Women Don't Need Us Anymore: Baawaaa!!!

I don't know anything about Rosie Boycott, except that she really can write crap. In this masterpiece of drivel, she blames "feminism" for ruining a whole generation of men. Considering that some people have declared feminism dead, it's amazing what havoc it can still wreak from beyond the grave. Next Halloween, I was going to dress up as "Soybean the Castrator," but now I'm inclined to go as "Feminism the Destroyer"!

Interestingly, the article came to my attention when it was posted by an Arab woman on an Arab women's e-list. With no comment. That bugs me.

Seriously now, how did feminism destroy men?

According to Boycott, it made women economically INDEPENDENT, so now they don't need men to support them anymore. Also feminism opened all those sperm banks, so women don't need men to impregnate them either (well, not in person anyway). And let me tell you, the prices are really bargain basement: someone I know recently paid $ 300 a pop. I mean you can't get a decent handbag for that!

The short of it, men are feeling useless. Poor souls. Apparently, they felt much better when women just stayed at home and waited for their allowance and sperm. Relations are not fun anymore. Waaaa!

Moreover,

Feminism is why the jails are crowded with men.
Feminism is why pop culture portrays women as chattel.
Feminism is why men can't get it up anymore.
Oh, and since we are speaking about Great Britain, feminism must be the reason for the downfall of the British Empire. That was some manly Empire, old boy!

Seriously again, the trick of this kind of polemic is "generalizations" and "trend" reporting. It talks about women and men generally, as if they are two species that exist in a vacuum: no distinctions are allowed across class, race, age, region, and profession. The starting point is that "39 percent of women now believe they make more than men." As a feminist, I'd like to talk about the other 59 percent (which include me) and see why they are making less than men. But wait, I wouldn't buy this 39 percent either--I want to know where she got it from, and who are the men and women being surveyed. I remember posting on this blog information that talks about the persistence of the gender gap between women and men, in men's favor. (see here, here and here).

Actually, the same newspaper that ran Boycott article, has this article on the same day that contradicts her. It reports the a new study found that only 1 in 10 women are on the boards of the top 100 British companies. The study concludes that British "women are "victims of "a thin veneer of equality" which is often destroyed as soon as they have children. Many become full-time mothers while those who want to keep on working can be penalised if they ask for flexibility in their jobs." Oops!

Before I forget, suggestions for my "Feminism the Destroyer" Halloween costume are desperately needed! (who said feminists can't be needy?)