Lol, he took feminist theology, turned himself into a girl because of the "male gaze" and then experienced how catty women can be. I'm somewhat divided between thinking this funny or sad. She begins complaining about the "male gaze" (at least she knows she's thought attractive) and then becomes addicted to the power it gives her over men. She begins complaining about natural male behavior and then ends with the most annoying female one. She's the essence of why feminists annoy me. Always criticizing the behavior of other people, but zero reflection about their own and their ideology.
I'm not sure if it was your intention to ridicule feminist theory, but you certainly managed it quite well imho. Thank you for this interesting caption, Beyogi
"She's the essence of why feminists annoy me. Always criticizing the behavior of other people, but zero reflection about their own and their ideology."
To be fair, you can say the same thing about ANY political, ideological, or religious subgroup. Some members are very ideological about it all, others are more flexible and nuanced. That's not a flaw of feminists - just humans. As for whether it was my intent to ridicule feminist theory... well, not really. Feminism covers a lot of different ideas and there are often conflicting viewpoints within it. Consider the debate between second-wave and third-wave feminists over whether porn is inherently sexist or not. It probably comes as no surprise that I generally throw myself in with the pro-sex, third wave feminists. I would happily accept, though, that due to a combination of the character's studies and the newness of their experience as a woman, that the character in the story is perhaps over-emphasising certain aspects of feminism.
However, TG fiction has, by it's nature, a weird and complex relationship with feminism. I've been meaning to write an essay or something on it, once I get it figured out myself. A lot of TG stuff relies on the idea that being turned into a girl is inherently humiliating because girls are inherently inferior. But on the other hand, TG fiction is also fundamentally about the idea of trying to understand how it feels to be female, and get a woman's perspective. And feminism is, by definition, a female perspective on society. So there's a weird contradiction there that I like to explore and try and make sense of.
As for the question of whether men ogling women is sexist? Well... Women ogle men too, after all. Any form of feminism that suggests that any male desire for women is inherently wrong is seriously screwed up, in my opinion, and frankly, anti-human. However, there is an idea that women exist primarily as sexual objects and experience pressure to be sexual objects; there is much less corresponding pressure on men.
However, in the story, through trying to understand the pressure that women experience, she comes to understand that her sexuality has a power to it. My intention was to convey a sense of liberation: that the thing that was used to control her becomes a source of her own power. Anyway, I'm glad you liked it, and it's always good to spark debate. You're welcome to interpret the story however you like; my opinions aren't of any more value just because I wrote it. (That's not sarcasm, by the way- a lot of modern literary criticism is based on just that idea). All the best, Rachel
Sure, but there is the difference between ideology and totalitarian ideology. There are always people who can't accept critic at their ideology, but there are ideologies that are absolute and demand absolute agreement. Feminism ranges between the extremes there imho. You get the rather liberal Feminists, who should call themselves humanists or something and the radical Feminazis who don't differ much from the original and all the in between.
I'm glad you share the opinion that Feminists who critizise basic male sexual behavior are wrong. I mean that is nothing you can or even should change.
However, there is an idea that women exist primarily as sexual objects and experience pressure to be sexual objects; there is much less corresponding pressure on men. Well it's not pressure to be a sexual subject, but rahter pressure to provide. A man has to provide as much for his family as he can or he is no man. I mean this leads to the sentiment to judge men by their wallet, which is even more dehumanizing than being seen as a sexobject.
However, in the story, through trying to understand the pressure that women experience, she comes to understand that her sexuality has a power to it. My intention was to convey a sense of liberation: that the thing that was used to control her becomes a source of her own power. I agree, this was the hilarity in this story. Someone who feels controlled by gazes has serious issues... I mean the power in that is rather obvious. She turns something she was ashamed off into something she does to shame others. If one looks at this from a moral point of view, one can only be disgusted, but from the POV of human sexuality it totally makes sense. (Someone who tries to moralize sexuality is nuts or should become a monk or nun imho)
Sorry, but based on my experience of feminism and feminists, the Feminazi is, for the most part a caricature created by people who don't want to treat women as equals. They do exist - the likes of Dworkin with her 'all men are rapists' line of bollocks certainly qualifies*, as do the anti-porn feminists who joined up with the Christian Right. However, I would suggest that they're the exception rather than the rule, and they should be the ones who should change their name, rather than the decent liberal feminists. "Well it's not pressure to be a sexual subject, but rather pressure to provide....." Perhaps. Though a mother has a similar pressure to provide for their family and to raise her kids well as a father.I think you might be blurring the difference between the pressures on parents and the pressure on single people. However, even if we accept that there are corresponding pressures on both sexes, the reason the character in the story changed sex was to try and understand the differences.
I'm not really sure she can be said to be 'shaming others'. I mean, I suppose she does 'taunt Jack', but I think that's more a playful thing than anything really mean-spirited or anything. It's more that she's taking something that's used to control her - her desirability - and turning it into something that can be a source of empowerment. So I don't think the character is doing anything particularly wrong; she's focusing a bit heavily on one aspect of female life, sure, but I don't think she's actually doing anything morally wrong. All the best, Rachel
Lol, he took feminist theology, turned himself into a girl because of the "male gaze" and then experienced how catty women can be.
