For the past six years, I have considered myself a very passionate feminist.
It wasn’t until the past few months that I began to question a lot of the so called “feminist issues” that pop up on my Twitter and Facebook feeds.
For example, the new claim that Santa Claus should be changed to gender neutral.
When the media publishes articles making these “feminist issues” the topic of discussion, the real feminist movement gets pushed back further.
Why are we wasting time discussing and giving attention to these ridiculous “issues” when there is violence against women, the gender pay gap, female genital mutilation and human trafficking?
We get called “Feminazis” and “Snowflakes” while the authentic feminist agenda doesn’t receive the attention it deserves.
The media is forcing these topics into the spotlight and in turn the bigger and more important issue get left behind.
In an article posted on the right wing blog and news source RedState, the author wrote about the idea of a gender-neutral Santa saying “In their quest to ruin everything that is beloved and joyful, the social justice community has now set its sites beyond timeless Christmas songs and cartoons, and is now focusing its gaze on the man in red himself, Santa Claus”.
This is an example of the feminist community being used as a scapegoat yet again, taking something a few extremists said and claiming the entire movement believes it.
I can promise you that very few people who call themselves feminists care about Santa’s gender identity. This is a tactic to make us seem outrageous, emotional and “crazy” like feminists have been painted as for decades.
We cannot let misogynists control feminism by altering how our movement is viewed. A handful of extremists should not be portrayed as the voice for those of us trying to gain gender equality.
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“…takes away from the very serious concerns which all feminists should be addressing” — let me fix that for you: “*are* addressing”. We always have — including sex trafficking, violence against women, intimidating women, male privilege (which is about men being treated better generally in society across the board, not Santa’s gender) and many other serious concerns you have not mentioned. I’ve been aware of feminist action against FGM for decades.
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You have to access feminist sources to know this, however.
Who’s up next for emasculation while they’re at it? Jesus? Archangel Gabriel? God Himself? Have the social justice warriors forgotten the harsh lesson of the Tower of Babylon? I don’t scare easily but this is scary territory, especially just before Jesus’ birthday….
Great comment, Dave. The globalist bias of the sports-entertainment-news complex is a scandal of our day (all major news outlets are owned by globalists) and a real threat to democratic institutions. But the people themselves are fighting back against billionaire, globalist dominance, as you have rightly observed in the case of the French against the darling of the globalist bankers, Immanuel Macron.
Erin, I enjoyed your comments and agreed with most of them. I do not, however, agree that women and children are the most vulnerable in our society: I would aver that the most vulnerable are the poor and the disabled, who are stigmatized and marginalized, in addition to being dominated by men (and women). Also, there is extensive trafficking in boys for sex tourism: It is not a gender-based issue.
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I congratulate you on not falling into the “equality” argument; as did most respondents. The correct word is “equity”. “Equality” has no connotation of fairness; nor does it suggest a paradigm shift (whereby existing laws may be interpreted in light of the gender gap).
S’okay Gord. I take it in the spirit of Alec Baldwin, when Trump, enraged at Alec’s brilliant portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live, tweeted that he had no talent. “I’ll stop playing you,” Alec shot back, “when you show us your tax returns.”
The media is always right until it’s extremely slanted Liberal views no longer align with Liberals. They continually deflect people’s attention away from seriously important issues by highlighting extremism subjects. Nothing new here.
Gord, Just responding to Karen’s post on Colbert. FYI, There is no balance what so ever in MSM reporting any more, political bias is rampant, and it’s bad.
You may not like Trump’s style, and I don’t like it either, but understand he was elected largely because 10s of millions of middle class Americans were ignored by Liberal elites like Clinton (she broadly labeled them “deplorables”). He is doing exactly what he campaigned on, with positive results in many areas (economy, jobs.)
Lose confidence of the middle class, and consequences result. France’s Macron is learning that now …the hard way.
David Wilkin l am confused with your comment concerning late night comedians and their leftist views in regard to the commentary on feminism and a gender neutral Santa Claus and how the two relate. I do feel the media and certain groups distract us from the serious issues facing women today in the struggle for real equality. We must ignore the silly stuff. But David, comedians reflect what is going on in a society and help us to see the absurdity of our current political arena. If the current occupant of the American White House wasn’t disrespectful, pathetic, small and divisive l am certain that late night comedians like Colbert would not be mocking him. You’re right, the division is real and is being perpetuated by said occupant. By the way, if you don’t like Colbert then don’t watch his show.
I think we all can agree that the current obsessive media coverage of the “lunatic fringe” of the feminist movement takes away from the very serious concerns which all feminists should be addressing, before waging silly confrontations with trivial non-problems. This depiction of some feminists’ silly and strident preoccupation with overturning all that they deem “male privilege” is throwing a shadow on what should be the real role of feminism in society. Media fascination for all which is sensational and weird, makes all feminists out to be loony harridans, instead of those who stand insistently for the proper treatment of the most vulnerable members of society (which is the historic root of the feminist movement). Through their callous disregard for the real victimization of women and children, media is participating in the victimization of women and children. Will we hold them accountable? Why do feminists not picket a media/entertainment outlet for the actual misogyny practiced there (as seen repeatedly when courageous women have spoken out about the abuse that they suffered)?
Recently, a female judge struck down Michigan’s ban on female genital mutilation even though she said is was “a despicable practice”. What?? Why weren’t the feminists out picketing and lecturing the judge to have the courage of her convictions? FGM is an extremely barbarous custom that has resulted in the death and permanent disability of thousands of girls (some of them barely older than toddlers). It certainly leaves them with lasting emotional trauma, on which various feminist Muslim women speak. Nothing short of torture, it is an ugly, violent denial of those girls’ rights to the sanctity of their persons. Who will stand for these girls? Who will stand for the young girls forced into human sexual trafficking? Feminist voices should be raised about these vital issues–not quibbling about Santa.
Not all Muslims practice FGM (nor does the Quran teach it) so the judge’s ruling on the grounds of it being “a religious practice” makes no sense. In the judge’s case, I suspect that the real reason that she ruled the way she did was that she didn’t want any repercussions. I think that is also why some in the feminist community focus on the trivial as well–much easier that standing for women and girls harmed by the barbarians among us. Intimidation through violence has always been used on women and children to make them compliant in the face of sadism. Haven’t we “come a long way, baby”? Jesus weeps.
What a refreshing and compelling point of view!
Timely and well said Sydney.
Thank you for that Sydney. Hear, hear!
Those late night ‘comedians’ like Colbert are part of why division is dangerously growing. Their left-leaning political views used to justify constantly mocking the president and his family. It’s disrespectful, pathetic, small and divisive. We would all be far better off focusing on the many big issues of substance that people actually care about, not petty personal attacks thinly disguised as humor.
You think *that’s* stupid… Tucker Carlson did such a ridiculous diatribe yesterday that he (unwisely) drew the attention of Stephen Colbert.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABP8F3geM8I