Agree or not with this Feminist quote about: What is the point of the "male-basher" label? Why or why not?

Question

"My guess is the point of the "male-basher" label is that I'm supposed to back down... ditto buzzwords like "aggressive" and "*****," among others. Someone throwing those words up does not do so by accident. They are trying to trigger a meta-message, to get our goody-goody, desperate-for-acceptance inner girly-girl to take over. Guess what? I've got that little twit gagged, I was sick of her mealy-mouthed whining holding me back!" -- Erica Jackson

Answer 1

It's brilliant. The up-to-date version of Virginia Woolf throttling her "Angel in the House"!

Answer 2

Is this person regarded as a leader?!

Does she go on to recommend genocide?!

I don't agree that "male-basher" is necessarily synonymous with "aggressive" or "*****". Sometimes males feel bashed.

I don't think that anyone's "goody-goody, desperate-for-acceptance inner girly-girl" is necessarily desperate or excessively "good" or "feminine", and it is likely that the deliverer of the labels isn't intellectually complex enough to "trigger a meta-message".

In the 1930s, the people of Germany could have said, "Calm down, Adolph!" But they didn't...

Answer 3

Wow...I don't know what to think about that quote! I do know that sometimes when we stand up for ourselves we get automatically (and sometimes unfairly) labeled a "male basher"- and those who unjustly label an outspoken woman a "male basher" probably do do it to bully the woman into silence. However, I think that some women actually are "male-bashing" and if the shoe fits....

Male-bashing does nothing productive (in fact it's destructive). Bashing the opposite gender shuts down all effective routes of good communication.

Answer 4

I agree that women should not "back down" if they have a valid thing to say or argument to make...all people should be equal in worth to one another. The problem is that feminism (like many other "minority power" movements) is ACTUALLY seeking to supplant one "power" for another. Rather than be equal, feminists wish to dominate because they feel they have been beaten back and "deserve" to rule the world now (or something)....this will never work and will only fan the flames of the war between males and females.

Of course there's nothing wrong with REAL feminism....being proud to be woman, having just as valid a voice as a mans and so on, but when it becomes "militant", or when it gets to the point where women start seeming more like men than women this is when it becomes distorted.

Women are women and men are men. The truth is, men are hard wired to be stronger physically (generally speaking), and good at certain things, and women are hard wired (generally) to be smaller built, and good at other things....nature intended this for a reason...this isn't to say people MUST abide by these types of things or should be made to, but male bashing is certainly not going to solve anything any more than "female" bashing is.

Its very similar to blacks being allowed to be as racist as they wish against whites, because there is this attitude that whites "deserve" it so its ok...when really it isnt.

Answer 5

Standing up for one's self and male-bashing are two very different situations.

Everyone - man, woman and child should stand up for themselves...what they truly believe to be genuine and true for them.

Male bashing involves a certain level of anger towards men, in general usually, before you get to the bashing stage. And really...what purpose does it serve? What do you accomplish? You merely gravitate toward others who feel the same level of anger, and together, you bash males. That is certainly what a male basher is.

The expectation of having to back down is self created. And, again, has nothing to do with male bashing.

Take the term for exactly what the words mean....don't read all kinds of crap into it. There is no positive spin or outcome for it, and it breeds unhappiness.

So...in reading that quote, all I can say is that I'm sorry that she felt like a little, whiny, mealy-mouthed twit if she wasn't out there busting balls. There are plenty of women - tons, in fact, who lead really happy, fulfilling and ambitious, interesting lives without feeling the anger of suppression or oppression. I feel very badly for her and her experience...but I would suggest that there are much more productive methods of working through that oppression than bashing men...and blaming them for ALL the world's problems.

Its easier and more fulfilling to be happy, than not.

Answer 6

True feminism is about respect. Everyone deserves love and respect. You don't have to like them, but you should love them whether you like them or not. Some guys are hoping to "get lucky". Others genuinely respect women. Anyone with half a brain would respect his wife. Maybe that's why there are so many divorces?

Answer 7

She has a point that women have conspired with those males who would keep women "bare foot and pregnant" because of women's socialization as care takers. Women are not taught healthy assertiveness just as men are not taught to take care of others before themselves. Men aren't taught healthy assertiveness, either they are taught aggression.

Women who become aware of their socialized role will have to find a way to learn to be assertive and fight for what they want. This is not an easy task as there are few teachers in how to do this in a positive way. I have trouble with it myself.

Some of the questions/opinions in this forum demonstrate that some males will attack women because they want to be treated equally to men. The stupidity of their questions indicate the depth of their disrespect toward feminist and all women. The topics they bring up indicate their utter lack of accurate information about feminist and feminist objectives. Their questions also indicated an unwillingness to seek accurate information. These are the kind of men she is speaking of. These men could use a good bashing.

Answer 8

As long as the woman in question really isn't a male-basher, I guess I agree.

Answer 9

The point of it is YOU BASH MALES YOU GET THE LABEL. WOW that is too easy. How could that be true.

If you are to say ALL MEN or try to make out that MOST men blah blah then you are a male-basher. So the label is correct.

Answer 10

whewEE

succinct

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