What if "radical feminism" had a nicer name, perhaps a name that hadn't been hijacked and turned from something that pertains to the roots to something that has connotations of the extremist fringe?
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What if "radical feminism" had a nicer name, perhaps a name that hadn't been hijacked and turned from something that pertains to the roots to something that has connotations of the extremist fringe?
I suppose Crazy Bitch is out of the question.
:haha:
Yeah man, what if.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aimless
You know, like if they'd started out calling it "regular feminism" perhaps it wouldn't have drawn so much crazy or developed this crazy image or been seen as fringe instead of mainstream.
Regular feminism is already a thing. Radical feminism is where they put their crazy.
You're so right, Minx. By what right are feminists tarnishing the formerly good reputation of those lovable atoms, molecules, and ions that are just looking for more electrons to love? Free the radicals!
Sounds like someone has been getting in touch with their inner, deeply rooted, paternalistic, rape-culture-infused-misogynistic tendencies.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aimless
That someone is you.
Well, how do you define "radical feminism" and what distinguishes it from "feminism"?Quote:
Originally Posted by Aimless
And, just to speculate on how these definitions play out, can feminism be an ideology about social values that is separate from any legislative agenda?
Radical Feminism refers expressly to those occupying the extremist fringe. Or do you propose another term for a group of people who believe or feel that all men are rapists or potential rapists, that its impossible for a man to be objectified, and that all men wish to objectify or do objectify all women? Also that men are stupid (which is why advertisements depicting us as stupid aren't the same as advertisements depicting women as poor drivers, because men are actually stupid). :bored:Quote:
Originally Posted by Aimless
My senior drama teacher was, or close to, a radical feminist, along with many of the other female teachers at the high school (mostly English teachers). I won't get into the details, but looking back at some of the stuff that we were taught, all I can think is "seriously?" For instance, in drama, we had to read the play "End Game" by Samuel Beckett (because you know, it's such a wonderful, inspiring play that doesn't leave a class of teenagers feeling empty and depressed), it was a part of a unit on "existentialism", and then we had to write an essay discussing it, but also analysing it from a *drum roll* 'Marxist approach' and 'Feminist approach' :rolleyes: I won't get into the details, but every single other play that we read (along with novel in English), the teacher would delve into a lengthy discussion on how you can read it from a 'feminist approach', and then talk about how women are objectified in todays world...oh god no!
As for the initial question, I don't think it would change the nature of the philosophy/ideology.
I usually define them as those who don't just want to have things like "equal rights" and "equal pay for equal work" but also want to pay back the thousands of years of oppression that womanity has suffered from men.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreadnaught
I don't think there really are any actual ideas you could definitively say are "radical feminist". Feminism seems to have, like, a billion sub-movements which all seem to differ in beliefs, ideology, methods and character. Radical feminism is just one of the bigger circles in the crazy-ass Venn diagram of Feminist Sects.
Seems like there are a lot of strawman here, from both the proponents and opponents of the ideology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_feminism
Is Feminazi out of the question?
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Originally Posted by Wraith
Not sure. Part and parcel, perhaps. Gender shouldn't really command an entire ideology when it comes to social values. Then again, if it's mostly men making the majority of legislative agenda...:hmm:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dreadnaught
Yes. Because that lumps feminists in with Hitler and Nazis, so it's automatically derogatory. Try that with any other historically marginalized group, like indigenous natives, indentured black slaves, immigrants, or homosexuals, and see how that works. ie, it doesn't. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by termite
Because natives, slaves, immigrant and gays all choose to be crazy, rabid, fascistic bitches?
I don't think so. Feminazi works quite well precisely because radical feminists are essentially proposing (or claiming to support) gender-based fascistic policies, and even look as crazy as Hitler does in the videos of his old speeches. It even has a certain aesthetic appeal in the way it sounds.
So, yes, I think we should accept Minxy's proposal, and instead of marginalizing this group by calling them "radical" feminists, refer to them as feminazis.