Comments on: The Funk-Filled Bratwurst Debate.

By: Amber

Amber — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 19:48:51 +0000

Yes, I know this comment has no substance but… just wanted to say, I love this post! Very well written.

By: Jo

Jo — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 01:48:59 +0000

well – but what about those who are genuinely religious and deliberately take the veil? what about women who are not born into Islam but who come to it in their adult lives as a result of their own personal experiences?

My mother and I have had this discussion, because although she didn’t ‘choose to wear the veil’ she did the christian equivalent. She lives a devoutly catholic life and calls it her choice. I think, for her, it’s the path of least resistance, because she was conditioned from birth to be a good catholic girl and it takes little effort for her to be passive or submissive or what have you. To choose to go against that would be the difficult task for her. She’s not wired that way.

I think women who discover Islam later in life and choose to wear the veil (and a coworker’s wife has done that very thing, and we’ve had long talks about it) choose the path of least resistance too. If the worst thing you have to deal with as a veiled up Westerner are the odd looks of those who used to be your friends, well, the gain is a spiritual community where you fit in. I guess it’s cultish in that way.

I try not to judge Islam (I bash all world religions pretty equally) it’s just that they have the purest example of a behaviour/custom/dogma that isolates women and IMHO suppresses them.

By: Infighting keeps us honest at PunkAssBlog.com

Infighting keeps us honest at PunkAssBlog.com — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:25:07 +0000

[...] Inevitably, whenever one of us takes issue with something about the Democratic Party, or argues with another leftie blogger, or splits hairs over a definitional argument, somebody drops the “can’t we all just get along?” bomb. Twisty’s blow job blow up is just the latest in a long line of issues over which various liberal bloggers (including our own superstar) and commenters engaged in a heated exchange over what we do and how we act. [...]

By: antiprincess

antiprincess — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 02:29:04 +0000

aside and OT @Jo:
“Muslim women will choose to wear the veil”

By: R.

R. — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 03:33:30 +0000

I agree with you. IMO some women confuse sexism and body issues with feminism. Some (maybe most?) guys just want to fuck and be fucked. If a woman doesn’t like giving BJ’s then they need to find a partner who doesn’t get off on BJ’s – no need to get all female chauvinist about it.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 01:47:59 +0000

Exactly! Couldn’t have put it better myself. Why would I want to exchange one set of facist dogma for another? Who you telling how to be a feminist, Gloria Steinem? Not me, you’re not. My self-realization is my business. I can win a Nobel prize on Monday, take my shirt off in Waterloo Park on Tuesday, speak truth to power on Wednesday, give my partner the toe-curlingest blow job of his life on Thursday, pick up my paintings from the National Art Gallery on Friday, feed pigeons in the park in my purple hat on Saturday and worship my Big Black Goddess any time of the day or night. Hallelujah, sistah.

Now back to my cab franc. :)

By: Jo

Jo — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 01:41:42 +0000

LOL! I haven’t read the article in question yet, but I will certainly skedaddle over there anon and read it when I’m done typing here. :)

Everything to me is political. I know I’m a bit of an anomoly though.

I have never believed feminism is about choice, because when given the option, people usually pick what’s comfortable to them, and not what is necessarily*right* — and yes, I realize that’s one LOADED word. An abused woman will often choose to stay with her rapist. Muslim women will choose to wear the veil. Abused children will choose to stay with their abusive parents… because the unknown is scary, and I guess better the devil you know.

I have always maintained that feminism should be about elevating women’s economic and socio-economic status to the male counterpart, and that has precious little to do with choice. Sometimes it needs to be mandated. For example I believe there should be more women in politics. It’s a near impossible task to get women to run in politics, so I had to do it myself in order to walk the walk with my head held high, seeing as I talk the talk a lot. True, I chose to run, but I did it grudgingly as it was scary and unknown and I got bad press and made some enemies and all that jazz. But I hope that ONE young girl watching the cable 14 debates maybe saw me up there and thought I CAN DO THAT TOO. And it will evolve.

I don’t know if I’m making myself clear, and I’m not even TOUCHING on blowjobs, but just thought I’d throw that one out there for you. :)