Okay, this has been kind of bugging me for a while. I keep saying over and over that if you say anything starting with "You can't be a feminist and..." then you have missed the point of feminism. This particular blog tonight has to do with this opinion of mine and entertainment. I hear many women who identify as feminists bemoaning nerd culture and female objectification. In several cases, I can agree, but here's something else: nerdism is all about entertainment.
Just in case anyone out here has missed this breakthrough, let me say this: ENTERTAINMENT IS NOT REAL! Let us take the classic college flick, Animal House. My dad seemed to think it was a good idea to sit me through this when I was about thirteen. I absolutely adored the movie, howled like a hyena through the whole thing. The trouble came the next day at school, when teachers overheard me recounting dialogue to the effect of "They took the bar - the whole FUCKING bar!" Now, Animal House is the quintessential collection of dumb frat-house shenanigans, but here's the thing: it is funny because it is a movie! No one is actually advocating that drinking Jack Daniels straight out of a bottle like John Belushi appeared to do on camera! No one is saying that drunken, unsafe, dubiously-consensual sex is a good idea! It's funny because it is in a movie.
Ladies identifying as feminists, please hear me out. Y'all, I'm a female too and I find Animal House, The New Guy, and Dude, Where's My Car absolutely hilarious. The reason it's funny is that it would be absurd to do any of this stuff in real life! Take Animal House - those boys would be UNDER THE JAIL for that kind of crap if they did it for real, as well they should be! I just think everyone needs to calm down a little when it comes to the realm of entertainment.
Don't get me wrong, though - some things people are passing off as "entertainment" are genuinely harmful. Daniel Tosh, I am looking right at you and anyone who pays to advertise on your stupid, hateful, misogynistic crap collection of a television program. I am totally open to discussion on what everyone else feels is harmful and what is okay. Here's the other thing, though, with the exception of hate speech that is not ever funny: everyone's taste in entertainment is different. I think The Hangover is hysterical, but I don't particularly care for The Devil Wears Prada. I think most any comedy with Sandra Bullock in it is pretty darn funny! And, of course, portrayal of women in less absurd comedies is a bit of a different subject... but that's another show.
Long story short, if you feel very strongly that something is harmful in entertainment, please, PLEASE voice that opinion. I'm not here to tell anybody you have to like what I like or that what you like isn't okay. However, please take a good look at what's offending you - asking yourself why something is offensive to you personally is a great way to grow!
Marigold, sorry for blogging so late tonight, saying "TOGA! TOGA!"
Just in case anyone out here has missed this breakthrough, let me say this: ENTERTAINMENT IS NOT REAL! Let us take the classic college flick, Animal House. My dad seemed to think it was a good idea to sit me through this when I was about thirteen. I absolutely adored the movie, howled like a hyena through the whole thing. The trouble came the next day at school, when teachers overheard me recounting dialogue to the effect of "They took the bar - the whole FUCKING bar!" Now, Animal House is the quintessential collection of dumb frat-house shenanigans, but here's the thing: it is funny because it is a movie! No one is actually advocating that drinking Jack Daniels straight out of a bottle like John Belushi appeared to do on camera! No one is saying that drunken, unsafe, dubiously-consensual sex is a good idea! It's funny because it is in a movie.
Ladies identifying as feminists, please hear me out. Y'all, I'm a female too and I find Animal House, The New Guy, and Dude, Where's My Car absolutely hilarious. The reason it's funny is that it would be absurd to do any of this stuff in real life! Take Animal House - those boys would be UNDER THE JAIL for that kind of crap if they did it for real, as well they should be! I just think everyone needs to calm down a little when it comes to the realm of entertainment.
Don't get me wrong, though - some things people are passing off as "entertainment" are genuinely harmful. Daniel Tosh, I am looking right at you and anyone who pays to advertise on your stupid, hateful, misogynistic crap collection of a television program. I am totally open to discussion on what everyone else feels is harmful and what is okay. Here's the other thing, though, with the exception of hate speech that is not ever funny: everyone's taste in entertainment is different. I think The Hangover is hysterical, but I don't particularly care for The Devil Wears Prada. I think most any comedy with Sandra Bullock in it is pretty darn funny! And, of course, portrayal of women in less absurd comedies is a bit of a different subject... but that's another show.
Long story short, if you feel very strongly that something is harmful in entertainment, please, PLEASE voice that opinion. I'm not here to tell anybody you have to like what I like or that what you like isn't okay. However, please take a good look at what's offending you - asking yourself why something is offensive to you personally is a great way to grow!
Marigold, sorry for blogging so late tonight, saying "TOGA! TOGA!"
It's hard to judge people based on their preferred forms of entertainment, no matter who you are, but I will agree that hate-humor is pretty low and basically just a straw-grab for easy laughs. Good read.
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