MOLLY SAVES THE DAY AND AMANDA EXPLAINS AT ALL

Molly Saves the Day has founded a really cool tradition.  She has opened up the floor for questions about feminism (subject to certain very sensible guidelines) and has encouraged other feminist bloggers to do the same.  That's the kind of thing that's right up my alley.  I can't believe I didn't think of it myself.

Amanda followed suit and took all sorts of questions last night.  You really ought to read her post with all the answers as to everything from choice feminism to the leg-shaving thing.  Her discussion of choice feminism in particular sums up all the issues related to that quite nicely.

I am going to wait a few weeks, but at some point I will do a post inviting any and all questions, subject to Molly's guidelines.  It seems like a great thing for feminist bloggers to do. (Of course, as a general matter, I looooove answering questions about feminism, so you don't necessarily have to wait 'til my official post.  But  I might not have time to answer a gazillion questions just at the moment.) 

Comments

[David Thompson]

AMANDA EXPLAINS AT ALL

Yeah, it is pretty amazing that she explains at all. I'm more amazed that she can think and breathe at the same time. I have no idea how, but she manages it some damn way.

Cool!
-CT

[The Happy Feminist]

Hey hey hey David. You know Amanda is my blog-friend, and one of my major blogging influences.

[David Thompson]

We all have our shortcomings. I'm sure that practice and diligence will help you overcome that disability. You can get a jump start by fixing your typo.

[miller_schloss]

Thanks for the link to Amanda's post. I really like her sense of humor.

[Phil]

I have a question for you about feminism. I've wondered at times why feminism does not have a better reputation among young women? Why do so many young women seem to denounce it?

[The Happy Feminist]

Phil, this is one that I don't feel terribly qualified to answer mainly because I went to a very feminist oriented college and most women I know are feminists, or at least I assume they are. I don't know too many women in that 20-25 year age group, which strikes me as the group that may have suspicions about the term "feminism." So I can only speculate.

I think that younger women often do not value the idea of feminism because they take the strides made over the last 40 years for granted. Not only are they beneficiaries of feminist gains, but their mothers are as well, in ways that MY mother was not.

Also, because feminists analyze personal relationships and sex, we are often seen as sternly disapproving of things like fun and love and sex and attracting men. Feminists are often at odds with the increased pornification of popular culture and youth culture. I am not sure that being a feminist is the greatest way to fit in.

And then you can never forget about the "backlash." On any given day, you can find several media reports that seem to frame women's ambitions and independence as a sure fire path to personal unhappiness, damage to children, and societal problems.

These things add up. At the same time, however, every young woman who says, "I'm not a feminist but . . . " generally has a a firm set of beliefs that do in fact qualify as feminist at least to some degree.

[dave]

Molly ...has a long way to go

Oh dearie me, although her question/answer idea is a good one, I feel sorry for Molly.
She is obviously intelligent, yet she has not yet thought things through as clearly as you have.

“Well, first off, I'm an atheist and I don't believe you or I have a soul, either! Hurray!”
Having been one myself, I can tell you it is neither something to be proud of nor to cheer about.

“Our choices are never entirely our own. They are shaped by our families, our partners, our friends, our co-workers, and our society. For most of history, all those influences have been dominated by men. Feminism is about making sure your choices come from yourself first, making sure you don't just devote your whole life to fulfilling the wishes of others, which can be so easy to get roped into and so hard to pull yourself out of when you're a woman.”
Making sure your choices come from yourself first? Truly?

I hope she reads your blog, and perhaps, in the course of time,
she will arrive at at better place. =>

[dave]

Apologies to Molly (also posted in Molly's blog)

Dear Molly,

I am apologizing to you for a less-than-flattering comment I made regarding you in Ariel’s blog (Ariel = The Happy Feminist; that is my name for her since, let’s face it, The Happy Femininst is just too darn long =>).

Anyway, I looked in your blog based on a link that Ariel had to it, and some stuff I read set me back a bit, so I made a comment in her blog that was hardly flattering to you; and then I left for a dentist appointment.

However, as I was riding to see Dr. Amy, God convicted me that I was wrong in text and tone. The word on my heart and conscience was:
“If I who made heaven and earth and all that ever is and all that ever will be love Molly with a love beyond human comprehension, then who are you to speak against her personhood? Who are you to judge her, or to compare her to someone else? My finger is on her heart, and My Spirit will show my love for her in My own good time...not yours.”

So, dave humbly apologizes to you, and hopes you take no offense at what he said. Like Ariel, you, too, are unique in all Creation, and it was good that I was convicted in my conscience and reminded of that. =)

grace & peace to you,
dave

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