issue as well as a gender-based one. Laws like that directly impact impoverished families, because in Penn. there is a waiting period for abortions as well as a required class before the the abortion can be administered. What that means is that one day they have to go to the clinic, drive back home, wait 24 hours, drive back to the clinic, attend a class, drive back home. The drive to the nearest clinic in this particular case would have been at least 45 minutes, which would effectively mean that the parent would have to probably miss two whole days of work. For a working class family who lives paycheck to paycheck, two days of work can mean an eviction or the lights going off.

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Holy fuck. A literal feminist witch hunt:

He literally literally splits people up into "feminist" or "academic" and judges people based on whether or not they are "feminists." At 18:50 he says “I can’t be sure that any of these academics are not feminists” and then at 21:48 he concludes “I cannot be sure that the people I have classified as academics are not also feminists. I think there is every chance that they are.”

 

I can't help but imagine him asking people "Are you now or have you ever been a feminist?"

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Okay so if I can bring up a stupid comic thing for a second...

 

Until recently, Batgirl has looked, more or less, like this:

 

DiCzJb9.png

 

 

Pretty much like every other superheroine; a tight, form-fitting bodystocking with sexy boots.

 

Just recently, however, a new creative team took over the comic and gave Batgirl's outfit a much-needed overhaul..

 

H2Z3Brt.jpg

 

 

 

Naturally a bunch of comic people have been really pissy about it, saying that it's, of all things, "impractical;" that it would be too difficult to move in a leather jacket and Doc Martens, as compared to spandex and stiletto heels.

 

As the best possible "fuck you" to these criticisms, a variant cover for Batgirl #37 will have her in an outfit that better fits their criteria.

 

 

IopcQTX.jpg

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Okay so if I can bring up a stupid comic thing for a second...

 

Until recently, Batgirl has looked, more or less, like this:

 

DiCzJb9.png

 

 

Pretty much like every other superheroine; a tight, form-fitting bodystocking with sexy boots.

 

Just recently, however, a new creative team took over the comic and gave Batgirl's outfit a much-needed overhaul..

 

H2Z3Brt.jpg

 

 

 

Naturally a bunch of comic people have been really pissy about it, saying that it's, of all things, "impractical;" that it would be too difficult to move in a leather jacket and Doc Martens, as compared to spandex and stiletto heels.

 

As the best possible "fuck you" to these criticisms, a variant cover for Batgirl #37 will have her in an outfit that better fits their criteria.

 

Wow, so I don't much keep up with comics, but that design doesn't even look like anything I would expect out of Marvel (maybe out of a smaller press, but no one of the big ones).  It's just...fucking sensible.  I mean that in the best way. 

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Really? They actually said Stilettos are more practical? Did Gail Simone have anything to do with this? I wouldn't mind to see more heroes dress more sensibly, which reminds me, didn't Wonder Woman start wearing a jacket too?

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Wow, so I don't much keep up with comics, but that design doesn't even look like anything I would expect out of Marvel (maybe out of a smaller press, but no one of the big ones).  It's just...fucking sensible.  I mean that in the best way. 

 

I admit to some surprise as well. Although for the record, the Bat family is DC, not Marvel.

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I looooove comic designs that look more like actual clothes, on both male and female characters. Good stuff.

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The space-age spandex that magically conforms to every contour and crevice is a ridiculous look on male and female superheroes so I like a more down to earth outfit, but something about this is real off for me. I think it is the way she is posed like a teenage model from a Target catalogue. I don't know if it is supposed to reflect the tone of the comic, but it looks like it is pushing hard to make her look like a savvy young fashionista who posts selfies on Facebook after fighting bad guys because yolo. Still better than being a thinly veiled fetish model I suppose.

 

It kind of puts into perspective just how silly the idea of superhero costumes are in the first place.

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LOVE the Batgirl redesign. It's killer. Also tons cuter.

I like the look of it though I think there are some practicality concerns (of course, less than with the stilettos design obviously). Mostly, given her acrobatic style, I think the coat would bind at the shoulders and belly/back. Some knee protection would be nice too. It is cute though.

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I have nitpicky concerns with some of the "practicality" of the new design (such as a cape that snaps off, hanging zippers, a belt that's not centered, and laced boots) but those complaints would be true of basically any superhero costume.  But I totally agree that its a much better design overall and certainly way more practical than the old one.

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I think the cape is actually quite clever, and avoids the problem with capes noted in The Incredibles. The zippers are seemingly pointless, since she has the belt for storage, but could be wired to hidden devices instead? Hard to tell with the belt, I don't know what issues it would present since I've never seen something like that worn. Boots seem similar to standard issue combat boots -- I tend to trust military surplus for pragmatism, though maybe she should be lacing them differently?

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I think capes are entirely pointless, especially if its going to come off so easily.  The zippers can get caught on stuff and possibly make noise, the belt being lopsided could maybe be a problem but probably not a big one if she's used to it.  The problem I have with the boots is that the Bat family are supposed to be stealthy which big combat boots don't strike me as.  Its fine for soldiers in a desert or whatever but for sneaking up on dudes it seems like there could be better choices.  But again those are dumb complaints that mean nothing in the world of comics and even with those in mind I still like it.

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I believe that capes saw military use around the times of early handheld firearms to confuse the silhouette and make it more difficult for marksmen, so I think it makes sense. I don't have time to look up sources on that at the moment though. All of this is probably rather off-topic, but i do like talking character design :)

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