Whilst I like to constantly declare myself as being so far on the cutting edge of chicness that I frequently give myself a headache, in declaring an affinity with Greer, I have rather bitten myself in the bum.
Feminism is regarded (by my generation at any rate,) to be the pasttime of angry women who are ugly (are they angry because they are ugly?) and thus in order to escape a life of rejection they have turned to feminism. Either that or they're lesbians, but let's leave them out of this for once shall we?
Well women of the world, I'm taking back feminism. I'm going to make it OK again. I recently decided to read Greer's 'The Whole Woman' (The book written after the female eunuch.) Whilst I was at university,I lived with lots of boys and was subjected to daily debates about why women were crap at everything. The boys would sigh and say 'Look, in all the world, men are always better than women at
everything. Come on! Name something women are better than men at! You can't can you?? No, you can't even say cooking because the best chefs are men. Hah!'
Now I must admit by the time I graduated I thought, 'bloody hell, it is shit being a woman'. Then I read Greer. My point of view has somewhat changed, and I would urge you, regardless of your gender to give it a read. I'm not saying it's the infallible word of God or that it doesn't contain errors. (In fact there's a slightly strange chapter halfway through about the way fathers see their daughters...ehem, easy there Greer, think someone got a bit carried away didn't they?) However, the point is, she opens the floor back up for debate. She shouts from the rooftops, that
NO women are not yet 'equal' to men. That
NO, gender issues have not yet been solved.
However, the main point that I have taken away, is this, and I find it is the perfect counter argument to those male superiority arguments. In this world, 'male' is what is considered normal - think about it, if a baby is born without a penis (or with a very tiny one...bad times)'it' is automatically categorised as 'female.' Thus, the female category has come to mean anything that is 'not male.' But that is not what being female is, a lack of maleness.
Furthermore, women are constantly judged by male standards. So, yes boys, if you compare all female achievement by the male standard of what is considered to be achievement, then women may well fall short. Until giving birth to, and raising a family is considered to be an admiral profession women will always be seen as the crapper sex. It's like going to buy a pedigree Kitten, but judging that kitten's pedigree according to Kennel club regulations. Well, it's going to seem like a bit of a shit kitten if it doesn't have a long tounge and floppy ears isn't it? Get my point?? No??
And finally, we ignore all of the above and claim that because now women have finally won the right to give birth to, and raise a family, keep a home AND have a career all at the same time without having a nervous breakdown that equality has finally been achieved. And women the world over jump for joy in their corporate spaces, reassuring themselves that they don't like sleep. Cor, they don't even need it! Thaaaaat's Gender equality!! The thing is, the word equality assumes similarity, whilst the word Gender presupposes difference. It's an oxymoron.
Thus my friends, gender equality can never occur. What is needed, is for a new set of standards to be drawn up. Standards that accept women as seperate,
different beings from men, who have different needs, that are no better or worse. Once there is no need for 'gender,' that is when women will truly be free.
Sooo yeah. Thanks Germaine. I feel empowered.
Heeled Doc Martens!
