DOs and DON'Ts for feminists vs. "feminists"

[BainsBane]

There are a list of views and posting behavior that distinguish real feminists from "feminists." If you fail to follow the list of DOs or engage in any of the DON'Ts below, you must use quotes around the word feminist to distinguish yourself from real feminists.

DO always defer to men on issues.

DON'T articulate a point of view that is not first approved of by men.

DO understand that true feminists focus only on rights that make women more sexually available to men.

Porn
DO remember that porn of all genres is always good.
DON'T mention condom use, STDs, or suggest that porn actresses are engaging in porn for any purpose other than expressing the highest form of liberty and self-actualization a woman can aspire to.
DO make sure to insist anyone who criticizes porn in anyway is accused of trying to ban it in violation of the First Amendment.

Prostitution
DO understand that prostitution is fantastic.
DON'T talk about underage girls, child rape, human trafficking, economic blight, or violence.
DO focus entirely on a woman's right to sell herself, a man's right to buy sex, and prostitution as a form of female sexual empowerment.

Rape
DON'T bum men out by talking about rape or harassment. If a major news story comes up that can't be avoided,
DON'T suggest a rapist might be guilty.
DO make sure to point to all the ways the woman behaved that brought about the rape.
DON'T under any circumstances mention "rape culture."

False feminists
DO make sure to attack women who articulate views not approved of by men.
DO remember the only rights that are important are the ones that the real feminists--men--approve of.

Swarms
DON'T agree with another woman unless she is agreeing with a man or attacking a woman who disagrees with a man, lest you be guilty of being a swarm or a gang.
DO remember that a gang or a swarm can be comprised of as few as one woman who disagrees with a man.

False Men
DO remember that "men" who support statements by HOF members and other radfems do not constitute real men and therefore must be disagreed with unless they fall in line with the above guidelines.


DON'T forget to use quotes around the word "feminism" and "feminist" if you vary from the above guidelines in the slightest.


This public service announcement brought to you as a joint venture by Maxim and Cosmopolitan's Division of True Feminism.

[littlemissmartypants]

1. What the f is this?

Crazy talk. FEMINIST here. F the quotation marks and the horse they rode in on. NOBODY tells a feminist what to do.

Love, Peace and the Righteous Fight.
~ Lmsp

[BainsBane]

2. no one has ever suggested

You weren't a real feminist because of a position you took, such as those parodied above?

[littlemissmartypants]

3. No dear. Never. They know better than to joke about my convictions. eom

[BainsBane]

4. they aren't joking

They may be using rhetorical pretext but not in jest. Such comments are made all the time about this group. In fact men have come in here to tell us we aren't real feminists.

[littlemissmartypants]

5. Like I said crazy talk. eom

[nomorenomore08]

18. That's just it. Disagreement is one thing - we're not all going to agree on everything all the time.

But a man throwing the "not a real feminist" canard at women is patently absurd.

[roguevalley]

10. I am tired of stuff like this. I am from the

first wave. It pains me to see this kind of stuff now. I could be a teacher, nurse, secretary or mommy when I was a girl. I couldn't get into half the ivy league colleges and no one took me seriously but my folks for my ambitions. Every woman now who has a dream and can achieve it rides on the broken backs of the first wave. Just be yourself. Just speak your mind and go forward. The rest is bullshit.

[littlemissmartypants]

11. Thank you. nt

[nomorenomore08]

19. "Just be yourself. Just speak your mind and go forward. The rest is bullshit."

Great advice, and could be applied to anyone, anywhere.

[Hippo_Tron]

6. As a feminist of the sex positive variety...

I find nothing inherently wrong with porn or sex work. I do find serious problems with the way these industries have manifested themselves within the confines of our patriarchal culture.

But I do think there's plenty of room for debate about this and I do find it disheartening that someone would throw out a pejorative "false feminist" label to try and shut down that debate.

[littlemissmartypants]

8. Agreed. nt

[redqueen]

12. The point of this thread is to highlight the fact that although you seem to think there's plenty

of room for debate, there are those on this site who would label anyone who disagrees with these MALE DOMINATED industries which cause UNTOLD suffering as such, and you'll be hard pressed to find ANYONE pushing back against them on that point.

[BainsBane]

14. On a lighter note

I'm pretty pleased with myself over this line:
This public service announcement brought to you as a joint venture by Maxim and Cosmopolitan's Division of True Feminism.

Do you remember the DOs and DON'T section from the "women's" magazines? It was based on that: Dos and don't for keeping a man, for wearing prints, for make-up, etc.

[littlemissmartypants]

7. Whatever you focus your attention to you strengthen.

Attention is your most vital tool. Use it carefully.

Love, Peace and the Righteous Fight.
~ Lmsp

[littlemissmartypants]

9. I have been a feminist all of my life.

I was raised by a feminist man. Tonight a man grabbed my ass. I am over 50 yrs old. I turned around and calmly asked "Who grabbed my ass?"

The young man confessed and I quickly popped him in the stomach and went about my business.

After I returned I approached him and told him this...

I want you to make eye contact with me because we need to have a conversation. When you grabbed my ass you disrespected me, it was an unwelcome touching of my body and it was assault. If you ever touch me or any other woman like that again she like me has the right to call the police because you are guilty of assault. DO you understand me? Do want me to call the police?

Guess what he said.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025399111

[redqueen]

13. I can't believe people are still unironically using the term "sex-positive"

Just goes to show how deeply entrenched these types are in the feminist movement.

[BainsBane]

15. The problem I have is it implies some are "sex-negative"

which I find insulting. If they call themselves sex-positive, that's their business, but don't call me sex-negative.

[redqueen]

16. Exactly. It's as rhetorically dishonest as "pro life" and it's sad to see it still used here.

What's really sickening is that most waving that particularly stupid flag do little but tow the patriarchal party line.

Criticizing objectification? You're just a prude.

Calling out street harassment? You're just naive and sexually repressed.

Criticizing the sex industry? You're in 'cahoots' with religious fundies / infantilizing women / stuck in the 2nd wave.


Choice feminism, which is the kind that insists that no one should criticize women's choices because SHE CHOSE HER CHOICE is a fucking cop out. It portrays individual choices as somehow divorced from the social consequences of those choices. It says no matter what choice a woman makes, it's okay - that woman is excused from considering the social implications of that choice.

It de-politicizes feminism on a fundamental level. (And why do you think that is?) It conveys the idea that we should not have any critical discussion about the value of different choices. It says we should not have any discussions about whether some of those choices are more illusions than actual freely undertaken decisions.

And worst of all for the future of feminism, it enthusiastically champions consumerism, and embraces neoliberal views as somehow integral to feminism itself.

[nomorenomore08]

17. Precisely. It's a classic false dichotomy. n/t