“In the ’50s, Marilyn made it chic to be smart. Now Sarah makes it chic to be ignorant.”
I was going to do a riff on Susan Faludi’s article in Harper’s, American Electra, Feminism’s Ritual Matricide. The “old” feminists grump about the youngsters only wanting to sit and blog (about, among other topics, getting drunk and getting laid by guys they just met in the bar). The younger women fume about the patronizing treatment by the old (“Third waver Merria Lisa Johnson casts feminism as ‘a strict teacher who just needs to get laid.'”)
Gee, those NOW conferences sound like fun and so productive. Good going, “girls” – y’all keep fighting over sex, skin-tight skirts, stilettos and fishnets. Meanwhile the rest of the (still male-dominated) world rolls their eyes at your cat fights, if they’re paying any attention at all. Both sides have valid points, but…it’s supposed to be National Organization FOR Women, not National Organization of petty high school cliques.
However, the article is long, and my post ran the risk of turning into pages (as you can infer from this “short” introduction). Then, Ms. Dowd’s Ignorance column neatly encapsulated my fundamental issue with the female political candidates, the Mama Grizzlies, Dowd’s “Mean Girls of the GOP” and much of the so-called “new feminism.”
Aside from a disturbing lack of sense of humor or perspective…
All – in some form or fashion – promote conflict and blithely encourage ignoring reality (Sorry, but if you “dress for sex” for a presentation to 50+-year-old males – you’re going to have work way harder to be taken seriously). And – in the case of Palin and her like – act as if ignorance is a virtue. Tee-hee, aren’t I cute as I flub that question? (Kudos to Mr. Coons for not beating his forehead on the table during his “debate” with cutey-pie Christine O’Donnell.)
We’ve come all this way…so women can take pride in being drunken sluts…and mean-spirited political candidates with neither experience nor insight? As Ms. Dowd ends her column,
In Marilyn’s America, there were aspirations. The studios tackled literary novels rather than one-liners like “He’s Just Not That Into You” and navel-gazing drivel like “Eat Pray Love.” Walt Disney’s “Fantasia” paired cartoon characters with famous composers. Even Bugs Bunny did Wagner.
But in Sarah’s America, we’ve refudiated all that.
As I’ve noted in various Facebook comments and posts – I have no problem with other women having different views from liberal/progressive/humanist/Unitarian me. But, being proud of one’s stupidity is very different from having an (informed) point-of-view.
Bona fide conservative Kathleen Parker, responded to Dowd’s column with Mean Girls? The GOP women’s bad rap.
“It is a testament to feminism that we have so many female candidates. That we may dislike or disagree with some — or find them foolish — is as the world turns.
Sisterhood means letting women be just as dumb — and mean — as men.”
I can (somewhat) agree with (at least see) her point re feminism. I’m in pretty much violent disagreement with her definition of sisterhood. We should strive to be better, and help our fellow women do the same. It’s not a “right” to be proud of your stupidity. It’s a very sad, self-limiting failure.
Ignorance is not a virtue. And drunken sluts are still drunken sluts, regardless if they’re wearing a jock or a thong.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
