The Feminist Movement—Ruining The Image Of Men

Gosh, if the most privileged men on the planet are this damn whiney about how bad they got it I feel REAL BAD for everyone else.

...back again to toss in some more thoughts:

I kinda view it as just all being 'the swing of the pendulum'.

As the pendulum swings it reachs one extreme, back to the other, back again to the other, and back again.

The swings do decrease though...until eventually it settles at its equilibrium.


I kinda equate it to the Land/Rights Activist Movement I was part of for many years in my sometimes ill-spent youth (and not-so-youth) here in New Zealand.
At one point it was all gravy...we marched, we protested, we shook up and challenged Govt and society in general...and it was shock-horror at times welcomed and supported by so many.
Changes were made...ground was gained...Bills were passed and it looked like the Movement was going great guns.


Then the pendulum swung back. Maybe we pushed too hard? Maybe people, Govt, society had just had enough and/or had enough of their own issues to deal with without lending their ear and energy to ours...so came the *push and shove* against the Movement.

Changes were again made, at times to revert back previous changes...ground was lost...more Bills passed to restrict the Movement.


...and so it went...swing one way and one 'side' was living pretty...swing back the other way and the other 'side' had their time in the sun. Back and forth. Back and forth.


Change is so often that way. Tidal. Rolling in, rolling out.


...so I'm wondering if what we're seeing is just another swing of the pendulum until the plumb-bob settles on its equilibrium.



Either way...pays to just be mindful to keep your own head, maintain your own balance...lest the swings give you a bad case of motion sickness.



Peace.

reply to post by Jenna


Thanks Jenna, I was hoping to get a good female perspective .

I agree with you that women aren't "forcing" men to do anything, but the perception is that men do things for women.

I also agree that Feminism as the word entails is very different for every women and the ideologies surrounding the word are as well.

Especially in the justice system we consistently see favortism of women vs men, some justified but mostly not.

What brought me to write this thread is actually my daughter. She just finished her first year of university.

Now my daughter is brilliant. I mean that in the most serious of ways. She tested brilliant under IQ paramaters and took an SAT test and scored 1420.

She took a first year women's studies class and now has come home touting how men are are evil and are ruining the world.

This is a child who was raised by a same sex male couple!

I never though that a University could influence my child. We thought her how to spot propagand and not allowh erself to be sucked into the "us vs them" mentality.

I guess a year away from home has changed her alot.

It's just scary as hell to think that my own daughter would come to resent men based on some Feminist Teacher from the university.

~Keeper

The only thing that emasculates you is yourself.

Why can't there be women in charge? They have dreams and aspirations as well. Women do in fact have to work harder to overcome the male macho mindset. They are working against thousands of years of oppression.

One might call their female boss a bitch, but the fact is they have to be assertive to overcome prejudice.

Most women today want to be treated like ladies and given that extra special attention due to their sexuality. Nothing wrong with that; that is the majority of female attitudes from my perspective.

What we need to separate is the mindset and sexuality. If a women has mindset to be a CEO or Senator, Congresswomen or whatever......more power to her. If a women can lead more effectively than a male peer, more power to her again.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste. I think I heard that somewhere before.

Who cares about the body parts?! Well of course.....when it comes to sex, that's a different story.

Agreed, all you have to do is look at the popular media. Great examples being the Simpsons and Family Guy, the men in these shows are buffoons or brats. If the women were portrayed that way in these shows there would be a revolt. In other TV shows many of the male characters are children in men's bodies (Everybody Loves Raymond), mentally unstable (Fringe), drug addicts with social issues (House), and the list goes on.

That said I also think that women and femininity are under attack in a similar way although using different methods like women's magazines, dolls/toys, and other media which portray unhealthy body images, the makeup industry similarly idealizing perfection, and the clothing industry sexualizing young girls to name a few.

[edit on 8-6-2010 by slane69]

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Thanks Jenna, I was hoping to get a good female perspective

.

Anytime.

Especially in the justice system we consistently see favortism of women vs men, some justified but mostly not.

There seems to be a mistaken belief that it takes ovaries to raise a child properly. It's utter rubbish of course, there are many possessors of ovaries who couldn't raise a child properly with a how-to manual and a video tutorial, but there it is.

She took a first year women's studies class and now has come home touting how men are are evil and are ruining the world.

That right there is the problem. Those classes are designed to push the idea that women are superior in every way and that men are evil little creatures who aren't worth the effort required to glance in their direction. Thus the reason I refused to take one while working on my degree. Here in my world (a little place I like to call reality) some guys are jerks but the majority are pretty good guys, just like some women are jerks but the majority are pretty good. Women's studies classes are evil, if you ask me.

