Bill Maher speaks the truth about feminism. What do you think?

Question

Bill Maher is a genius and speaks the uncut truth.

Watch this video first:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z8j4QJ0oiY

Bill Maher does make a great point -- have feminists made it politically incorrect for BEING a man?

Wacko: True. Women have dumb "fantasies" like walking in a rose-petaled forrest or long walks on the beach. YAWN. Women need to be more sexually ferocious and not so timid. Wouldn't that be a feminist ideology I'm making -- that women be as sexually free and experimental as men, and not boring?

Note to Rio Madeira and others: The segment past 5:47 isn't about feminism. Right about the time when the picture in the background changes from the woman flexing her biceps, signifies he's moved on to a new topic. I don't know why they didn't stop it.

Teeleecee, never thought I'd say this, but I wholeheartedly agree with you. I looked up a little about that Daphne lady. I may read up about her at a later date. I also have to give you credit about speaking the truth and not be subjected to and brainwashed by the radical feminist's and misandrist's ideals. Do you have your papers on a website that we can read? And that thing about the boyfriends not being allowed to attend the funerals of their girlfriends is OUTRAGEOUS. How can these feminists be so cruel? It's as if they're blaming the boyfriends for this. Do they not realize that the boyfriends are victims too -- for losing their loved ones? Radical feminism is responsible for that guy to kill himself, and it was responsible those women in Montreal to unfairly be killed by a crazed man who was upset at radical feminism.

Answer 1

This has been asked before, and I answered it, but this time, I'm going to be more comprehensive in what I say. First, I love Bill Maher. I think he's an amazing political satirist, and he has the courage to take on issues people are afraid to touch. His show Politically Incorrect was fantastic, and I watched it faithfully. I no longer get any new show he has, but if I did, I'd definitely watch. (BTW, I used to have the exact Rosie the Riveter poster at home...long gone now)

I think he makes some very valid points, and some of what he says is repeated here--feminisation of culture, differences in attitudes regarding porn/marriage/sex/monogamy, etc. He is passionate about remaining unmarried, and that's fine and great. He is an individual, and he is pointing out his observations about American culture. Great--I enjoy his perspective. To say that he speaks for all men or all women is inaccurate, but overall, I believe he has made some observations that are worth looking into.

In graduate school, I wrote three papers on political correctness within feminism, and was told by a female professor to make sure that nobody got their hands on what I wrote or I'd be lambasted by the radical feminists in the program--particularly other teachers. At the same time, I came in contact with a woman named Daphne Patai, a feminist professor in the US who had some interesting points to make about PC feminism. She and I had an ongoing dialogue, with her telling me about horror stories about how far radical feminist ideology had gone. My particular beef at that point was a very small news story I had read in the aftermath of the shooting at l'ecole polytechnic in Montreal. It read that men--the fathers, brothers, lovers--of the women who had been killed were not allowed to attend a vigil in these women's honour. One of the men--the boyfriend of one of the victims--killed himself because he felt so helpless and had nowhere to go for support. I was outraged by this. I could not understand how men could be excluded from this ceremony. But excluded they were, and my outrage led to research in how PC had affected women's studies and feminism. Daphne ended up writing a book called "Professing Feminism," which was dismissed by the feminist academic community--as she was. Her co-author also abandoned her because Daphne was not towing the party line. Part of my paper ended up in Daphne's book, as did my observations of what was going on at my school.

I want you to understand that not all women are so radical that they will stifle the opinions of others; that some of us are intelligent enough to recognize that there is a definite pull to extreme ways of thinking, and that some feminists attempt the whole, "it's my way or the highway" crap that, if you don't comply, you are categorized as part of the problem, not the solution. Most women who call themselves feminists do not belong to this group, and find it disgusting that there is some kind of agenda to make everyone who doesn't agree into the enemy. It happens in every group. Bill Maher is simply saying what he hears from the extremists, and I laugh along with him because I've been there, I've known them, and I've had my own battles with these types of women. This is NOT feminism, it's extremism. It's really important that people learn to differentiate between the two.

