“I myself have never been able to find out precisely what
feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express
sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat” (Rebecca West, English author,
journalist, and literary critic). To answer Rebecca West’s question, feminism
is, in the simplest terms, the doctrine advocating social, political, and all other rights of women equal to those of men. The article “Confessions
of a Young Anti-Feminist,” written by Australian journalist Josephine Asher, details
how feminism is destroying femininity, chivalry, and romance in one fell swoop. Asher described herself in the article, and
in her biography on thepunch.com, a website dedicated to controversial debates,
as a woman who would “rather dodge a flying pair
of high heels thrown at me in anger than pin a man under a pair of mine”
meaning that she feels it’s better to defend her traditionalist views to women
than challenge a man’s masculinity. And,
from my side of the screen at least, shoes certainly were flying. I personally found Asher’s argument to be ineffective,
therefore leaving her purpose unfulfilled, despite her clear and
well-articulated speech. At one point
she attempted to build up legitimacy by citing a renowned neurosurgeon, Charlie
Teo. She quoted him saying things like “They’re [men] there to be protective. A man has to have
a good job…so he can…support his family. A woman has to be loving and caring.” Instead of using this quote to generate
ethos, as was intended, it made Asher’s argument seem archaic. A man has
to support his family? A woman has to
be loving and caring? From both of these
statements I am left with the distinct idea that women don’t have to do
anything as long as they are loving and that men are allowed to be misogynistic
brutes if they provide for their families.
This was one of many things about this article that made me want to hurl
shoes at Josephine Asher. Another was
her attempt at showing how gender roles have changed. By writing that “men are sporting aprons,
doing their own ironing and pushing trolleys down supermarket aisles—roles that
don’t exactly exude manliness” she came off as closed-minded. This was because she basically said that men
who do household chores aren't really men at all. Asher truly tried to present a case for
anti-feminism which fell short for one encompassing reason: she does not
understand feminism. Feminism has
nothing to do with being manly at all (this also detracts from her argument by
implying power and success are male characteristics). It is merely the ability to choose for
oneself. If a woman wants to stay home
and raise her children or become a CEO it is her choice; not because she is
manly, but because she is a human being and deserves those choices.
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