Letters to the Editor
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So, Broadsheet...
...Camille Paglia's latest article in Salon (in addition to a few others she's done in the past) refers to some kind of man-bashing impulse which supposedly exists in feminism.
On Broadsheet, that kind of talk is called a "straw-man" and derided as nonsense.
Elsewhere, such younger feminist authors as Jessica Valenti and Jennifer Baumgardner have remarked upon a tendency among feminists to deny (i.e.: LIE about) any kinds of flaws or shortcomings so as to "protect feminism".
These statements, oddly, have never been called straw-men, so therefore I believe them to be true.
So where on earth is Paglia getting this "man-bashing" charge from if it's such a straw-man? And if it's true that feminists have the urge to lie about flaws and failures for the sake of protecting The Cause, why should anyone believe a feminist's denials about the existence of man-bashing within feminism? Isn't that exactly the kind of thing a feminist would feel the urge to lie about?
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Offside
Check out this movie about Iranian girls cros-dressing so that they could get into a soccer match.
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Life Imitates Art Imitates Life
About 200 years ago, this would have been a key plot device in an opera, permitting some soprano to diguise herself as a boy in a "trousers role". Surely this device had origins in real life in Europe where girls would have had to disguise themselves for entry to male-only venues. Let us not forget that until only recently, our progressive Western culture was socially much the same socially as our Middle Eastern couterparts today.
Of course, many of the articles published in Broadsheet remind us that while we've "come a long way, baby", that there are still many ways that the male privileges have only been disguised, not done away with.
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Why is BS so obsessed with fake progress in Bronze Age nations
While it never addresses real success anywhere else? One would think, (If one bothered to think let alone were permitted to here) that BS is underwritten by the Saudi Royal Family in an effort to portray the Kingdom as "More Hip Than You Evah Knew." That's becoming more apparent with every day. IS Salon.com financially supported by Arab investors? It's clear they pretty have the dirt on Glenn Greenwald's barking dog and pony show. Et tu Broadsheet?
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Reading the Girls' side article
They really don't sugar-coat the conditions for women there. I think this is only mentioned in BS because of the curiosity of cross-dressing, but the reasons why it is even done are pretty clear. It is also clear that is it considered a "game" to put away once the girls are married.
I'm all for cultural difference, but oppressing 50% of the population like this is just messed up. I don't think I would mind the gender segregation so much if both sides had equal rights (the ability to drive, for one). It's clear that women are little more than property.
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Linney Uston: wrong thread
Paglia's rantings come out of her own head and don't reflect anything that is going on in the external world, except in a very distorted way. But you attached your letter to an item about cross-dressing in Saudi Arabia. Many of us don't care to read or discuss Ms. I-am-the-cosmos, so please keep your letters in the appropriate place (attached as comments to her articles).
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weird to call this good news
Sexually thwarted young women acting out in inappropriate ways--including girls leering at and intimidating other girls (!!!) is good news?
In what way?
Or is anything that involves young women turning into lesbians "good news" in the eyes of certain feminists of a certain mindset?
It's about more than turning girls lezzy, Broadsheet, this behavior represents a societal pathology. That is NOT good news and is not going to change soon. It would be good news is the girls could openly express the sexuality of their choice and not be killed upon discovery, y'know? That's what good news is.
This post could have been significant, if not for the weird, fucked up, yay-more-lesbians conclusions. Not that I've got anything against lesbians, but I mean--WTF.
They are taking chances with their lives to experience five minutes of what it feels like to be free. Their lives are extremely bleak. I fail to see what there is to celebrate here. This isn't a cross-dressing party--do you know what will happen to them if they get caught?
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before y'all jump on me
yes, I know TCF didn't call it good news but rather "heartening" news--an even stranger word.
How heartening! Young women imprisoned for life turn to lesbian sex! They'll be killed if they're found out, esp. after marriage (to one man who will threat them, sexually and otherwise, like livestock). But--it's heartening!
Should have written "heartbreaking".
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categories / consequences
In my reckoning, a person who switches from one sexual orientation to another based on social circumstances is bisexual. To categorize them as lesbian is to endanger the rights of real lesbians who aren't interested in men under any circumstances. If homosexuality is a casual choice, issues like gay marriage are easily painted as requests for special treatment rather than matters of basic human rights.
Regarding Saudi Arabia, these women seem to be engaging in fairly risky behavior. I'm sure it is empowering to thumb their noses at the religious authorities, but what happens when they get caught?
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and iran is the evil empire?
Sheesh--not saying I would want to live there, either, but at least Iranian women can drive, hold office, attend college, work in most jobs, eat at restaurants, etc. And they can certainly walk around in public (or in front of their first cousins!) without veils covering their faces.
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Text-and-visual whiplash
After a few minutes' reading, I was accustomed to a quick eye-and-lizard-brain association, between headlines and pictures, in this evening's Broadsheet. I moved seamlessly from "Quote of the Day: Barack Obama" and the YouTube shot, to "Tarted up toddlers in 4-inch heels" and the associated picture... and then I hit "Cross-dressing in Saudi Arabia?", and was served up a shot of Tiger Woods on the links.
It was something about Lasik, I think -- no matter, the ad is gone now, and the message is lost. But somehow, for me, Mr. Woods will forevermore be associated with transvestism in the Arab world.
Don't EVER underestimate the power of the media.