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In reply to the discussion: Shailene Woodley: Why I’m Not a Feminist (Time Magazine) [View all]BainsBane
(53,029 posts)I said I don't give a fuck what she thinks. Is there some reason I should? Is she some towering intellect who has developed a new theory of human social relations? I think not. No, I never heard of her, and I certainly am not going to take your word for what constitutes an empowering role for a woman. I think it unlikely I would ever be inclined to see whatever crap action film like Spiderman she appears in. Few of those actress are around for more than a couple of years anyway due to the nature of Hollywood. She will likely learn what sexism is as she ages and they no longer cast her in films. Regardless, when a woman defends her value by claiming she is fifty percent male, it is clear that she sees something wrong with being a woman, as the rest of her comments likewise demonstrate. Internalized misogyny is common. All women struggle with it to some extent or another. Some, however, don't question the messages that devalue themselves and other women and instead repeat them, as she does in the article above. The behavior she describes among women (is only true of some women but I would imagine it is more prevalent in Hollywood) is the result of sexism and misogyny. If she spent time in another environment, among educated feminists, for example, she would likely experience much less of the kind of behavior she describes.
I already noted in a post above that some men are particularly enamored of starlets and porn stars. They entertain men and don't compete with them on any level, certainly not economically. They however do not hold similarly favorable views toward women who are educated and succeed in professional careers. Those women they resent, call elitist, and argue against their invocation of equal opportunity laws made possible through the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There are always members of subaltern groups complicit in their own disempowerment, whether it be someone like Clarence Thomas, Phyllis Schafly or some Hollywood twit who devotes her fifteen minutes of fame to speaking out against equality and women as a whole. I don't like bigots, in whatever form they take. To oppose feminism is to oppose human equality, and I see no reason to tolerate anyone with those values.
As to my original point, what one speaks out against reveals their values. You show yourself to be more disturbed by my failure to honor someone who denounces feminism and the very value of women than the threats of rape and death against Seabeyond. I am not surprised.