To the Editor:
An angry, hairy, powerful and manly woman: This is what a feminist looks like. We hate men, yet we act like men? So, to have and want power is to be a man? Why else would feminists be considered "manly?" Having power equals being like men? Interesting.
If being a "man" is associated with power, what is it to be a "woman"? In her letter to TNH, "The universal myth of the 'Oppressed Woman,'" Diana Lewis ignorantly wrote, "Could a man get away with wearing a skirt or being a homemaker, or feigning weakness to get out of doing something?" No, he would no longer be a "man" but a passive, fragile little lady. Women are expected to be slim, sacrificial, hairless and sexual while ironically hiding sexual desire.
Being a "woman" is a social construction that suits men's needs. A person must become a woman. While we might as well just scribble our gender across our foreheads, we opt for appropriate clothing, hair and conduct. Women appear naturally weaker in sports, are docile, smile more often and differently than men, are more insecure, and wear clothing that lead to the familiar excuse, "She asked for it." Sure, a woman can "feign weakness to get out of doing something," but is that really freedom? Sure, women "are granted leeway in the army because they are 'weaker,'" but is that empowerment?
Lewis wrote, "If anything, women have the extreme privilege. Women have the majority of the buying power." If what she's saying is that the cosmetic surgery and diet drug industries strongly support our economy, then I agree. But I'm not so sure that means we're privileged. It sounds more like we're necessary tools of capitalism.
Frat-friendly TNH readers have commented that Whitney Williams is stereotyping frat boys and offending all men by claiming the "good guy" does not exist. First, no one forced you to join a frat. I, as a woman, didn't have the privilege of choosing my stereotype.
Now, what is stereotyping? It uses "marking" (the scribbling of our sex on our foreheads) and either/or thinking you are either a man or a woman, nothing in between. This makes it easy for those with power to prove how they are different from those without power. It sets a clear divide between the norm (men) and "the other" (women). Why doesn't the constitution say, "All women are created equal?" Because being a woman is not the standard; women are a type of man.
Stereotyping also supports objectification (women as sex objects) and justifies oppression. That's why it is hard for people to realize it exists. We think women are naturally inferior because of the stereotype. It masks the truth about who really has the social power and controls the stereotyped group's interactions with the rest of the world. Therefore, groups with power (men) cannot be stereotyped. Women have no control over the way men or women are viewed or treated. If we had power, women wouldn't be "rape-able."
All men benefit from being a man and are responsible for that. There are no "good guys" because they're all a part of oppression whether they know it or not. Because I am white, I contribute to racism. The very fact that Williams, as a feminist, has experienced so many backlashes is an indicator that powerful women are both hated and feared. The violent, sexual comment in "Main Street Magazine" is a blatant attempt to put Williams "in her place" as "the rape-able woman": the most prominent but most invisible stereotype of all.
Ashley Connor Sophomore
Be the first to comment on this article!