Up Front by Emma Hart

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Up Front: Say When

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  • Bart Janssen, in reply to ,

    I can drive a folk lift.

    Can I just say I'm curious as to what the test entails? Do you need to know the lyrics?

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to nzlemming,

    you know, like "copyright reformers"

    Thou shalt not invoke the He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named of Public Address System threads. Ever. No no no.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Lilith __, in reply to recordari,

    Here’s one I prepared earlier.

    ZOOMG Ponies!

    Damn, sometimes we really need a "like" button here! :-)

    Dunedin • Since Jul 2010 • 3895 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Has anyone copyrighted a definition of the word feminist?

    And yes now I'm just being silly

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Meanwhile, for those who might still be interested in the claims that Emma makes in her post, here's an opinion piece by Tracy Barnett about the win a hot wife competition in which, amidst some general sanity, the author manages a couple of jabs at women who wear revealing clothing and are therefore complicit with sexism.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Tamsin6, in reply to Jacqui Dunn,

    I think you replied to Jackie not me, right? I didn't actually say what you've quoted.

    Whoops - sorry Jacqui, I typed Jacqui, but meant Jackie, hopefully context cleared it up mostly!

    Have missed most of subsequent discussion as I've been felled by horrendous throat infection - but I find it hard to keep up with things on here anyway. Partly it's the time difference. Partly it is my inability to keep names straight (sorry again, I hate it when people get my name wrong too).

    London • Since Dec 2007 • 133 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Either let my head explode or leave me much abused melon alone. You fuckers are cruel.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to giovanni tiso,

    We never use “slut” to describe a man or even have an equivalent.

    Oh, fucking hell Tracy – does the New Zealand Herald employ any gay men who’ll take you on a field trip to K Road tonight? “Man-ho” is neither a fox hunting rally or one of the jewels of Flying Nun's discography.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • recordari, in reply to Bart Janssen,

    Has anyone copyrighted a definition of the word feminist?

    Where do we go from here?

    AUCKLAND • Since Dec 2009 • 2607 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    every time you see an image of a woman in a dress tight enough that her bought breasts slap against her chin (just count them at the Oscars)

    None. What do I win? Demonstrating the "respect for women" she wants to see, obviously.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Tamsin6, in reply to Jackie Clark,

    Celebrate your body. Celebrate all of it. It has, after all, taken you to lots of amazing places, and given you a lot of pleasure.

    @Jackie this time (I hope I've got the right one this time anyway!) I love that attitude, I really do - and I do try my best personally to do that. Not so sure I am liking the few white hairs sneaking into view though....

    London • Since Dec 2007 • 133 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso, in reply to Emma Hart,

    None. What do I win?

    Maybe one? Joan Rivers technically is going to be "at the Oscars".

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan,

    Women are accepting a new denigrating norm that makes Barbie look self-actualised. Respect for women is coasting downhill for the entire generation behind me - and it's damned depressing.

    OH MY GOD. I am cured. I am throwing out allof my dresses right now. </tui>

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    TV journo Ali Ikram mistaken for pervert at local pool (wife blames dodgy moustache).

    Suddenly, a woman loudly inquired of a nearby lifeguard whether there was a 'time limit' on parents staying in the pool after one of their children had got out.

    "No," replied the lifeguard.

    The woman, clearly brassed off about this laxity, then proceeded to tell her child very loudly that she felt "uncomfortable" about being in the pool at that moment, and other loud complaints of that nature.

    The grandstanding was only interrupted by the arrival of my two-year-old daughter at the pool - which is only metres from the main pool - and Ali resuming his role as active 'parent' again.

    Telling me this story later, my husband was clearly annoyed - and hurt - by the woman's inference.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle, in reply to Megan Wegan,

    I am throwing out allof my dresses right now.

    Can I have them? I'm totally not cured.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark, in reply to Tamsin6,

    Don't we all struggle with it? I think women are very unkind to themselves and to each other, and we just need to cut that shit out. Pertinent to the discussion on feminism of course.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

  • sally jones,

    Sorry for the colossal offence I've caused to pretty much everybody here, the offence caused me is piddling by comparison. I never meant to cause offence - I was hoping to cause constructive debate. But I knew I would cause offence by expressing a point of view not only different to Emma's but one that I would call more 'radical.' Radical feminists have always caused offence. Clearly I failed in generating constructive debate, though I thought at one point it was rather more constructive than it had been.

    I have tried to respond to the multitude of questions and comments but as you have done in return I have been selective in responding to that which I consider most applicable and useful for the purposes of making the points that I thought needed making. Most of what I have written here has been ignored, much of it has been distorted. For example, my PhD (on justice for battered women), which took a major toll on me and I have lived to regret writing ever since and feel anything but arrogant pride in, much of the time - certainly right about now - was only mentioned to answer lemmings insult that I was all ideology no "actual ideas", whatever that is meant to mean. It was NOT meant to make every single other person feel that whatever they had written elsewhere on or off-line was less valuable and without 'actual ideas'. I don't know much about the blogosphere at all and shouldn't have brought it into this discussion. Sorry.

    Megan I never called you a slut or accused you of waffling, saying I did is deeply upsetting to me. I've never met you and know very little about you. As far as waffling goes, I think you state your case on PA as succinctly as anyone.


    I used to have the stomach for this kind of thing but I don't no more. Ironically that was why I turned to self-deprecating light humour. But, it would seem, once a radical feminist who wants to change the world but still hasn't the foggiest how to despite decades of huffing and puffing away, always a radical feminist. Fuck it all.

    You won't be hearing from me again.

