RE: Why so many "anti-feminists" in the atheist community?
January 2, 2015 at 9:19 pm
(This post was last modified: January 2, 2015 at 9:19 pm by bennyboy.)
I'd like to point out that much of this "debate" comes from the semantics of the word. Even a theist is atheist against other forms of theism-- and even a feminist can be opposed to other views of feminism. Ask any 100 feminists, for example, if a woman should be the primary care giver for children, or if a woman should even have children, and you'll get plenty of vociferous responses from about 20 different camps, from "Fuck no, the man should do half," to "Of course, because women are better caregivers," to "Why would any woman demean herself by being a breeding factory for some man's offspring?" Faced with those 3 camps, EVERYONE has to be anti-feminist to some degree, because they are mutually exclusive options.
Let me talk about GTA V. IT'S ROLE PLAYING. I think it's played mainly by 14 year-old boys, and older men role playing 14 year-old boys. It's intrinsically sexist, and a lot of fun. Many males respond at a primal level (I mean, embedded in the DNA and in neural development) to violence, to feelings of dominance, and to sexuality. And denying that, or denying that they should have a safe outlet, is simply to stick one's head in the sand. I don't play the GTA games much any more, but when I did, it was perfectly fine for me to say, "Hee hee, look at me mow down those hoes. Take that, bitches," and then put down the controller and help my wife make dinner.
And in the end, I think that's what it's all about-- feminism is a meme which comes into conflict with what people ARE by defining what they SHOULD BE. Mature men know that almost all their natural instincts are out of place in society: the lust for sex with many partners, the desire to express rage through physical conflict, and the desire to dominate over others are embedded in many males at the level of DNA, and are hard-wired into the brain. But what happens when you take a huge group of people, and try to convince them that they are, at the core, dysfunctional pricks? You are going to see a variety of responses: in some cases, understanding and acceptance-- but also rage, fear, or insecurity.
As a man, I fully support women who seek equality, fair treatment, and full control over what happens to their bodies. I am a feminist of this type. However, if a woman wants to come into my life and lecture me about being a pig because I like porn, or being a macho asshole because I prefer to lead rather than to follow, or being a "caveman" because UFC fighting or GTA V get me excited, then she is going to discover that I just ain't that kind of feminist.
Let me talk about GTA V. IT'S ROLE PLAYING. I think it's played mainly by 14 year-old boys, and older men role playing 14 year-old boys. It's intrinsically sexist, and a lot of fun. Many males respond at a primal level (I mean, embedded in the DNA and in neural development) to violence, to feelings of dominance, and to sexuality. And denying that, or denying that they should have a safe outlet, is simply to stick one's head in the sand. I don't play the GTA games much any more, but when I did, it was perfectly fine for me to say, "Hee hee, look at me mow down those hoes. Take that, bitches," and then put down the controller and help my wife make dinner.
And in the end, I think that's what it's all about-- feminism is a meme which comes into conflict with what people ARE by defining what they SHOULD BE. Mature men know that almost all their natural instincts are out of place in society: the lust for sex with many partners, the desire to express rage through physical conflict, and the desire to dominate over others are embedded in many males at the level of DNA, and are hard-wired into the brain. But what happens when you take a huge group of people, and try to convince them that they are, at the core, dysfunctional pricks? You are going to see a variety of responses: in some cases, understanding and acceptance-- but also rage, fear, or insecurity.
As a man, I fully support women who seek equality, fair treatment, and full control over what happens to their bodies. I am a feminist of this type. However, if a woman wants to come into my life and lecture me about being a pig because I like porn, or being a macho asshole because I prefer to lead rather than to follow, or being a "caveman" because UFC fighting or GTA V get me excited, then she is going to discover that I just ain't that kind of feminist.
