10 thoughts on “Ep.30 – Where is Everybody? Putting Yourself in Places to Meet People”
I would soooooo love it if “Cuz Patriarchy.” became the new “Thanks, Obama!”
I’m totally with Michael on the patriarchy thing. I went into this on Alpha Counter a few weeks ago, but I find it hard for me to say that we live in a patriarchy. (Though that may be my white male privilege talking. DERP.) Fundamentalist Islam–and really most forms of fundamentalism–is a patriarchy.
I’ll concede that we live in a very sexist society and women for sure have more struggles to overcome…but they can be overcome. The opportunities are still there. And the beautiful thing is that even if things are worse than I believe they are, they are undeniably getting better. We may not see radical changes in our generation, but we’re (hopefully) keeping the momentum going and setting the next generation to carry on in that direction.
I actually believe – I think – that patriarchy applies more to our culture than you do. I think it is largely the underlying basis for modern gender roles, the mainstream reluctance to accept those with gender and identity issues, and the existence of societally-condoned behavior that clearly upsets women. I dislike “cuz patriarchy” mainly for 3 reasons:
1. People use it to explain a bad day.
2. It’s used as a cop-out for deeper analysis. It’s a really lazy way to summarize an issue bypassing the need to examine more direct causes and offer specific realistic solutions. “Cuz patriarchy” is soooo vague.
3. Most of all, I feel like it is used as a weapon rather than a tool for enlightenment. People don’t exclaim “cuz patriarchy” at me because they want me to suddenly realize that I’ve been looking at the situation incorrectly, but to put me down and shame me for not agreeing with them. It’s attempting to say “I’m a feminist and I say this is due to the patriarchy, and if you do not agree with me and share my outrage, you are a chauvinistic pig.” It’s largely been reduced to name-calling.
We had a fan who wrote into Method to Madness once asking which did we think was worse: vegetarians or feminists. While I consider myself a feminist, I had to vote that group…or at least their zealots. With vegetarians, all I have to do is not eat meat and I pass 100%. But no matter how hard I roll for women’s rights, there will be a significant number within the group happy to shoot me down just because I’m a man. Cuz I’ll never know what it’s like to be a woman and my opinions will never matter as much because they’re inescapably clouded by my Male Privilege. All I have to do is say something they don’t like or disagree with them and suddenly I’m a villain…cuz patriarchy.
Well, there are some militant vegetarians out there! 😉
Part of that level of fringe idealism (of any sort) is elitism – being part of an extremely small group who really “get it”. If they acknowledge that you are on their side, they are no longer special. Thus, it’s probably rooted in deep insecurity.
Male privilege is hard to combat, both for women living in the world and men trying to validate an opinion on gender issues. And it’s very much like “cuz patriarchy”; it’s a really lazy way of ending an argument.
A very frustrating viewpoint is one I see often with abortion: men are not allowed to have an opinion or a say in the matter. That is extremely dismissive, extremely belittling to human mental capacity, detrimental to discourse, and promoting of segregation.
Even on the abortion thing, like most controversial issues, we let the extremists draw the focus in the debate. So we end at an emotional stalemate where the “baby killers” and the “oppressive religious pigs” are the only voices, when the large silent majority are MUCH more moderate in thinking.
I mean, only the most die-hard religious jackass would demand a woman carry their rapist’s child, or a molested girl carry to term, or a woman who would risk death carrying a child to term being forced to deliver it.
Likewise, it the militant pro-choice advocates staunchly ignore that some women demanding “choice” already made a choice to let a man sleep with them without using birth control, then want to be relieved of any responsibility for their actions. People need to accept the consequences of their actions, and SOME of the pro-choice crowd insults people who point that out.
I hold that position as the actual act of an abortion is a horrific and sickening act that makes my skin crawl, and should not be used unless the alternative is worse. Not in concept, but the actual practice is something out of a horror novel.
Well that was fun. Let the flame war begin.
But Black Dynamite, one of my ex’s had an abortion.
A cousin of mine did as well Sean. And in both cases, it wasn’t my decision, nor my business. I don’t have the right to tell other people how to live.
I actually don’t have any real problems with the early term stuff that can be induced with just drugs. Late-term abortions where the infant could survive outside of the mother though, are something practically out of a snuff film.
Oh, and on S.H.I.E.L.D…. So bland. And getting more cliché! By the numbers, we have a team where there’s the Asian chick who’s specialty is martial arts, the British people are bumbley scientists (and arguably the same character), the two pretty white people who are there for sexual tension, and Agent Coulson. If you removed all of the Marvel references, it would be just another one of those shows.
I would soooooo love it if “Cuz Patriarchy.” became the new “Thanks, Obama!”
