News Features

Turning feminist theory into a visceral rape deterrent

By DENA RIEGEL | April 28, 2011

"I can relate to the fact that just being a real woman is not enough," says Ronnie Wilson, a 60-something painter and prison inmate-therapist. "I mean, I'm not particularly into making men feel good about themselves . . . I feel like wearing a T-shirt that says . . . 'I'm not your mother . . . I know you're angry at her, but don't take it out on me.'" A generation of grown men have now been raised to adopt feminist ideals, but a lot of men missed out.

Some of them are in Augusta — or Washington — writing laws right now. "There's a bill in to forbid anyone under 18 from getting approval for prescriptions," says Hannan of Planned Parenthood. The bill is aimed at the availability of birth control. "And, of course, you can buy a condom anywhere. It's a misogynist bill. They want to keep our girls virgins, but we still give our boys high fives when they get their first box of rubbers."

Women are fighting back — and in the process building on the best parts of the influence of women on Charlie's Angels and Wonder Woman. (Sure, the characters were beautiful and scantily clad; those shows' producers were men. But the women were, nevertheless, kicking serious ass.) They're organizing rallies like the one on Friday. Which, in a perfect world, would be as effective as the Rape-aXe, in terms of seizing power and wielding it to create a world that met their standards, and their needs.

Dreaming in Femnicolor:What local feminists imagine for their future ... or just imagine

AMY MARTIN | a/k/a "Punchy O'Guts," skater and marketing director with Maine Roller Derby | "So many women are caught up in fantasies of being thin. I wish they would get over themselves already. Who gives a fuck what you look like?"

AMY MARTIN | "I wish women would stop thinking they are supposed to have babies. Babies are dumb. You can live a fulfilling life without procreation."

BRIAN SIMPSON | nurse | "My feminist fantasy is that a woman wouldn't be scared while hearing my footsteps behind her while walking down the street. I'm a son and a brother and a fiance and a nurse and I respect life and women and I would never do anything to hurt anybody. If they knew that, they would know they had nothing to fear from me. But my footsteps alone are enough to cause fear."

BRIAN SIMPSON | "I wish men respected women enough to treat them with love all of the time and would tell others that what they are doing is not okay."

CATALINA RODRIGUEZ | musician, SMCC student | "I thought long and hard about this: Dana Scully from The X-Files. To be stranded on some weird planet where men can breast feed and run into the fog after Dana Scully. And then we become Shamen."

CLAIRE GUYER | theater artist | "Being able to completely cut out cultural norms. Zap out of existence with a ray gun the cultural norms we've been lead to believe. Oh! And truth serum! You could zap them and they'd live their lives like they weren't raised thinking girls needed to be skinny."

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5 Comments / Add Comment

Koba39

I personally find this article rambling and incoherent. But then again I am a male, so perhaps it is not supposed to make sense to me.

I understand there is been invented a device to punish rapists, which apparently is another sign of "female empowerment". Just a few questions: How do you think a rapist would react when he is hurt like that? Simply walk away? What about if it is a group rape? One man gets hurt, but how would the others react?

And no - I don't really buy the notion that only women are the sole victims of male violence. Ever heard about prison rape? I also don't think that men are the sole sexual predators, but it is entirely correct that it is far more difficult for our culture to accept that women can abuse men or children. Just a few years ago it was standard operating policy for hotlines in Great Britain to hang up when children called for help and told that their moms or other women were sexually abusing them. Since their claims were not taking seriously the problem simply didn't exist. Very simple, but not very true. When the hotlines began to take the claims seriously the numbers of phone calls simply went through the roof.

A few numbers: In 2008 2.142 children called a hotline called Childline in Great Britain and reported sexual abuse by women. 61 percent of those reported to be sexually abused by their own mothers. The total number of reports grew with 132 percent.

