Category Archives: Feminism

'A Christmas Story'

Feminism, Film, The West

Set in the 1940s, the film ‘A Christmas Story’ depicts a series of family vignettes through the eyes of 9-year-old Ralphie, who yearns for that gift of all gifts: the Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. This was boyhood before ‘bang-bang you’re dead’ was banned; family life prior to ‘One Dad Two Dads Brown Dad Blue Dads’ and Christmas without the ACLU.

‘A Christmas Story’ is also film before Dakota Fanning (that prototypical, barf-making, American child actor). All the more reason to savor it.

Merry Christmas to all,
ILANA

‘A Christmas Story’

Feminism, Film, The West

Set in the 1940s, the film ‘A Christmas Story’ depicts a series of family vignettes through the eyes of 9-year-old Ralphie, who yearns for that gift of all gifts: the Daisy Red Ryder BB gun. This was boyhood before ‘bang-bang you’re dead’ was banned; family life prior to ‘One Dad Two Dads Brown Dad Blue Dads’ and Christmas without the ACLU.

‘A Christmas Story’ is also film before Dakota Fanning (that prototypical, barf-making, American child actor). All the more reason to savor it.

Merry Christmas to all,
ILANA

Letter of the Week: The Banality of Feminism in All Permutations

Feminism, The Zeitgeist

ALEX WRITES:

I never really cared for Paglia. I thought her another feminist, and I guess these comments make it so.

When I read how she felt that a majority of men envied women’s reproductive ability—to have children—I scratched my head. I can’t remember the last time I felt the need to become pregnant.

I never liked Tom Cruise until his excellent performance of the contract killer, “Vincent,” in the terrific Collateral. His glib nihilism and ruthless zeal was conveyed with a subtle performance that some might miss. It was a refreshing and surprising turn from an actor who had given us such dreck as Top Gun and that awful, can’t-remember-its-name, Daytona movie.

Back to Paglia: how is the trumpeting of sex by Britney Spears and her ilk bad for the sex movement? Isn’t that what the sex movement is all about? And what’s with this mundane “pro-sex” ideal that she speaks of? Is she a libertine? Gross. [Related read: On Sexual Bombast and Bliss]

For another taste of the nasties, check out the posts from other feminists on the board, who are complaining and wailing that public crotch shots and nudity are, “Like, soooo tame, and like, get over it already—it’s HER body, after all.”

Wonder if the same thing could be said if a disgusting, overweight plumber was caught flashing his penis in public. Would the hip press be debating whether or not it was a career move, or would they state that he was a disgusting and disturbed man? Would these women come to his aid, because it was, “Like, HIS body, ‘after all’?”

—Alex

Letter of the Week: ‘Maureen (Dowd), I’m Available’ By Graham Strouse

Feminism, Gender, The Zeitgeist

The American divorce rate still hovers in the 50-60% range, with women initiating divorces 75% of the time. The divorce rate between American men and foreign women is about 19%.

Funnily enough, a lot of young American men are simply eschewing marriage with American women.

I see a lot of frantic, arrogant, nasty women in the mid-20s to mid-50s range wondering why they can’t find a mate.

Here’s a hint, ladies. According to “Esquire,” the absolute primo number one quality desired by American men who replied to their most recent poll is loyalty/faithfulness (47%). This is followed by intelligence (15%), friendliness, and personality (27% combined).

What this says is that if you’re a bright, good-natured, engaging woman who stands by her man, you have the pick of the litter of about 89% of the available male population.

Testosterone may be on the decline for the time being. But I’m thinking that Femmicommie America has much more to worry about in the long run.

Thanks to the myths and propaganda of Steinemized feminism, all these You-Can-Have-It-All women from the boomer era are discovering, in fact, that what they end up with is nothing at all.

Ladies, we don’t want you stupid. Speaking for myself, I would love to be able to work a satisfying but not especially remunerative second-income job. I like kids—other people’s for preference. I prefer them broken in.

And I’m not that unusual. But I got tired a long time ago of women who expected some combination of Superman and Clark Kent all at once. I’m not from Krypton. I do have some self-respect, however, and I prefer isolation to being the beta half of a relationship.

If Maureen Dowd is listening in here, hey, I’m 33, looking good despite my damage, can do Bohemian chic quite well, and have been both formally educated and self-educated in any number of topics. I scrub well enough for cocktail parties and, oh yeah, I dig redheads.

Just don’t expect me to say, “Ooohhh, nobody scribbles columns like you, baby!” when you toss off some trivial piece of smack. I’m gonna lay it on you if you don’t live up to your abilities. I don’t care if you are making the big bucks.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I rather like the idea of hitching my cart to a woman who makes big bucks. But if you’re working in my field, the world of words, well honey, you better expect that I’ll be the toughest critic you’ve ever faced.

Not because I want to see you fail, but because I want you to succeed.

And if someone asks me to review “Are Men Necessary?” you better believe I’m gonna pan it. I’m gonna wonder what would happen if a columnist working for a major daily wrote a book titled “Are Women Necessary?” or “Are Jews Necessary?”. It’ll be rhetorical, because what I’ll say is that they’d be fired.

But that doesn’t mean I won’t love you in the morning.

Graham Strouse