ReplyDeleteI'm somewhat divided between thinking this funny or sad. She begins complaining about the "male gaze" (at least she knows she's thought attractive) and then becomes addicted to the power it gives her over men.
She begins complaining about natural male behavior and then ends with the most annoying female one. She's the essence of why feminists annoy me. Always criticizing the behavior of other people, but zero reflection about their own and their ideology.
I'm not sure if it was your intention to ridicule feminist theory, but you certainly managed it quite well imho.
Thank you for this interesting caption,
Beyogi
"She's the essence of why feminists annoy me. Always criticizing the behavior of other people, but zero reflection about their own and their ideology."
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, you can say the same thing about ANY political, ideological, or religious subgroup. Some members are very ideological about it all, others are more flexible and nuanced. That's not a flaw of feminists - just humans.
As for whether it was my intent to ridicule feminist theory... well, not really. Feminism covers a lot of different ideas and there are often conflicting viewpoints within it. Consider the debate between second-wave and third-wave feminists over whether porn is inherently sexist or not. It probably comes as no surprise that I generally throw myself in with the pro-sex, third wave feminists. I would happily accept, though, that due to a combination of the character's studies and the newness of their experience as a woman, that the character in the story is perhaps over-emphasising certain aspects of feminism.
However, TG fiction has, by it's nature, a weird and complex relationship with feminism. I've been meaning to write an essay or something on it, once I get it figured out myself. A lot of TG stuff relies on the idea that being turned into a girl is inherently humiliating because girls are inherently inferior. But on the other hand, TG fiction is also fundamentally about the idea of trying to understand how it feels to be female, and get a woman's perspective. And feminism is, by definition, a female perspective on society. So there's a weird contradiction there that I like to explore and try and make sense of.
As for the question of whether men ogling women is sexist? Well... Women ogle men too, after all. Any form of feminism that suggests that any male desire for women is inherently wrong is seriously screwed up, in my opinion, and frankly, anti-human. However, there is an idea that women exist primarily as sexual objects and experience pressure to be sexual objects; there is much less corresponding pressure on men.
However, in the story, through trying to understand the pressure that women experience, she comes to understand that her sexuality has a power to it. My intention was to convey a sense of liberation: that the thing that was used to control her becomes a source of her own power.
Anyway, I'm glad you liked it, and it's always good to spark debate. You're welcome to interpret the story however you like; my opinions aren't of any more value just because I wrote it. (That's not sarcasm, by the way- a lot of modern literary criticism is based on just that idea).
All the best,
Rachel
Sure, but there is the difference between ideology and totalitarian ideology. There are always people who can't accept critic at their ideology, but there are ideologies that are absolute and demand absolute agreement. Feminism ranges between the extremes there imho. You get the rather liberal Feminists, who should call themselves humanists or something and the radical Feminazis who don't differ much from the original and all the in between.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you share the opinion that Feminists who critizise basic male sexual behavior are wrong. I mean that is nothing you can or even should change.
However, there is an idea that women exist primarily as sexual objects and experience pressure to be sexual objects; there is much less corresponding pressure on men.
Well it's not pressure to be a sexual subject, but rahter pressure to provide. A man has to provide as much for his family as he can or he is no man. I mean this leads to the sentiment to judge men by their wallet, which is even more dehumanizing than being seen as a sexobject.
However, in the story, through trying to understand the pressure that women experience, she comes to understand that her sexuality has a power to it. My intention was to convey a sense of liberation: that the thing that was used to control her becomes a source of her own power.
I agree, this was the hilarity in this story. Someone who feels controlled by gazes has serious issues... I mean the power in that is rather obvious. She turns something she was ashamed off into something she does to shame others. If one looks at this from a moral point of view, one can only be disgusted, but from the POV of human sexuality it totally makes sense. (Someone who tries to moralize sexuality is nuts or should become a monk or nun imho)
Best Wishes,
Beyogi
Sorry, but based on my experience of feminism and feminists, the Feminazi is, for the most part a caricature created by people who don't want to treat women as equals. They do exist - the likes of Dworkin with her 'all men are rapists' line of bollocks certainly qualifies*, as do the anti-porn feminists who joined up with the Christian Right. However, I would suggest that they're the exception rather than the rule, and they should be the ones who should change their name, rather than the decent liberal feminists.
ReplyDelete"Well it's not pressure to be a sexual subject, but rather pressure to provide....."
Perhaps. Though a mother has a similar pressure to provide for their family and to raise her kids well as a father.I think you might be blurring the difference between the pressures on parents and the pressure on single people. However, even if we accept that there are corresponding pressures on both sexes, the reason the character in the story changed sex was to try and understand the differences.
I'm not really sure she can be said to be 'shaming others'. I mean, I suppose she does 'taunt Jack', but I think that's more a playful thing than anything really mean-spirited or anything. It's more that she's taking something that's used to control her - her desirability - and turning it into something that can be a source of empowerment. So I don't think the character is doing anything particularly wrong; she's focusing a bit heavily on one aspect of female life, sure, but I don't think she's actually doing anything morally wrong.
All the best,
Rachel