I’m totally with Michael on the patriarchy thing. I went into this on Alpha Counter a few weeks ago, but I find it hard for me to say that we live in a patriarchy. (Though that may be my white male privilege talking. DERP.) Fundamentalist Islam–and really most forms of fundamentalism–is a patriarchy.
I’ll concede that we live in a very sexist society and women for sure have more struggles to overcome…but they can be overcome. The opportunities are still there. And the beautiful thing is that even if things are worse than I believe they are, they are undeniably getting better. We may not see radical changes in our generation, but we’re (hopefully) keeping the momentum going and setting the next generation to carry on in that direction.
Maybe this needs to be an Alpha Counter theme shirt…”‘Cuz Patriarchy!”
I need to find the new hotness phrase for MHMG so I can plan for next year’s t-shirts. Maybe someone will say it next episode 😀
Oh, man, I wish I could make that a shirt…but I think I got it from IJHATT. 🙁 Some day, our catchphrase will come…
I actually believe – I think – that patriarchy applies more to our culture than you do. I think it is largely the underlying basis for modern gender roles, the mainstream reluctance to accept those with gender and identity issues, and the existence of societally-condoned behavior that clearly upsets women. I dislike “cuz patriarchy” mainly for 3 reasons:
1. People use it to explain a bad day.
2. It’s used as a cop-out for deeper analysis. It’s a really lazy way to summarize an issue bypassing the need to examine more direct causes and offer specific realistic solutions. “Cuz patriarchy” is soooo vague.
3. Most of all, I feel like it is used as a weapon rather than a tool for enlightenment. People don’t exclaim “cuz patriarchy” at me because they want me to suddenly realize that I’ve been looking at the situation incorrectly, but to put me down and shame me for not agreeing with them. It’s attempting to say “I’m a feminist and I say this is due to the patriarchy, and if you do not agree with me and share my outrage, you are a chauvinistic pig.” It’s largely been reduced to name-calling.
1+2+3= Word.
We had a fan who wrote into Method to Madness once asking which did we think was worse: vegetarians or feminists. While I consider myself a feminist, I had to vote that group…or at least their zealots. With vegetarians, all I have to do is not eat meat and I pass 100%. But no matter how hard I roll for women’s rights, there will be a significant number within the group happy to shoot me down just because I’m a man. Cuz I’ll never know what it’s like to be a woman and my opinions will never matter as much because they’re inescapably clouded by my Male Privilege. All I have to do is say something they don’t like or disagree with them and suddenly I’m a villain…cuz patriarchy.
Well, there are some militant vegetarians out there! 😉
Part of that level of fringe idealism (of any sort) is elitism – being part of an extremely small group who really “get it”. If they acknowledge that you are on their side, they are no longer special. Thus, it’s probably rooted in deep insecurity.
Male privilege is hard to combat, both for women living in the world and men trying to validate an opinion on gender issues. And it’s very much like “cuz patriarchy”; it’s a really lazy way of ending an argument.
A very frustrating viewpoint is one I see often with abortion: men are not allowed to have an opinion or a say in the matter. That is extremely dismissive, extremely belittling to human mental capacity, detrimental to discourse, and promoting of segregation.
Even on the abortion thing, like most controversial issues, we let the extremists draw the focus in the debate. So we end at an emotional stalemate where the “baby killers” and the “oppressive religious pigs” are the only voices, when the large silent majority are MUCH more moderate in thinking.
I mean, only the most die-hard religious jackass would demand a woman carry their rapist’s child, or a molested girl carry to term, or a woman who would risk death carrying a child to term being forced to deliver it.
Likewise, it the militant pro-choice advocates staunchly ignore that some women demanding “choice” already made a choice to let a man sleep with them without using birth control, then want to be relieved of any responsibility for their actions. People need to accept the consequences of their actions, and SOME of the pro-choice crowd insults people who point that out.
I hold that position as the actual act of an abortion is a horrific and sickening act that makes my skin crawl, and should not be used unless the alternative is worse. Not in concept, but the actual practice is something out of a horror novel.
Well that was fun. Let the flame war begin.
But Black Dynamite, one of my ex’s had an abortion.
A cousin of mine did as well Sean. And in both cases, it wasn’t my decision, nor my business. I don’t have the right to tell other people how to live.
I actually don’t have any real problems with the early term stuff that can be induced with just drugs. Late-term abortions where the infant could survive outside of the mother though, are something practically out of a snuff film.
Oh, and on S.H.I.E.L.D…. So bland. And getting more cliché! By the numbers, we have a team where there’s the Asian chick who’s specialty is martial arts, the British people are bumbley scientists (and arguably the same character), the two pretty white people who are there for sexual tension, and Agent Coulson. If you removed all of the Marvel references, it would be just another one of those shows.