I never though that a University could influence my child. We thought her how to spot propagand and not allowh erself to be sucked into the "us vs them" mentality.

It can be hard not to get sucked into something like that if you're subjected to it for several hours a day twice a week and everyone else around you agrees with it. If you're the only one disagreeing with the professor and the rest of the class agrees with them, it can be harder than heck to stick to your guns and not just fall in line like a good little student. Intelligence doesn't have much to do with it I'm afraid. Get Einstein in a room full of people arguing against him and I can almost guarantee he'd cave in eventually if only to not be the odd man out anymore.

Complex and Interesting , I have to put my 2 cents in ,
Maybey not , Great Topic , I hope it all balances out , because its unfair out there for both parties , but yes ,i have seen a raise in men bashing as of 2008 , but ive noticed men have responded in a positive manner ,2009/2010 we have picked up our game , and ive noticed women are truly amazed that men can attain great heights under all sorts of pressure , and in turn , loving us once again, men can pass the testing of woman .
Sexual Energy is a huge comodity , women have had a great advancement in this area since the 70's
Men who look after themselves need not jump on the first woman that presents interest ,ive noticed that young men are slowly becoming aware of the great pleasures that woman present in a relationship ,
but are very wary of sexual activity , as they are awakening to there surroundings and choose wisdom over lust ,which is breaking the mould of men will sleep with anything ,anytime ,anywhere .
I will be refreshed to see the rising of Young Men showing Class over ass amongst a sexually charged western society , and young men showing a reserved judgement instead of drunken one night stands ,
I believe if Men can show these qualitys ,its a great way to win back the respect of Feminist Bred Women of today .
I am a FOE of the O.P but i give credit when credits due , Great Post , Star and Flag ,

[edit on 8-6-2010 by StaceyWilson]

Originally posted by AProphet1233
As I man I do feel unfairly demonized by the feminist movement, sometimes like I'm a victim. My self-esteem definately isn't where it should be.

Most females want to take your dignity, but that's not enough for them they want your pride, your money, your self-respect. And when they can't squeeze out anymore they want you dead.

But hey, I always tell myself "The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory."

So you think women should feel like the victim? I can say the same for men in regards to what you think women want to do to you. You can't judge an entire group as one, not all women act like this just like all men don't.

To the OP~Times have changed and imo there is nothing wrong with it. Yeah I like my man to have a little emotion, what is wrong with that? He can still be the lumber jack guy you speak of. If men want to be manly and macho they will. I don't see feminism ruining the view on men and how they should be. Men and their behaviors have seemed to change since the beginning of man. Men AND women have changed, so their behaviors and roles will change as well.

Nice topic though OP

reply to post by mblahnikluver


I don't think women should feel like the victim.

Maybe it's just me and some women tactically go for the weakest in the pack?

First they try and destroy your self-confidence. They play mind games to make you doubt yourself. They search for all your weaknesses and exploit them, the snakes. All this they carry out with impunity.

If you have survived the onslaught then, and only then, will they seek an alliance and give back more than they have taken away.

If I weren't such a soldier I wouldn't be here today, sharing my stories with the ATS community.

[edit on 8-6-2010 by AProphet1233]

To me Feminism has done what Thatguyrightthere said, it has used both sexes to make the other feel bad and behave stupidly. Many women, particularly lesbians seem to have a chip on their shoulder towards men and seem automatically suspicious of males.
It is as if they are trying to make men turn either into pseudo-females or into idiotic brutes.
The heterosexual women are confused about what kind of man they want and always seem to feel cheated.
More than anything, I blame the stereotypes on television and music video industry. In their efforts to sell stuff they have given us all a mental makeover and expect the impossible from our potential mates and friends.

Originally posted by AProphet1233
As I man I do feel unfairly demonized by the feminist movement, sometimes like I'm a victim. My self-esteem definately isn't where it should be.

Most females want to take your dignity, but that's not enough for them they want your pride, your money, your self-respect. And when they can't squeeze out anymore they want you dead.

But hey, I always tell myself "The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory."

Women can only take as much away from you as YOU let them (unless a court intevenes, of course). Stop whining and be a man and acknowlege that somebody took you for a ride. It happens to the best of us.
And others including me, that's how I know it's true!

Originally posted by alien

I kinda view it as just all being 'the swing of the pendulum'.

