(no subject)

[snowowl.livejournal.com]

Did anyone besides me hate Cunt?  You know, the misinformation, the sexism, and what's more, the dangerous aspects of it?  :-/  It made me pretty angry, but not in the way the author was hoping for.

Comments

[snowowl.livejournal.com]

Er, that her entire book is based on the work of Barbara G. Walker, whose work is a laughing stock to anthropologists and historians worldwide. In essence, Walker's book claims it's an "encyclopoedia" but in reality is completely false history. Her definition of "war," for instance, is "a patriarchal invention" meant to suppress women. It's complete politicized nonsense, and Inga draws from it at every turn, doing no research of her own.

The book is wholly sexist, and just because at the end she says she recognizes that a "few" men are working towards the cause of feminism doesn't excuse the constant barragement she throws at men throughout the book.

Even more than the feminazi tone, though, is the fact that she tells women not to trust doctors, nor seek them out (because they're some kind of conspiratorial anti-women's league that is "not of the Goddess"). THAT is dangerous. She then proceeds to describe how she underwent a herbal abortion at eight weeks full well knowing that she wasn't supposed to do that, and for all intents and purposes she is advising women to do the same (medical abortion is invented by the Man, she says).

She advises against birth control. She gives a false impression of IUDs (making the reader think they all have the effects of the Dalkon Shield) and greatly exaggerates the side effects of the pill (saying for instance that it causes heart irregularities, when in truth that only happens to a small percentage of women who had pre-existing conditions). Instead, she suggests that you use the Fertility Awareness Method -- but she describes it in very vague terms, leaving out such details as HOW IT WORKS, how successful it is, temp taking, and the like. Also, FAM is not a cure-all for "man controlled birth control"; it shouldn't be used by women who have many partners -- which this woman seems to think is the greatest thing evar.

She is a religious bigot to boot. Did you not catch the repetitious bashing of Christianity?

She says abstinence is "unhealthy." And then goes on to say that to be truly empowered, you should be the sex goddess of your own universe, meaning that you should "have fun" and fuck the consequences, having sex with whoever and how many you like. If she were some bum in a coffeeshop, I wouldn't care, but as an author of a non-fiction book for women, many of them young girls, I find it highly irresponsible and dangerous for her to encourege people to do that without any caution about STDs or pregnancy.

She also represents the worst kind of pro-choice person, the kind that religious right people get all angry about. She pretends that she was FORCED by someone to get three abortions (instead of saying, "It was a hard decision, and x, y, and z is why I decided to go through with it" like a rational adult), that it was IMPOSSIBLE for her to keep the child and give it up for adoption, and further excuses her irresponsibility saying that the diaphram gives her yeast infections so isn't it unfair that when she decided not to use it, she got pregnant? She says that women shouldn't feel like victims, but that's what she's ALL ABOUT.

[snowowl.livejournal.com]

I also find it highly offensive that she assumes that all women just have "different degrees of lesbianism." Not all women are into that. Because they just aren't. Not because they are subimissive or repressed or something. I hate arrogant people who assume to tell others what their orientation is or should be.

The truth is, she just doesn't know what she's talking about when she makes these generalizations about men being in control of the tampon industry, contraception, and what have you. She doesn't even know what she's talking about when she talks about menstrual cups, fertility awareness, or men in general. She's a hypocrite -- the morning after pill she says she's worried about because women might become too "dependent" on it and she's worried about the effect of the hormones, and yet she had THREE abortions and the third came about because of herbs that could give her serosis of the liver! The list goes on and on.

I'm a liberal/pro-choice/feminist/herbalist/FAM-using/Pagan, but her zealous and blatently biased (sometimes, in terms of the word "cunt" for example, just plain made up) tone is both patronizing and in my opinion, a hurtful way to live your life. You can't be fucking empowered if you think there's a conspiracy of people trying to ruin your life. You can't be happy and yet have the incredible disdain (if not outright hate) of men that this woman does. *shakes head*

[emmieslost.livejournal.com]

damn...
i understand some of the points you are making, i don't agree with her saying that if you "come to terms" with your cycle you'll be pain free, la de da, and i'm totally pro birth control, but she is entitled to her opinion, which is exactly what she is giving us in her book, her opinion...so she had three abortions, o'well who am i to judge??? as a women who has endo and other chronic illnesses, i agree with what you're saying. i don't think her "man bashing" was quite as bad as you're making it out to be, but again that's just my opinion. there are a lot of men out there who have read her book and enjoyed it as well.
i don't think she was trying to tell women to go out and just fuck who ever and not worry about the consequences, at least that certainly wasn't in the edition i read...and as far as different degrees of lesbianism goes, come on, we're all a little gay!
i appreciate you sharing your opinion, but i enjoyed the book and will continue to recommend it. people are smart enough to make their own opinions, and there is a long list of references she used while making her book, in the second edition anyway, i haven't seen the first...

