Why has the term "feminist" become demonized?

Question

Most feminists I know just want the same opportunities as men. Many have male friends, good manners, intelligent opinions, and indepentent lives. They are also feminine.

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Some are angry, but certainly not all.

So many people assume otherwise when the word feminist is used.

Answer 1

People tend to look at the most extreme in any other group and assume the extremist represent the group.

Athiest point to the gay-bashers as if they represent all of Christianity.

Conservatives point to the extremist liberals (http://www.zombietime.com/hall_of_shame/) as if they are the typical liberal.

And those with a traditional mindset listen to the type of feminist that just spews hatred at all men & also women who choose traditional lifstyles (isn't giving the woman a choice on how she lives what feminism all about?) and assumes that is the viewpoint of all feminists!

But also note that when a person uses the term "femi-nazi" they may just be trying to distinguish between the typical feminist and the extremist.

Answer 2

To try to explain it i will use an analogy

When in war if your targetting an enemy building and there are civilian noncombatants in the area do you carpet bomb the area or use precision laser guided bombs to surgical destroy an enemy building without destroying the neighborhood ?

In much the same way some of the language of gender based femmenism has advocated all men are bad as opposed to some men are bad .Some have carpet bombed the concept of masuclinty to near oblivion . Where have all the cowboys in white hats gone ?The cowboys in the white hats are deap in there bunkers riding out the carpet bombing attack .

Femmensim should used language that metaphoricly was laser guided and precision based .Instead of giving men the feeling that we were all targeted.

Some Femmenist also do not take constructive critiscim very well.

Some femmenist will not acknologdge double standards that favor women . Most men dont want to actualy take compleltly thoses double standards that favor women completly away .They just dont want certain women exploiting these double standards is all.

Answer 3

Because:

1. Men at work are told that *anything* they do or don't do can be interpreted as sexual harassment and they can be fired for those actions or in-actions. This creates a hostile work environment for men.

2. Men are tired of angry feminists attacking men, when the men just want to be left alone to try to cope with their own problems.

3. Men get to watch women being promoted before them, who may not be as competent, in order for the employer to create a "fair" environment.

4. Men have their own problems, please leave us alone.

I could go on.

Answer 4

The angry feminist is not the typical feminist. The culture/media has given feminism a bad name. Feminism is no different than a group that promotes a specific culture (NAACP) or a type of group (disabilities, homosexuals...).

Answer 5

I think that the angry feminists are more obvious then those who are not angry. I think that it is the angry ones who have led some or many people to demonize feminism.

Answer 6

Primarily it has been demonized by conservative men who just deep down can't accept the concept of women having any control over their own lives. (Although ulimately it may be more about repressing sex than, say, equal pay.) It doesn't fit in with their world view and it scares the bejeebus out of 'em.

Of course there probably are some feminists who are, shall we say, overexuberant. But such individuals exist in almost almost any group railing against what it perceives as social injustice against them.

Answer 7

Great question ... because most self-described feminists come across as hostile and anti-male.

It's about equality, not demonizing men. However, that's where it usually leads.

Answer 8

I TOTALY AGREE WITH YOU.....