In Support of Mr. Doe
John Doe of Hate Male Post argues that men and father’s rights activists should not use the term “feminazi.” He believes that this prevents productive discussion between the radical side of feminism and those who care about men and fathers.
I agree that “feminazi” is not a productive term to use, but for reasons that differ from those of Mr. Doe. I long ago gave up on having a rational dialog with most self-identified feminists. They reside in a twilight zone that believes that facts, logic, and science are inconveniences to a larger ideological cause. They realize that America’s propensity for hysteria far out weighs its analytic abilities. What matters, though, is what everyone else thinks about your arguments, not what the feminists themselves think.
Are many feminists something like Nazis? Yes, they are. And, they have even more in common with Stalinists. But, this is not something worth debating or quibbling over. You don't win any points with the general public when you state the obvious. Especially not when you do it with anger.
Nazi or Stalinist, the problem when you use terms like feminazi: YOU loose credibility. Feminists are very good at hiding behind the fact that they are women, and therefore weaker and deserving of special protection, whenever it suites them. (Of course, at all other times they claim to be equal and often better than men).
So, when someone refers to them as feminazis, they are able to easily paint that person with a variety of negative images. Once that happens, the logic of your point or argument is lost behind the distraction of the feminazi label you used.
Really, anyone can go around using names like "feminazi." What is MORE difficult - and much, much more valuable - is to build rational and cogent arguments for why contemporary feminism is not only wrong, but actually destructive. Those rational arguments are what will eventually win the day, not some hothead calling feminists feminazis.
In all circumstances, it is much better to label the sect of misandrist feminism "gender feminists." First, the gender feminists did not come up with that term, it was created by Christina Hoff-Sommers (who wrote the War Against Boys). So, they hate it when you use that term.
Second, it is an innocuous sounding, almost clinical sounding, and certainly scholarly sounding term. Yet, it is loaded with meaning. "Gender feminist" is clearly a negative term within contemporary epistemology. So, when you use it, you get credibility while also the satisfaction of knowing that it makes gender feminists grind their teeth.
So, while calling a woman that hates men a feminazi might help you to blow off some steam, you are actually doing a lot more damage to them and their ideology when you use the term "gender feminist." They want you to call them a feminazi, because they want you to discredit yourself. But, when you use the term gender feminist, you take away all of their tricks and all that is left is a rational and logical debate.
On that score, they loose.
I agree that “feminazi” is not a productive term to use, but for reasons that differ from those of Mr. Doe. I long ago gave up on having a rational dialog with most self-identified feminists. They reside in a twilight zone that believes that facts, logic, and science are inconveniences to a larger ideological cause. They realize that America’s propensity for hysteria far out weighs its analytic abilities. What matters, though, is what everyone else thinks about your arguments, not what the feminists themselves think.
Are many feminists something like Nazis? Yes, they are. And, they have even more in common with Stalinists. But, this is not something worth debating or quibbling over. You don't win any points with the general public when you state the obvious. Especially not when you do it with anger.
Nazi or Stalinist, the problem when you use terms like feminazi: YOU loose credibility. Feminists are very good at hiding behind the fact that they are women, and therefore weaker and deserving of special protection, whenever it suites them. (Of course, at all other times they claim to be equal and often better than men).
So, when someone refers to them as feminazis, they are able to easily paint that person with a variety of negative images. Once that happens, the logic of your point or argument is lost behind the distraction of the feminazi label you used.
Really, anyone can go around using names like "feminazi." What is MORE difficult - and much, much more valuable - is to build rational and cogent arguments for why contemporary feminism is not only wrong, but actually destructive. Those rational arguments are what will eventually win the day, not some hothead calling feminists feminazis.
In all circumstances, it is much better to label the sect of misandrist feminism "gender feminists." First, the gender feminists did not come up with that term, it was created by Christina Hoff-Sommers (who wrote the War Against Boys). So, they hate it when you use that term.
Second, it is an innocuous sounding, almost clinical sounding, and certainly scholarly sounding term. Yet, it is loaded with meaning. "Gender feminist" is clearly a negative term within contemporary epistemology. So, when you use it, you get credibility while also the satisfaction of knowing that it makes gender feminists grind their teeth.
So, while calling a woman that hates men a feminazi might help you to blow off some steam, you are actually doing a lot more damage to them and their ideology when you use the term "gender feminist." They want you to call them a feminazi, because they want you to discredit yourself. But, when you use the term gender feminist, you take away all of their tricks and all that is left is a rational and logical debate.
On that score, they loose.
posted by Iguana at 12:27 AM
1 Comments:
Right, Iggy. While I am the chief offender of using Feminazi, a posterboy moniker I proudly wear, I used it for the same reason you and Doe don't like it.
You cannot have a rational discussion with those folks. They will not let facts, reason, or analysis get in the way of their political agenda. They feel they can call us (insert the pejorative term of your choice here) freely, and without consequence.
When in polite company, I avoid the term. When in their company, I use it just to see the steam come from their ears.
I would suggest I am the bombthrower of this group, however that term has been hijacked (er, expropriated), and to use either of those terms causes the Homeland Security folks to visit, in these formerly free States.
The Geezer
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