Introduction. Welcome to my blog!
For a while now, there has been an intense, crazy explosion of radical feminist blogs on teh intrewebs. So I thought, you know what the internet REALLY needs? It needs another blog full of ill-formed, half-baked, contradictory opinions of a young, white, middle-class female college student.
I have tried and tried to resist this lingering, nagging feeling within me that says, "Edith! Marking your territory with the occasional comment on the feminist blogosphere is not enough! You need to step up and get with the program!" My lingering, nagging feeling likes to speak in mixed metaphors like that. That's only part of the reason why I have been resisting it, however. It's also because:
1) I am really lazy. I never finish what I start. Like, will I even finish this post? (Or this list?! I'm only on number one!!)
2) I tend to make things controversial because I really, really like controversy. This makes me, not only a bad feminist, but a sick person.
3) I'm mean. I have absolutely no ability to make long-term friendships because I usually feel some kind of need to tear people a new one, even if that means tearing a new one on the person who just baked me some brownies. See, I told you, I'm sick. So uh, don't bother baking me brownies (I conclude, lamely).
4) I change my opinions a lot. I'm sort of like that really jerky guy who's INSISTENT that the capital of California is Fresno until you get out a map and explain to him sweetly, that it's Sacramento, clearly. And then he's like, oh, well, whatever. No apology, nothin.'
And all right, I'm already bored with the list. And furthermore, I'm getting off the subject, which should be something like WELCOME! And MEET EDITH!
So here are some FAQs involving my blogger identity that I'm going to go ahead and answer. Keep in mind that I'm making this up as I go:
Q) What's your deal?
A) Good question. I'm a radical feminist which means, if you're so inclined, you can go ahead and put me in that section in your blog rolls (I say, shamelessly). I'm anti-pornstitution and I tend to look unfavorably upon anything I see tainted with the taint of the patriarchy.
Q) So what makes you so mean anyway?
A) From what I've been told, the reason I'm mean is because I yell and have verbal temper tantrums. These are sometimes directed at other women and other feminists.
Q) But how can you call yourself a feminist, much less a radical feminist, if you're willing to be verbally violent towards women?
A) Another excellent question, collective subconscious. I believe that anger is healthy -- like, really healthy. But that's not answering your question.
Q) No, it's really not.
A) Okay, here's how I see it. Like, you can believe that women are essentially good people, and that all women are victimized by the patriarchy -- OR you can see that women are essentially bupkis (neither good nor bad), but they're still victimized by the patriarchy.
Q) Uh, not following.
A) Wait, wait, okay?! If a woman is producing porn, she's victimizing other women, right?
Q) Right.
A) But she's still a woman herself, right? So is it okay to yell at her?
Q) Well, maybe. But there are better and more mature ways to go about that because you're obviously not going to change her mind just by yelling. You're going to put her on the defensive.
A) That's probably true. But is yelling okay? Even if it's not helpful?
Q) ...
A) Let me try an even shittier example. If a woman, who calls herself a feminist, enjoys taking cardio-striptease classes, is it okay to butt in with my unwanted opinions regarding how she's letting herself be taken advantage of by some fucked up porn culture and she's involving herself in something that fetishizes a horrific kind of job that fucks over -- literally -- women?
Q) I thought I was supposed to be asking the questions.
A) Yeah, we kind of broke that format a while ago.
Q) Yeah, I wondered. Well, for starters, I don't know if it's really all that cool to just butt in with your unwanted opinions like that. I mean, maybe if she were talking to you about how awesome her class was, then maybe you could say something. But isn't that really condescending?
A) Which part?
Q) The part where you judge her entire lifestyle and insinuate that she's somehow a crappy feminist.
A) Oh, that part. Yes, I think I probably AM being condescending. But what of it? You still haven't really answered my question.
Q) Which was, again?
A) Is it okay for me to yell at her?
Q) Sigh. Yeah, I just don't know, Edith. Why do you want to yell at people anyway? Do you really want to alienate women from feminism like that?
A) Hey, I'm not trying to convert anyone. I don't think we should go around and picket people and trick them into somehow admitting they're a feminist so we can give them a cool T-shirt.
Q) So I guess the whole "you can catch flies better with honey than with vinegar" saying doesn't really have any effect on you?
A) None whatsoever. Bah.
Q) Except apparently it does, since I'm still you, and I'm bringing it up, right?
A) Now you're giving me a headache.
Q) At least I'm back to being the one asking the questions again.
A) That's what you think.
I have tried and tried to resist this lingering, nagging feeling within me that says, "Edith! Marking your territory with the occasional comment on the feminist blogosphere is not enough! You need to step up and get with the program!" My lingering, nagging feeling likes to speak in mixed metaphors like that. That's only part of the reason why I have been resisting it, however. It's also because:
1) I am really lazy. I never finish what I start. Like, will I even finish this post? (Or this list?! I'm only on number one!!)
2) I tend to make things controversial because I really, really like controversy. This makes me, not only a bad feminist, but a sick person.
3) I'm mean. I have absolutely no ability to make long-term friendships because I usually feel some kind of need to tear people a new one, even if that means tearing a new one on the person who just baked me some brownies. See, I told you, I'm sick. So uh, don't bother baking me brownies (I conclude, lamely).
4) I change my opinions a lot. I'm sort of like that really jerky guy who's INSISTENT that the capital of California is Fresno until you get out a map and explain to him sweetly, that it's Sacramento, clearly. And then he's like, oh, well, whatever. No apology, nothin.'