    Auckland • Since Sep 2010 • 179 posts Report Reply

  • Craig Ranapia, in reply to Craig Ranapia,

    Oh, fucking hell Tracy

    Actually, the more I look at it the more I wonder if anyone’s told Tracey Barnett that Darth George is trolling with her by-line.

    Sure, it’s a laugh, if real life gave us the flipside. If every time you see an image of a woman in a dress tight enough that her bought breasts slap against her chin (just count them at the Oscars), men felt comfortable having their gonads trussed up, surgically enlarged, with two-thirds of them shelved outside their tux trousers. It doesn’t exist in mainstream public life for men. The difference is, women accept it, men will not.

    Well, Trace, I know one or two women who’d bitch-slap you upside the head for the clot of astoundingly offensive assumptions there. Starting with a radical feminist self-analysis of where her assumption that a certain type of women with generously proportioned breasts must have “brought” them. Body image fascist, much?

    Oh, and perhaps we watch very different Oscar red carpet coverage, but way to go with the false equivalence there. I don't notice many women getting around with two-third of their vaginas "shelved outside" their gowns. However, I do notice plenty of men wearing tuxes that are cut to show off their ass..ets.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    But I knew I would cause offence by expressing a point of view not only different to Emma's but one that I would call more 'radical.'

    Sally, can you honestly not see that it isn't your point of view which has offended people, but the way you have gone about expressing it?

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

  • Megan Wegan,

    Sally, I am sorry if you've been caused offence. What we've been trying to do is explain to you why _we're_ offended, and tease out whether you actually intended to cause that offence. As Emma says, it's not your views.

    Welly • Since Jul 2008 • 1275 posts Report Reply

  • Danielle, in reply to Emma Hart,

    +1. For example, if Sally had been talking about unrealistic beauty standards *without* having a go at other women’s, uh, gender performativity (she says, wankishly) then I don’t think this would have gone badly at all.

    ETA Noting that even in general terms, I think her argument may still be indefensible. It just would have been a better discussion.

    Charo World. Cuchi-cuchi!… • Since Nov 2006 • 3828 posts Report Reply

  • Peter Darlington, in reply to Danielle,

    My feminism actually *is* waffly crap. What's more, I buy girly shit all the time and I can't even drive a forklift. I have no idea why Sally thinks I'm more 'worthy' than you or Emma, Megan.

    Probably because you love Notorious BIG as well as Missy Elliot. Basically, you're a righteous Mofo and everyone's gotta love that, even Sally, right?

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    Sally, please don't flounce. This a blogosphere word for storming off in a discussion that has got heated, vowing never to return. I'm saying please because I think you've shown good faith in returning to apologize, and want to share something with you - getting slapped down if you're offending people is common here, but so is forgiveness.

    I've committed far worse sins than you here, thinking particularly back to an extremely poor showing in a debate on fat. No-one has held a grudge, despite being mighty offended at the time. The trick is to learn, and keep going.

    I think you might find it's worthwhile, that you can have good discussions on this topic. What you need to remember is that this is a mature forum, in which many people have been participating for a long time, and we know a lot about what the others think, have written and said. Your perspective is most welcome if expressed in ways that conform to some standards of courtesy that it might take some time to learn.

    You won't find many places on the internet that will treat you nicer than here, or where discussions can reach such depth. I really think you should try again. Get back on the horse.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Rich Lock, in reply to Megan Clayton,

    For me, it's the transformation of society as part of a wider movement for social justice (which for me, again, would include democratic socialism) to the extent that gender equality is both consistently upheld as a "first principle" of the state and within the lives of individuals and groups.

    You can infer from that intersectionality the extent to which I consider sexism on the left wing along with the politically conservative beliefs of some branches of feminism (none discussed here, I might add) to be problematic in this regard.

    That's kinda what I was after, but wanted something more.....concrete-y.

    For example, paying a woman who does the same work as me the same wage as me is not (necessarily) going to solve the problem and be the end point. She still works within a corporate structure that was built by, and for the benefit of, the patriarchy.

    One example of where that starts to become an issue is when children enter stage left. Does she leave work to look after them? If she returns to work, is she A Bad Mother (tm)?

    I know one relatively high-flying woman who believes her career with a reasonably large law firm has effectively dead-ended since she had children. She can't devote enough focus or raw time to the workplace to keep advancing.

    I know another single mother who feels that having to leave her workplace on the dot every day in order to pick up her child from daycare contributed to her being 'managed out'.

    Oddly enough, those aren't issues for the men in those workplaces.

    If a couple discuss who out of the two of them is going to stay home, then it is often going to be the man who returns to work in a purely practcal sense. He earns more, and has better prospects. That isn't right, but what do we do about it?

    These aren't new issues or new questions, but I'm interested in how people would structure something to replace what we already have, and how you would go about building it.

    Women-only firms? Positive-discrimination quotas? Forced paternity leave?

    I'd welcome being directed to any writings on concrete solutions anyone wants to post up, but I'm more interested in the thoughts of people on here.

    To kick off, I'll give this example from Sweden.

    back in the mother countr… • Since Feb 2007 • 2728 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Littlewood, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I was going to offer a bit of an admonition thing about us being unkind to each other, but things seem to be working out. Meanwhile, here’s Sarah Daniell’s awesome interview with John Campell about being the only guy in the village at VUW gender studies:

    What a fantastic interview! Also something I never thought I would see was Chris Trotter coming out in defence of women’s studies. Truly, life is full of surprises. He talks about last night’s show here. As round-table discussions go, it was highly entertaining, and young Hannah has a very smart head on her shoulders. I get the impression she’s one to look out for.

    Um, I’ve got no idea where the conversation has headed recently, I just thought I would big-up this week’s Media 7.

    Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply

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