Friday, February 10, 2012

What the What Now?

[Content/trigger warning: Gender policing]

Gender traditionalist/Christian/Upholder Of Real American Values/Watergate Obstructor Of Justice/Former Prisoner/Townhall columnist Chuck Colson does not seem happy about a London toy store's decision to de-pink and de-blue its store.

Blah blah blah usual ignorant tripe about how ALL boys and ALL girls just essentially and inherently prefer to play differently and with different toys from the "opposite" sex, blah blah blah without taking into account how these preferences are, or even might be, shaped by social environments and conditioning.

For me, the big clue that allows me to dismiss dude's entire piece on accounta obvious-feminist-bashing-agenda, was this:

"[Feminists] believe that women aren’t pursuing these opportunities because they still buy into traditional ideas about gender differences. The venom directed at stay-at-home mothers is but one example of this thinking.

More recently, this thinking has manifested itself in a backlash against prominent women who are considered too feminine. Actress Zooey Deschanel is a favorite target of feminists who consider her too 'girly' and, as such, a bad example for young women."

A-what?

I read Feminist Internet every day and....did I miss something...big?

LOL.

Seriously. Hearing it from this dudely Notable Expert On Feminism, the entire feminist movement is basically a ginormous burn book pontificating upon the suckiness of Zooey Deschanel.

Sure, Chuck.

You just have to love anti-feminist dudes who try to provoke women into fighting, resenting, and competing with each other. How gossipy and conniving these patriarchs are. If you listen closely, you can almost hear their pasty lips whispering, hey ladies, didja hear what the feminists are saying about you and femininity and women, hmmmmmm? Just hang with us, kiddo, and we'll make sure you're fine. Sure you have to act in accordance with your Proper Gender Role and, if you get pregnant, we'll dictate what you do with your body, but trust us, it's really THE FEMINISTS who totally hate you.

Now, sure, I have seen some intra-feminist criticisms and debates about Deschanel's supposed presentation of an infantilized version of womanhood, but (a) these critiques hardly represent some sort of feminist consensus about her as a person and (b) Colson seems like a man who might still call women "girls" and thus probably couldn't fathom why some feminists might find it problematic when adults act, dress, and talk like young girls.

Not that Deschanel necessarily does any of that. I honestly don't know or care. I think I've seen her in, like, one episode of a TV show that didn't really hold my attention. If anything, she gets points in my book for being Tempe Brennan's sister.

Anyway, gotta run.

Those "Zooey Deschanel sucks Sexist anti-feminist men often utilize shit-stirring tactics to divide women" posts aren't going to write themselves!

No comments: