Comments on: Interesting Take on Gender and Feminism http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2005-11-08_68 Because we care about stuff Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:32:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: tekanji http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2005-11-08_68#comment-283 tekanji Fri, 11 Nov 2005 05:32:08 +0000 http://blog.shrub.com/?p=68#comment-283 I totally hear you, and yeah, what you're saying makes total sense. I'm pretty sure the OP didn't mean it that way, but I agree it's phrased in a way that would come across as you said. I guess the approach that I'm taking on this is to see the whole condescension and men being a privileged label things as part of the cultural critique. I think it highlights that, as far as we've come, we still haven't achieved the same level as each other (ie. gender democracy). Men are still "MENSA members" - to use your analogy - and non-men (women and transmen) are just people. It is, I think, an intrinsic part of the gender caste system we live in. If I'm making sense, that is LOL I totally hear you, and yeah, what you’re saying makes total sense. I’m pretty sure the OP didn’t mean it that way, but I agree it’s phrased in a way that would come across as you said.

I guess the approach that I’m taking on this is to see the whole condescension and men being a privileged label things as part of the cultural critique. I think it highlights that, as far as we’ve come, we still haven’t achieved the same level as each other (ie. gender democracy). Men are still “MENSA members” - to use your analogy - and non-men (women and transmen) are just people. It is, I think, an intrinsic part of the gender caste system we live in.

If I’m making sense, that is LOL

]]> By: Darth Sidhe http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2005-11-08_68#comment-282 Darth Sidhe Wed, 09 Nov 2005 07:26:36 +0000 http://blog.shrub.com/?p=68#comment-282 No, I mean...it's like saying, for instance, "Oh, you're not a member of MENSA? Well, that's okay, because you're still a person." It's hard to explain. It's condescending. It divides the world into two groups: MENSA members and non-MENSA members, and since the MENSA members get the privilege of their own special label, that gives them a special importance; anyone outside the group, for whatever reason, is lumped into one mass. Am I making any sense here? It's like..."Quebec and the rest of Canada." No, I mean…it’s like saying, for instance, “Oh, you’re not a member of MENSA? Well, that’s okay, because you’re still a person.” It’s hard to explain. It’s condescending. It divides the world into two groups: MENSA members and non-MENSA members, and since the MENSA members get the privilege of their own special label, that gives them a special importance; anyone outside the group, for whatever reason, is lumped into one mass.

Am I making any sense here? It’s like…”Quebec and the rest of Canada.”

]]> By: tekanji http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2005-11-08_68#comment-279 tekanji Wed, 09 Nov 2005 02:51:39 +0000 http://blog.shrub.com/?p=68#comment-279 I think that was perhaps the poster's point, because anti-feminists <i>don't</i> think that women are people. I do agree with you that it's not the best tactic to use on anti-/non-feminists, or even the most useful to think about on its own, but I think the approach has a place as one avenue we can use to look at gender caste and gender democracy. I think that was perhaps the poster’s point, because anti-feminists don’t think that women are people.

I do agree with you that it’s not the best tactic to use on anti-/non-feminists, or even the most useful to think about on its own, but I think the approach has a place as one avenue we can use to look at gender caste and gender democracy.

]]> By: Darth Sidhe http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2005-11-08_68#comment-278 Darth Sidhe Wed, 09 Nov 2005 00:31:30 +0000 http://blog.shrub.com/?p=68#comment-278 <blockquote>...oh, you’re not a man? Well that's okay, because you're still a person.</blockquote> The main thing wrong with that is that it's the sort of thing someone who's always thought, until now, that non-men were inferior would say. It's like <i>Seinfeld</i>'s "nNt that there's anything wrong with that," only less revolutionary, less funny, and sadder.

…oh, you’re not a man? Well that’s okay, because you’re still a person.

The main thing wrong with that is that it’s the sort of thing someone who’s always thought, until now, that non-men were inferior would say. It’s like Seinfeld’s “nNt that there’s anything wrong with that,” only less revolutionary, less funny, and sadder.

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