Sandra Day O’Connor says she’s not a feminist.
The following paragraph in one of my students’ papers, brought to you with all errors intact: “The role of women has come and long way lets not forget the feminist movement. Through self expression and being able to be who we want through this has allowed us to surpass the sexiest opinions of the past and this has brought us to a better understanding of equality among genders.” Sexiest opinions, folks.
Being told by one of my colleagues that he overheard a group of my students (perhaps including the author above) complaining about how I “ruin” literature by making them talk about feminist issues.
The large, silver metallic faux testicles dangling from the bumper of the truck I drove home behind — with a bumper sticker reading: Gotz Balz?***
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* The best part was the baby carrier visible in the back seat — because nothing says fine parenting like a pair of fake balls on the bumper!
** Trust me, if I had been able to snap a picture of the unbelievable sight of the fake balls, they would have been front and center on this blog.
7 comments
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March 30, 2009 at 6:23 pm
steph
Wow.
Just… wow.
Also, sigh.
March 31, 2009 at 1:43 am
Ink
OMG. Awful. This part made my stomach hurt (seriously):”…a group of my students (perhaps including the author above) complaining about how I “ruin” literature by making them talk about feminist issues.”
All of the examples just show how important it is for us to keep talking about those very issues! So props to you, BSG.
March 31, 2009 at 4:16 pm
historiann
Your silver balls truck story reminds me of another encounter with a truck and so-called “family values” (as opposed to our destructive, evil feminist values.) This is a true story: swinging out of a Kroger parking lot 10+ years ago was a woman driving a pickup truck with an older woman riding shotgun. Grandma was holding a tiny infant in her arms, and between them was a 4-year old using her arms on the dashboard as her primary restraint device. Yes–no car seats, and no seatbelts on the adult women that I could tell.
What was the bumper sticker on the back of this truck? “ABORTION STOPS A BEATING HEART!”
You can’t make this stuff up.
March 31, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Alex
Honestly, I have some level of disgust towards feminists. I do not think that women are somehow inferior to men, but a person dedicating her life to fight the opposite sex seems to be a bit sick in the head, at least in my mind.
April 1, 2009 at 12:10 am
bsgirl
Alex, I believe your understanding of feminism is inaccurate. I would never describe feminism as “fighting the opposite sex.” Instead, I would define it as “fighting to have the same rights as the opposite sex.”
And, frankly, if feminists cause you disgust, this blog should give you a serious tummy ache.
April 2, 2009 at 2:17 am
Steel Magnolia
I had an entire class (with only about 3 males in it, mind you) who had no definition of feminism, said they had never heard of Gloria Steinem, and who maintained that they were NOT feminists–even when I simplistically defined it as believing that women and men should be equal. So, when I asked about womanism, I heard crickets.
I almost started to cry.
April 2, 2009 at 5:35 am
Ink
A student (not in my class, whew!) informed me today that she gets “mad” about feminist criticism. I asked her why and she said, “They act like women are being oppressed by some, like, patriarchal society.” Sigh.