BAH! Self indulgent blather and ranting.

[kethni]

First, a not-very-interesting confession: Feminism bores/annoys me. Artificially diving the entire population into one of two groups and trying to say that all the people in one group have some goals in common and are in opposition to the other half is an insult to the rich variety of personalities, interests, and choices of all of those people.

Before anyone throws bricks at me; at one point in Western history women were very much second class citizens and feminism was relevant and necessary. But not anymore. Now feminism in a Western setting is an historical relic, an antique. So I'm not a feminist - I believe in equality and that means not having to define myself in opposition to anyone else.

Which leads me to my Lit course. I'm starting my module on 'Literature and Gender' on Saturday. I wasn't exactly thrilled at this to begin with. For one thing half the module is 'female poetry'. Why? Is there some reason 'female poetry' needs to be fenced off from the male poetry? Can't it stand on its own account? See, now what's that if it's not discrimination! How the hell can a literary form have a gender anyway? Female poet sure, female poetry surely not. Also for some annoying reason 'gender' doesn't mean men and women, just women. How's that work now?

Anyway, although I wasn't thrilled I was going to try and give it a fair go. My tutor sent some extra reading - a chapter from a book - which I just read. Now I'll give you that, yup, in the past there was a patriarchal society, men were supposed to be the strong, stoic, logical ones and women were supposed to be the weak, emotional, immature ones ones - that was the what the chapter was about. I'll agree that absolutely.

But it's ludicrous to suggest that's the case now. Now the sterotype in the media - the only reflection we have - has flipped. Men are presented as the(over) emotional, intuitive, and at times immature ones. Look at Agent Booth, Homer Simpson, Fox Mulder, hell look at Peter Petrelli. Are those media creations indicative of a patriarchal society? Are they hell. The new stereotype for female characters are the strong, calm, logical, sensible ones; Dr Brennan, Dana Scully, Seven of Nine, T'Pol, and just about every 'wife' in every American sitcom made from the 90's onwards. Oh, and while I'm ranting: Angua, the Witches, Lady Vimes, Cheery... and those are just in Discworld!

If either gender is being talked down to it certainly isn't us women. It's going to be a long six weeks of Literature and Gender.

Comments

[mad-jaks.livejournal.com]

I believe in equality and that means not having to define myself in opposition to anyone else.
That one *nods*

I once had an intriguing converstion with my then 9(?) year old niece about one of her teachers at school - who insisted on giving pink art paper to the boys to draw on as some kind of 'message'. Nine year old niece thought this was a pretty good thing until I pointed out to her that in a non discriminatory world the art teacher should have just handed out the paper *regardless* of its colour OR the gender of the recipient.