[starsorstreet.livejournal.com]

"come on, we're all a little gay!"

that's my personal belief as well (based on my experience with society and those funny things called humans), but I try not to force it on people because sometimes they tend to get a little uppity about having their sexuality defined for them, as they should.

*goes back to her ellen re-runs and homo rainbow cross-stitch*

[emmieslost.livejournal.com]

:::giggle:::

not trying to force anyting, of course! :)

Charmed, I'm sure.

[pretzelsalt.livejournal.com]

Excuse me - feminazi?

I am a radical feminist myself - in fact I find CUNT to be a silly poorly written CLASSIST book that is only popular amongst affluent young white girls and lays out a lot of anti WOMAN information - if you want to talk about "sexist".

I didn't like the book either - but sounds like for the OPPOSITE reason you didn't.

I, however, am not throwing around insults in a female community about other women based on anti-feminist male slander.

Thanks though.

Re: Charmed, I'm sure.

[lizs18.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this, I absolutely can not stand the term 'feminazi'. Not only is is sexist and an insulting term used to punish feminists, but I feel that it trivializes the very real and disgusting acts and theories that nazi's and neonazi's stand for and committ. To say that a woman who is a type of feminist that you don't agree with is the same equivilant to someone who celebrates the holocaust really disturbs me.

Re: Charmed, I'm sure.

[pretzelsalt.livejournal.com]

it's worse then that. Rush Limbaugh coined the term and the reason he used was that feminazi's were driving the current holocaust by having as many abortions as possible.

I mean come on.

Re: Charmed, I'm sure.

[emmieslost.livejournal.com]

rush limbaugh and pat robertson, my favorite people!!!

Re: Charmed, I'm sure.

[snowowl.livejournal.com]

I use the term feminazi because it's more well known that pheminist. It's also been called "gender feminism" by Dr. Christina Sommers, but they all are referring to the same group of people.

It's my personal belief that there is a shoot of feminism which is so extremist that they deserve their own special name, because their goals and tactics are NOT those of feminists during the 18th century, the 60's, and among the more mainstream feminists today. That is to say, feminazis are not feminists who are just really active politcally about their beliefs about feminism. Rather, feminazis diverge from the core beliefs of feminism. Feminists historically have believed in equality between the genders, whereas feminazis are all about superiority, hate, and manipulation of the facts to suit their political goals.

I for one think there's a difference.

Also, if you read my post, you would know that there are several reasons I dislike the book, and its sexism towards men is only one of them. To say you don't like the book because mostly white girls read it is in itself a biased statement, and really, you can't blame the author for who reads her book and who doesn't.

Re: Charmed, I'm sure.

[deathofthelight.livejournal.com]

I agree fully. The word "feminazi" isn't meant to apply to all feminists, just the ones that are obviously a bit over the time.

I like to use a small test to tell what's feminist and what's feminazi.

A feminist believes in equal pay for equal work.
A feminazi believes in a world-wide "patriarchal" conspiracy, and anyone who doesn't agree with them was brainwashed by a man.

It works pretty accurately.

Re: Charmed, I'm sure.

[jaclyn.livejournal.com]

what's wrong with affluent young white girls?



;)

Re: Charmed, I'm sure.

[whoa-breathe.livejournal.com]

Tee hee, was wondering the same thing. Not that I am exactly "affluent" but I am young and white, which I can't help. AND I didn't like the bok. ;)

ditto

[janejellyroll.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU!

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

hello,
this is a safe space warning. the word feminazi, as another commenter has noted, is offensive to many people. as you cannot edit comments i won't as you to remove it, but i am asking that you become more familiar with concept of safe space prior to commenting further. if you have questions about this, please email me directly.

jen, ssm
for the vp on lj team