And all right, I'm already bored with the list. And furthermore, I'm getting off the subject, which should be something like WELCOME! And MEET EDITH!
So here are some FAQs involving my blogger identity that I'm going to go ahead and answer. Keep in mind that I'm making this up as I go:
Q) What's your deal?
A) Good question. I'm a radical feminist which means, if you're so inclined, you can go ahead and put me in that section in your blog rolls (I say, shamelessly). I'm anti-pornstitution and I tend to look unfavorably upon anything I see tainted with the taint of the patriarchy.
Q) So what makes you so mean anyway?
A) From what I've been told, the reason I'm mean is because I yell and have verbal temper tantrums. These are sometimes directed at other women and other feminists.
Q) But how can you call yourself a feminist, much less a radical feminist, if you're willing to be verbally violent towards women?
A) Another excellent question, collective subconscious. I believe that anger is healthy -- like, really healthy. But that's not answering your question.
Q) No, it's really not.
A) Okay, here's how I see it. Like, you can believe that women are essentially good people, and that all women are victimized by the patriarchy -- OR you can see that women are essentially bupkis (neither good nor bad), but they're still victimized by the patriarchy.
Q) Uh, not following.
A) Wait, wait, okay?! If a woman is producing porn, she's victimizing other women, right?
Q) Right.
A) But she's still a woman herself, right? So is it okay to yell at her?
Q) Well, maybe. But there are better and more mature ways to go about that because you're obviously not going to change her mind just by yelling. You're going to put her on the defensive.
A) That's probably true. But is yelling okay? Even if it's not helpful?
Q) ...
A) Let me try an even shittier example. If a woman, who calls herself a feminist, enjoys taking cardio-striptease classes, is it okay to butt in with my unwanted opinions regarding how she's letting herself be taken advantage of by some fucked up porn culture and she's involving herself in something that fetishizes a horrific kind of job that fucks over -- literally -- women?
Q) I thought I was supposed to be asking the questions.
A) Yeah, we kind of broke that format a while ago.
Q) Yeah, I wondered. Well, for starters, I don't know if it's really all that cool to just butt in with your unwanted opinions like that. I mean, maybe if she were talking to you about how awesome her class was, then maybe you could say something. But isn't that really condescending?
A) Which part?
Q) The part where you judge her entire lifestyle and insinuate that she's somehow a crappy feminist.
A) Oh, that part. Yes, I think I probably AM being condescending. But what of it? You still haven't really answered my question.
Q) Which was, again?
A) Is it okay for me to yell at her?
Q) Sigh. Yeah, I just don't know, Edith. Why do you want to yell at people anyway? Do you really want to alienate women from feminism like that?
A) Hey, I'm not trying to convert anyone. I don't think we should go around and picket people and trick them into somehow admitting they're a feminist so we can give them a cool T-shirt.
Q) So I guess the whole "you can catch flies better with honey than with vinegar" saying doesn't really have any effect on you?
A) None whatsoever. Bah.
Q) Except apparently it does, since I'm still you, and I'm bringing it up, right?
A) Now you're giving me a headache.
Q) At least I'm back to being the one asking the questions again.
A) That's what you think.
posted by Edith at 7:37 PM
10 Comments:
Welcome to the feminist blogosphere!! I'm new myself. I like this post very much. It is personal and clever and thoughtful. I look forward to reading more. Cheers, Pippa x
Hey, Edith! I'm so happy to see that you have a blog. I've seen your comments around the rad fem blogosphere (isn't there another word to use for that?), and I think we're coming from very similar perspectives. Except, I don't handle yelling so well.
And yes, it's important to talk to people who don't agree with you, but frankly right now I'm grateful for women with a similar perspective.
So welcome to blogging, and now that stupid blogger is working again, I'll have to get you linked.
Sorry to use your comment space for this, but I'm working on developing a team blog that would focus on fighting femicide, rape, battery, and abuse by the state. If you're interested in working on it would you please drop me a line at spotted_ele@hotmail.com
Hi Pippa (power to the newbies)! Hi spotted elephant (gives googly eyes)! Hi feminist first (I won't be outting you ... yet. No promises, though).
I'm really excited y'all are here. I'm still trying to figure out how to work Blogger (like, really, why has it been down so much lately? Is it a sign? Should I be insulted?) because this is all kind of complicated to me, still.
Hopefully, my brain won't burst from the technological confoundedness.
:)
hee! excellent post. i'm glad to know that i'm not the only one who talks to myself like this.
welcome to the feminisphere, sister!
xoxo, jared
melikey
being mean is fun... and I think sometimes there is a need for a bit of meanness- I'd rather be mean than stepped on.
Hi -- I tried leaving you a comment to a couple days ago but blogger was done.
Just wanted to say, happy blogging. Mean Feminists and Happy Feminists unite!
edith! i just found you via laurelins blog. ive been reading your comments around and about for a while, and im really glad you've chosen to blog. i'll be a regular reader i'm sure.
best of luck with this!
v
I'm liking this. I'm sure I'll be back to read more.
LOL... I Googled "nice feminist" to see if anyone was talking about my blog (a desperate attempt after being sad about having 11-views per day on average), and found this. I'm blogrolling you for no other reason than I personally think that it will be hilarious to link to MeanFeminism on NiceFeminist.
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