Feminist Addresses Misogynist's Questions

Ha ha *snort*

Amanda Marcotte has taken the time to answer a video entitled, "Questions For So-Called 'Real' Feminists."

So, right away, you can imagine what those questions are like.  Sample: Who is the current leader of the feminist movement? Where can I go to find an official detailed list of the goals of feminism?

Her answers are pretty good and funny.  Anti-feminists, MRAs, and other misogynistic types seem to be really uncomfortable with feminism not being a monolithic movement, and I've received questions like these before, too, in my years of feminist blogging.

When we answer these asinine questions and respond, truthfully, that feminism doesn't have a current leader or one single definition or platform because it's not a monolithic movement, these guys (and it's almost always guys) treat feminism as though it's irredeemably flawed. Or, as though they've caught us up in some big "gotcha" that proves feminism is wrong about everything. Or, as though we're lying and  secretly withholding from them The Feminist Hivemind Manifesto.

I suspect they really want to pin down feminism because then it would be much easier for them to hone in on and destroy if feminism were just 1 thing, led by 1 person.

I'll also note that Marcotte is one of the widely-known Internet feminists who anti-feminists, misogynists, and MRAs seem to particularly loathe. Most probably because she speaks publicly, and has a relatively large platform, while being a feminist woman.

I've been thinking a lot lately about feminist infighting and even attacks that feminists engage in against other feminists.  I don't expect other feminists to be 100% perfect at all times. I don't expect (and nor do I) agree with other feminists 100% of the time about all things.  I still believe it's possible, and even desirable, for me to quote other feminists' work even if they're not 100% perfect and even if they sometimes, in fact, say or do "problematic" things.

Given the pervasive attacks that feminists experience from those who are not feminists, it's frustrating to me when we, within feminism, seek to marginalize other feminist voices because we deem them insufficiently perfect at feminism. I believe in the value of internal criticism and dialogue, but some of what goes on on Internet under the guise of "critique" is super shitty.

I know that's vague, and I hope to write more about that topic in the near future, when I have time to firm up my thoughts.