A Lengthy Feminist Response to Shailene Woodly about the definition of feminism

[ismnotwasm]

When asked by Time if she thinks she’s a feminist, Granola Oatley responded as such:
No because I love men, and I think the idea of ‘raise women to power, take the men away from the power’ is never going to work out because you need balance. With myself, I’m very in touch with my masculine side. And I’m 50 percent feminine and 50 percent masculine, same as I think a lot of us are. And I think that is important to note. And also I think that if men went down and women rose to power, that wouldn’t work either. We have to have a fine balance.
My biggest thing is really sisterhood more than feminism. I don’t know how we as women expect men to respect us because we don’t even seem to respect each other. There’s so much jealousy, so much comparison and envy. And “This girl did this to me and that girl did that to me.” And it’s just so silly and heartbreaking in a way.
MOTHERFUCKING SHIT GODDAMN. I am so fucking sick of faux intellectual Hollywood dipsaps telling us why they’re not feminists when they clearly have no fucking clue about what feminism is because if they did they wouldn’t fucking be saying this. GODDAMN SHIT MOTHERFUCKER.
You want to know what a feminist is, Woodley?




THERE. THERE IT FUCKING IS. STICK THAT WHERE THE SUN SHINES AND CALL IT VITAMIN D.
I am all for sisterhood, but you know what? I care more about feminism than sisterhood. Because some women? They’re fucking morons. Just like men. When we decide all women must stand together in harmony as though we all must agree and support one another in every endeavor, that’s how you get Sarah Fucking Palin. I’m not going to stand by every single female just because I’m rockin’ vag just like she is. Because feminism, at its very core, means every woman has the same right to be as big a shitheel as a man. And that’s fucking beautiful.

http://www.pajiba.com/think_pieces/a-lengthy-feminist-response-to-shailene-woodley-about-the-definition-of-feminism.php

[AtheistCrusader]

1. I have grown weary of explaining this to a couple of my family members.

They just don't seem to understand the idea. It's equal opportunity, not replacing a patriarchal society with a matriarchal society.

Some people just don't fucking understand.

[Squinch]

2. And many understand perfectly but are terrified by the idea that it is not their birthright to

have advantages over all other people, and they are terrified that without that false birthright they are insignificant.

It tends to be the ones who most fear their own insignificance who cannot allow others to have equal opportunity.

[ismnotwasm]

4. Whoa

There's nothing wrong with male OR female desire. There is something wrong with sexual entitlement and objectification. There's something wrong with heteronormativity. There's something wrong with thinking woman naturally aren't as good at sciences. There's something wrong with human being producing a culture that kidnaps over 200 young girls, with very little outcry. There's something wrong with a epidemic of sexual trafficking. There's something wrong with women who experience intimate partner violence with very little support from the courts.

Religions, in varying denominations teach that women are inferior. Religion teaches that women are responsible for "original sin" Some religions teach that the sight of women's flesh is temptation. Some, and not enough, teach love and equality. Religion is a reaction, not a cause from of a of a variety of societal pressures, using involving basic needs.

We will be excited when we actually have equality, not what we are told is equality.

[PeaceNikki]

5. I'll repeat my juror comment. "Go away, you disgusting troll"

[bettyellen]

6. I am rocking my vag! Love that!

[GeoWilliam750]

7. I have never found anyone who can logically argue against:

- Equal pay for equal work
- Equal opportunity for education and employment
- Equal rights before the law
- Freedom from fear of sexual violence
- Complete and informed control over one's own body

I would also argue that access to and informed use of contraception continues to be a major boon to society; oddly enough, in my experience, people who make informed decisions for their own interests have a higher probability of making good decisions. We have too long socialised our girls to be submissive women - although one might argue more broadly that we have socialised the less powerful in our society to be submissive (and women are a larger part of this).

I have also never understood the logic of thinking that making some one else weaker makes anyone else stronger; more strong, smart, informed people makes my world much better, not worse. From afar, it feels like the MRA crowd (feminist fearers) feel powerless, and it hurts them to see some one else become less powerless; I rather suspect that the MRA crowd is primarily formed from the bottom half - and possibly bottom quartile - of income distribution.

Ramble over.
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Questions for the group here:

I see the phrase "radfem". Personally, I like the sound of it, but am uncertain as to how it differs from "feminist". Could somebody please explain the nuance?

How do we stop socialising our girls to be submissive women? How do we empower them? Plainly it has to start from a very early age.