Friday, December 15, 2006

 
So Lya Kahlo brought up an interesting point in the comments of this post at I Blame the Patriarchy, to wit:

Is it just my imagination or does antiprincess spend an inordinate amount of time inventing reasons to not like Twisty (and pretty much all radical feminists)?

And I think she's right about this at least - I do spend a lot of bandwidth, here and at other places, listing all the reasons why Twisty makes me lose my shit on a regular basis. I could write a book. But it means that I'm a lot more REactive than PROactive - and how can that be healthy? That's really something to examine and consider, with respect to my blogging and also with respect to the rest of my life.

so, much respect for Lya today. Your comment really helped me, regardless of how we may feel about each other personally.

you know, which leads me to this - as far as "pretty much all radical feminists" - well, I'm not at all sure that's true. The problem is, perversely, that I like most of them an awful lot. I'm full of respect and admiration for many of those who use that label to describe themselves. They do a lot of hard work, and have a sincerity and zeal borne out of a true and legitimate desire to do good, and if nothing else that kind of dedication to an idea is really remarkably admirable.

But there are places where I just think that the radical feminist arithmetic could use some checking. That's all. If I ran around all loud-n-proud saying that two plus two make five, or three point eight, or that it didn't matter because numbers is the debbil anyway, I'd want someone to tap me on the shoulder and straighten me out. I feel that when I try to do this, I get treated like someone's bratty little brother - and in no way do I feel like I deserve that.

I have marched with you, struggled with you, yelled with you, poured out my pockets with you - all so that you can ignore me and call me names when I try to contribute to the conversation? seriously, what's up with that?

I think the illusion that I dislike pretty much all radical feminists may be caused by the fact that I seldom speak up in agreement, when I agree. Maybe I should start doing that, adding to whatever Greek chorus I come upon in my travels through the blogosphere. Maybe that would help.

But on those points where I do disagree, where I feel like logic falls short, or effort is counterproductive, or simply where I feel like representing a different experience would enrich the conversation - I feel like I should speak up. It is healthy to do so - healthy for me, healthy for others, healthy for The Movement, such as exists.

Comments:
"I feel like I should speak up" Wherein lies the problem. This is exactly why I don't have the time or energy to participate in conversations like that one. The formula's old (and unproductive, and boring).

Think this.

Well, maybe...

You're bad!

I mean, how many times have you seen that dialogue play out this month alone? Fuck that. I'll be in the bar.
 
old, unproductive, boring - maybe.

but what the hell. I got nothing but time.

imagine if the early christian evangelists gave up every time they had to say "(eyeroll) no, no, it's love thy neighbor, not eat thy neighbor!"

I mean, they would have gotten nowhere in Scandinavia. ;)
 
Mmm, yeah, but for me it's karma kanda (fruitless labor). I don't doubt that engaging in those conversations has a positive impact as it allows alternative viewpoints to be seen/shared, but personally I'm much more at home on satirical blogs -or whatever term was used for different opinion and dissent. Bar the occasional dinosaur what goes on here, and at Belle's and Sage's, is discourse, not propaganda schmoozing.
 
Bar the occasional dinosaur what goes on here, and at Belle's and Sage's, is discourse, not propaganda schmoozing.

unless of course I am such a master of schmoozy propaganda that I've managed to fool everyone...

mwahahaha
 
AP:

Um, yeah. Seems like a whole lot of the "if you're not with us (on everything!) you're against us" strategy to me...you know, using tactics like shaming and all...

I've noted that with certain folks, its all fun and games until THEY think you've betrayed them or DARE to disagree, well, then all the good stuff (in their eyes) you may have done matters not at all.

And associating with henchwomen like me and oh, occasionally defending a man? Hanging offense.
 
Speaking up is a feminist value. None of us should ever cave.
 
bimbo: -l'chaim.- *clink*
 
I agree, amber, it's just that i don't see the use of posting in the middle of a feeding frenzy.

generally my M.O. these days is to seek out the poor bastard under attack and offer commiserations at -hir- place.

and yeah, launch from my own site; but you know, anything further from me at this point would really i think be anticlimactic.

i will say that My Lurkers Supported Me In Email on that last one.

no, seriously, she's alienated some rather well-known figures at this point. people who adored her once, too.

she's so eight months ago, really...
 
I agree, amber, it's just that i don't see the use of posting in the middle of a feeding frenzy.

Oh, I agree w/ that.

I'm just saying it seems like they don't like people speaking up at their OWN blogs either. Like we should just totally shut up.
 
They're welcome to their little circle-jerk. The more I go on the clearer and clearer and fucking -clearer- the difference is between, well, decent and indecent. It has feckall to do with goddam stripping.
 
And associating with henchwomen like me

yeah, well, you know where the party is.
 
Ap: please break this down for me because this is very hard to fallow.
 
aw, darlin.

don't worry your pretty little head about it.

(I always wanted to say that).

OK - seriously - once upon a time, there was this blogger, Twisty Faster, and she had a blog, "I blame the patriarchy." and she has been blogging a really long time, and she has lots and lots of commenters, and she's pretty popular, and she's a way bigger smartypants than me, and I really respect her, even though I think on some things she's got it wrong.

but every time I try to tell her "hey, I really dig you, and respect what you do, but I take issue with XYZPDQ - and have you thought about blahblahblah? or bleebleeblee?" -

all hell breaks loose.

but that's life in the blogosphere.

I don't remember being especially confrontational or asking-for-it-ish at IBTP, although I could be mistaken.

if you're home sick some day and have nothing else to do with your time, (like if your Xbox is busted or something) you could follow the links if you choose, and form your own opinion - which is ALWAYS a very good idea, forming your own opinion - but I would recommend you refrain from commenting there yourself. because I don't want to see you ground into a fine paste by the Twistyverse.

but, you know, if anyone else has their own Executive Summary, if I'm leaving out any key detail, or if someone has an opposing viewpoint, go for it.
 
executive summary:

consider your experience at high school. add the twist that a bunch of people are now also under the impression that the Heathers crap is now somehow -political-, maybe even on the way to REVOLUTIONARY.

think about what happens when the Heathers fasten their beady little eyes on a handy target, or when someone challenges their AUTHORITAH.

that's pretty much it, really.
 
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