As the pendulum swings it reachs one extreme, back to the other, back again to the other, and back again.

The swings do decrease though...until eventually it settles at its equilibrium.

Well put. I've said the same thing. This seems to be the way society works.

Interesting topic, first of all.

I have read several articles over the past few weeks that are saying similar types of things - narrowed down, these articles are all attempting to explain how feminism became the dirty new f-word.

It would appear a popular trend amongst young women is to deny any association with feminism, as it is seen to be a negative or extremist movement. More and more women are prefacing their comments with, "I'm not a feminist, but..."

Most women in my generation were all raised in the secure knowledge that women and men were equal, in every respect except for our biological plumbing. We didn't demand equality, we just expected it as our due. Now it appears that the onsetting clash between career and family, have caused a massive backlash.

It is no longer entirely socially acceptable for a woman to chose to be a stay-at-home mother. Nor should she be soley career focused with no thought to raising a family of her own. She should be able to do both, and not necessarily need help with either one, or a balance of in-between. That is now the new ideal for today's young women.

In so doing though, where is a man's place in all of this? What is his role in a society that says women can do anything a man can do - and sometimes even better? Is it truly lesser than a females? I don't think so.

My perspective is that over generalised opinions about all men and all women are where we, as a society, are going wrong. Why not begin from a position that accepts there are physical differences between the genders, but each are potentially capable of anything.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Well stated. You don't need to be anti-women to be against what Feminism has become. It's hard to talk about this issue out in public because you get labels thrown at you and judged quite harshly. Apparently you are a closet "misogynist" or a "supporter of the oppression of women" if you criticise the Feminist movement. What started out as a push to gain equal rights for women has turned into an anti-male movement where men's rights get thrown into the abyss.

To those going on about the wage gap: do you honestly think that when pay rates are determined, gender is one of the criteria? Can you see a company director going over the wages and saying "oh, the CEO is a women so let's pay her less." It is outrageous. There are so many other variables that would explain this gap.

Compare this to stories where gender is a significant factor. How many times have we heard that "there are no opportunities for women" and quotas have been "balanced" to accommodate more women? Notice that thanks to the Feminist movement gender, as a factor in almost every field, has worked overwhelmingly in favour of women and overwhelmingly to the disadvantage of men.

[edit on 8/6/2010 by Dark Ghost]

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Most dress code designers are either women or gay.

That being said they are trying to change men to dress like women, and it is working:

thumbs2.modthesims.info...

Some gay stuff like that, I see it always when go clubbing.

Men are becoming feminized for a variety of reasons, feminism is undoubtedly one of them. Although, I believe unintended chemical poisoning is the number #1 reason why men are turning into little girls.

If anyone is interested in this horridly depressing topic, look up "birth control pills tap water" on google.

...

Continuing...

Thinking about all this raises a lot of questions in my mind. Guys are obviously messed up, our memories are shot, our brains are all weird, we're acting like women, we've lost our calm under pressure. We've lost all manlieness, and we are replacing it with this gangster crap that nobody in their right mind would take seriously. You women are just as messed up, you are sitting back letting it all happen. I can't help but feel anger towards you, even though I know there is most undoubetly something I am not understanding here. Don't give me that what can I do crap, well maybe if you cared enough you wouldn't be asking questions like that...



[edit on 9-6-2010 by sliceNodice]

I need someone to iron my shirt!

Joking...


The whole "Politically Correct" movement is dehumanizing.
There are men and women for a reason.
Yes there are things a woman can do better and there are things a man does best.

Oh, yeah... Feminism was crafted from the very beginning to destabilize western society.

No coincidence, that it was founded, and funded by none other, that the Infamous Rockefeller Family *FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE*







Welcome to the World of the Real.


"Under the spreading chestnut tree
I sold you and you sold me
There lie they, and here lie we
Under the spreading chestnut tree"
-George Orwell, 1984


-Edrick

I don't feel attacked or insulted by the feminists, because I don't represent the basic middle-aged chauvinist pig. My girlfriends have always been my best friends.

On the other hand, I don't understand some of these henpecked guys, I mean, why do you let someone limit your life? If someone gets too manipulative, tell her. If it doesn't fly, dump her.

Originally posted by Tryptych
I don't feel attacked or insulted by the feminists, because I don't represent the basic middle-aged chauvinist pig.

Generalise much? You don't need to be a "basic middle-aged chauvinist pig" to feel attacked by Feminists. In fact, you just need to be an average person that cares about men's rights and the mental health of youth to realise that Feminism has been detrimental to these areas.