everyone is attacking the Abercrombie and Fitch CEO for saying people who aren’t “attractive” shouldn’t be wearing their clothing because he doesn’t fit conventional beauty standards for males but that’s like exactly what they’re fucking doing do you understand how god damn hypocritical you all look saying this shit
if you want to speak out against their message you are welcome and encouraged to do so but focus on what is wrong with the ideas themselves and not with the people saying them
1984 and Rape Culture
In English class today we started reading 1984 by George Orwell. Having never read it, and having just been assured by my friends that it was fantastic, I jumped in with high expectations.
After eleven pages, I slammed the book closed and walked away in disgust. I went up to my teacher and asked her to find me an alternative book to read that would meet the curriculum’s standards, as I would not be reading this one. Why? Because I refuse to read a book that, in the first eleven pages, graphically describes a character’s desire to violently rape, humiliate, and murder a woman, and explains that the only reason he hates this woman is because she won’t have sex with him.
No, I don’t care if that’s the “only bad thing” about the book, as my friends tried to convince me when I asked them what the hell was wrong with them. Because that is completely unforgivable. Forcing women to read about a character who we are supposed to “connect” with’s desire to rape someone who won’t sleep with him is immoral and disgusting.
In a school of over 5,000 students and a 25% chance of any woman being raped in her lifetime, the possibility that none of the young women forced to read this book have been raped and will be seriously triggered by this is virtually nonexistent. In fact, I KNOW it’s nonexistent, because I know women at my school who have been raped - some of them violently. So the school system has decided that spaghetti straps and short skirts are distracting and immoral, but forcing a rape victim to read scenes which graphically describe a character’s desire to rape another woman is perfectly acceptable? My issue here isn’t even entirely with the book, but with the fact that the school board decided it was okay to force us to read it, without so much as warning the class of just how grossly inappropriate it is, let alone giving women a choice to opt out before being triggered. My teacher has told me she’s not even sure she can find me an acceptable replacement.
But this isn’t the only misogynistic piece of literature that’s been shoved down our throats. Even books which are supposedly about female empowerment - such as Their Eyes Were Watching God - still enforces the idea that women are only worth something if they are paired with a man. But this - this is disgusting. And I refuse to partake in it.
the thing about feminism is that yes, it’s more directed towards women’s rights and that’s awesome
but what people need to realize, that in conjunction with helping women, it also enforces equality among other genders
if one sex/gender was more dominant over the other (in this current case, men), we’d be back at square one
feminism is not just for equality for women
feminism is equality for everyone
jathis replied to your post: So much social justice on my dash Fighting the…
But WHAT about the white cis people INDEED. Like…I always have to wonder why people always have to be like BUT WHAT ABOUT MEEEE.
Like, I’ve seen that post going around where a white person apologized for being white, and then a POC said they don’t have to feel bad, and all I can think is
Feeling bad is not the issue.
Racism is not about feeling bad for being white.
In fact, whether or not white people feel bad totally derails the conversation and detracts from what it’s actually about.
It’s about recognizing the institutionalized discrimination in the system and in daily life — being aware of it, making other people aware of it, and fighting it when you can.
Basically if your conversation about race starts with “As a white person, racism makes me feel ___,” you need to stop.
Because racism is not about you or how you feel.
That’s only one of the several posts that are making me itch right now, but it’s the most widely circulated I think.
Of course as a white person whose knowledge of SJ issues comes mostly from tumblr, I really don’t know what I’m talking about, so somebody correct me if I’m wrong.
Oh yeah I promised you guys that one essay about the Doctor Who fandom huh
Okay well here it is
I wrote it in a hurry from a rough outline I had pieced together so feel free to critique or whatever so I can polish it better and be a little stronger on my points and all that even though I’ve already completed the assignment
Anyway it’s basically about SJ issues the fandom tends to ignore
Also for those that don’t know I’m a white, straight, cis woman so I am privileged in a lot of ways so PLEASE call me out on any bullshit you see in here.
I have a weird blog.
I post 3 things:
- Book stuff for readers and writers, and that’s like, all over the place. Writing tips, prompts, memes, and funnies; industry news; new releases; quotes; and lord knows what else.
- Social justice/human rights news. Maybe it’s because my parents are lawyers. I don’t know. I’m a pretty politically-involved person and I can’t help it. I see it, it goes on my blog.
- Superwholock, Harry Potter, and Les Mis. Like, tons of Les Mis. So much it should be in bold. Les Mis. Also, any other geekdom I find amusing.
I’m pretty sure everybody follows me for 1/3 of my blog and wants to kill me for the other 2/3.
So just out of curiosity, which third are you here for?
So good effort at a sly dig, but no, you’re still wrong. And the fact that guys go into denial and explain their rejection with a “friendzone” isn’t even any sort of problem anyways, much less a male privilege one.
It’s not meant to be a sly dig, not everything is about you all the time.
I’m not wrong. Do some research and educate yourself before acting like you know about social justice, thanks. I don’t pretend to know economics.
Entitlement and privilege go hand in hand. The shit that guys say about being “friendzoned” is entitlement, like Angie originally said. Girls don’t complain about being friendzoned…? Disappointment at rejection is natural, sure. The “friendzone” phenomenon is something else entirely.