Edit: I'm actually shocked myself--you and I on the same page? Whoa! Anyway, my papers are in a box doing nothing. I've not done the blog thing yet, nor have I had anything published other than stuff on Canadian literature. Daphne has some quotes from me, but they're anonymous, given the nature of the project. I don't even have a copy of the book anymore, since I've moved so many times. But do look it up...she makes some points I think you would find interesting. Also, I will find the exact newspaper and date of the young man's suicide for you. You might want to do some further research into that. It was horrible, and I still get upset thinking about it. Can you imagine how helpless that man felt? It was a situation in which the men were told to leave the room as Lepine shot the women. Those poor men could do nothing and felt just horrible afterwards. Lepine was a madman, but men were also impacted by that horrific killing, and I really wish the women realized that. And, contrary to what people think of me--I am a feminist--I am intelligent enough to know that radicals are as damaging to a movement as those who dismiss that movement altogether. I'll see what I can find for you. Cheers!

Answer 2

I love bill maher. He is very hilarious and i love the video for the laugh factor but what is his gripe really about? Well i am glad you asked. It is about the loss of the chauvenistic culture and the widespreading acceptance of feminity in public. Yes, i said it. It really all boils down to the fact that unlike it was years ago, it is now acceptable to say i am female, sensitive, love my family, love to watch romantic movies etc and that does not make me a ditz. He sees it as overshadowing the 'masculine' america of yesterday and it is to the extent that america does now appreciate female attributes as valued instead of labelling everything female weak. Bill Maher is obviously not a family/marriage kind of person but that's ok. That may be who he is or what he wants in his life right now. That of course does not mean that every man who wants the family life etc is on a leash pulled by some woman wife. Obviously that is not true but comedy exerggarates to become hilarious. He is making a caricature of society which is very hilarious but obviously not entirely true or even valid. I, for one, consider it a great thing that finally, female values are seen as acceptable and a a measure of strenght, not weakness

Answer 3

Awesome video. I've also seen Bill Maher on his Politically Incorrect show walk a panel of 3 women into showing their lack of accountability in a very subtle manner, then moving on after the audience noticed it. It's not hard for a smart man to do with women in person who they're not romantically involved with.

Answer 4

If Bill's wishes to be female would become true he will like to be a feminist too!
...and so would I.


Having said that,I wonder what "kind of men",feminist would turn to be.
Maybe with humor instead

Answer 5

One thing that needs to be pointed out about Bill Maher is that he has never been married. Knowing that little fact does bring in a great deal of insight into his personal views. Also, he is good friends with arch-conservative columnist Ann Coulter. I admit I'm not too sure about what to read into that.

Answer 6

Yes, to too many people on this site sensitivity is worth more than truth and feelings more than facts.

Answer 7

If you are a Maher fan, you have probably already noticed that he is extremely liberal about civil rights for Blacks, homos, and just about any group of people except women.

That fact along with the additional facts that he has never been married and is a frequent guest at Playboy parties tells me that the otherwise intelligent Maher is genuinely befuddled and fearful about females outside of a sexual context.


EDIT: The proof that Maher hates women is that he has never done a similar rant on the "Blackifciation" or "Homoization" or suchlike of America.

Answer 8

I really loved Maher's jokes toward the end of the video, about "turning monogamy into integrity." But you can't fault feminists for THAT one. We don't care who politicians have sex with, as long as it's a consenting adult.

I definitely agreed with the Rosie the Riveter poster in the background — that eclipsed my feelings toward marriage.

Also, about the "mutual fantasies" — believe me, not all women fantasize about THAT. In my fantasy . . . well, I can't tell you on this forum. But there are definitely no princes on horses, no long walks on the beach, no moonlight serenades, none of that Harlequin crap.

Feminism has not made being a man politically incorrect. What is politically incorrect is the stereotype of masculinity. Why is it so important for men to be dominant and strong? Don't they have more important things to worry about?

You also can't blame feminism for shrewish wives. The point was marriages in which the husband and wife are EQUAL, not in which the wife has turned her husband into her b-itch. Blame the shrewish wives themselves for that.

If men are being encouraged to embrace their feminine side, that isn't a bad thing. Neither man nor woman should be conforming to rigid sex roles. Let's scrap those archaic notions of masculinity and femininity and just BE.

EDIT: I knew that. Still, that part was funny.

Answer 9

Women don't just have dumb fantasies about running across fields. They do have sexual fantasies, but a lot men, though they won't admit it find that disturbing. They want women that are "pure" and virginal. It seems to me that most of the men that are always whining about radical feminists are a lot like the very ones they are whining about. Different sides of the very same coin.

Answer 10

YESSSS

I have that video too! Damn funny and pretty accurate too.

I can't really answer anything here, but I certainly agree with your statement.