To be 100 percent clear: I believe in gender equality, but that doesn't mean I believe in feminism. Perhaps it used to be about justice in the past, but it is certainly not the case today and this article is ample proof. Feminism is simply nothing more than a power-grap and is based on pure hatred toward men. This article is actually the usual feminist male-bashing, misandric propaganda in an effort to prove, that women are terribly oppressed, that only men are evil etc. I am simply amazed that such ideas can still be printed, but of course male-bashing has become an entire industry in the United States.

Posted: April 29 2011 at 10:40 AM

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Laura Hetrick

Koba39: You live in a world where you don't have to fear what's in your drink, where you don't have to fear walking alone, where you don't have to avoid eye contact because the other person will think it's a come-on, where you don't have to choose clothes that look nice or else you're an ugly hag but not too nice or else you're a slut asking for it, where you don't get whistled at or leered at or felt up because simply existing apparently entitles everyone else to your body. Some vocal feminists do hate men, I won't deny that. But feminism, for me, is about creating safety for women. Feminism for you, as a man, probably seems like an attack on your comfortable state of being in power. Well, yes, it kind of is, because that power excludes women. Your nice comfortable status quo is very uncomfortable for me. As a man, you can't experience that. You can only do your best to empathize and listen to what women are saying in articles like this.

Posted: April 29 2011 at 11:20 AM

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Koba39

As a matter of fact, I live in a neighborhood with gang violence and crime - so the idea that men never experience fear, violence or crime is ridiculous. Most inmates in prisons are men and most victims of crime are also men. But of course there is a strong tendency among feminists to dismiss male victims by saying it is their own fault, because they are victims of other men. For some reason the same logic (or lack of it) doesn't apply the other way around. If a women gets hurt anywhere in the world it is apparently every man's fault.

Your idea that I have power because I am a man is also simply hilarious. Yes, I was a CEO in a big company I would probably have a lot of power, but guess what - most men are at the top of society, which feminists never forget. But they are certainly also at the rock bottom of society, which feminists always keep forgetting. If you want to have a piece of my "power" you are most welcome, but I think you will be disappointed.

Once again - in case you didn't get the first time - I believe in gender equality. I have even defended women against angry boyfriends or ex-husbands, even though I don't consider myself to be especially brave. But I have a long time ceased to believe that feminism is about that.

Posted: April 29 2011 at 11:44 AM

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Mathew

Laura, you don't live in a world where you're scared your bitter ex might tell a rape lie to the cops. You don't live in a world where paranoid mothers make you scared to be alone with children. You don't live in world where you're scared to check your own childs nappy when you're out, in case someone calls the cops. You don't live in a world were someone of the other gender can beat you in public, but f you try to defend yourself you'll be arrested for abuse.

Feminism is an evil hateful ideology, it's sole goal is the demonization of men.
And feminists are evil hateful people.

Posted: May 03 2011 at 9:58 AM

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Carlin Whitehouse

Come up with your most exhaustive list of male-experienced oppression, and the list for women will quadruple it - at least! Spouting hate and ignorance is no substitute for reality - a world in which men dominate the institutions and the mainstream culture: legislatures, judge's benches, law enforcement, business, academia, media outlets, etc. As James Brown said, this is a man's world. No doubt about it.
Feminism, contrary to your ill-conceived theories, is about EQUALITY. Not special interests, or special rights. A world in which our daughters don't have to fear being raped - to the tune of ONE IN FOUR.
And guess what? Our sons are raped too - ONE IN TWELVE.
98% of the time sexual assaults are perpetrated BY MEN. I hope that's no surprise to you.
Yes. violence happens to men too. Of course it does. Is it women's violence they're most likely to fear. No. It's other men.
No one is saying that men are inherently violent, raping beasts. I'm not and you probably aren't, either (although your words don't shine brightly on your prospects). I believe in an all-encompassing view of masculinity, where it includes mixed martial arts AND tender loving fatherhood, drinkin beers with buddies AND acceptance of our gay brothers, hot sex AND consent. ALL these things are good and right.
If "women done you wrong" at some point, or you've lost custody of your kids along the way, don't be taking it out on feminists. We just want a world where freedom and justice prevails.

Posted: May 06 2011 at 1:16 PM

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