The penis may be evil, but the vagina is empty and we can’t leave the little fucksticks homeless.
Published by Kyso Kisaen August 28th, 2006 in Looks like someone needs an intervention, SexTwisty’s recent corset patriarchy blaming brought out (and we knew they were out there) female defenders of the sporset. The sporset, as I will be calling the sports corset since it deserves a stupid name, is a corset that you can wear during exericise, because nothing says “breathe” like “boning.”
Defenders claim it is for fitness dance, which might be true but I have to admit I have my doubts, mostly because I can’t think of any reason to artificially constrict your entire torso during aerobic exercise (although the boning in the corset is described as “soft.”) RandomBird, an empowerful woman of about my age and education, gets to the heart of the matter.
When I exercise, I want to feel sexy and I want men to look at me. When I do exercise (which is rare, aside from all the walking I do), I don’t exercise for my health; I exercise because I want to look good. And why do I want to look good? For men.
Now that’s something that needs to be google cached for the ages, for in twenty or thirty years, Lynn Peril’s successor is going to write the next “Pink Think,” and she’ll need stuff like that. RandomBird continues in the comments:
But regarding feminism, I neve felt as though it helped me understand anything about being unhappy because I never felt as though I was victim of the patriarchy. I’ve taken two graduate courses in feminist theory and maybe one or two others at the undergradate level and for me, they provided more historical reference and general awareness; what I learned didn’t seem directly applicable to my own life.
They must have been really shitty feminist theory classes. Like, I’d ask for my tuition back shitty. Not that women’s studies classes at any level need to be a life-changing indocrination camp for strawfeminazis, but you shouldn’t be able to get out of one without having thoughts like “when I say I go to great effort to look sexy for men to the point where I am hypothetically willing to spend almost $100 (MSR) on a little pink exercise cage that may actually be detrimental, maybe I should examine why I put so much stock in the male gaze.”
Because RandomBird can’t possibly be working overtime for sexiness as a purely philanthropic act. She’s not the Eye Candy United Way. She’s got a job, an ex husband, an education. Does she really owe a random male audience anything? What did they do collectively to deserve her putting so much time and effort into pleasing them? Well, like the doors on the Heart of Gold, mostly the satisfaction of a job well done.
I didn’t realize until I verbalized this that some women would find this idea appalling. For a minute, I found it appalling until I asked myself: In any situation, what makes me feel sexy? Sexy men. And even some not-so-sexy men. Maybe even some sexy women, from time-to-time. Because what’s feeling sexy if it’s not feeling desirable to someone else?
…It seems that some feminists today are taking the position that to embrace your sexuality is to embrace the patriarchy. Yet at the same time, some of these women are also saying that the patriarchy is stifling women’s sexual rights. So I’m left wondering: What is a good feminist supposed to think about sex?
Embracing feminism, it seems, means ditching heteronormative sex entirely, and since Random’s not willing to do that (lots of us aren’t), she might as well wrap her legs around that pole and call it Pilates. Her assertion causes Twisty to bring out the blaming big guns:
A feminist gets off the only way a member of an oppressed class can get off: with extreme caution.
In other words, until the psychotic global system of dominance and submission gives way to a sane one that doesn’t fetishize oppression, there is no solution to the buzzkiller political problems inherent in all heterosexual boinking. That’s right. No solution. No happy ending. No scenario wherein prancing in a pink sportcorset can be construed as a politically neutral act. No ‘egalitarian sex’.
Random seems to have confused “embracing her sexuality” with “embracing the patriarchy,” if her cringe-worthy and kind of depressing romp through past blow-jobs is any indication. Her sexuality seems like it could have used a few fewer blowjobs. But it was this anecdote in particular that made me think maybe she could use a few more semesters in the women’s studies department.
I encountered the same issue with C. as I did with Alex: I was having my period and wanted to go down on him. I’d had a bit of success between my separation and C. so I had no anxiety. But one thing led to another, and as I had feared in the past, my mouth dried out. C. decided to finish it off by hand, with the aid of some KY Jelly. And then, before I realized what was happening, I felt his hand on the back of my head and an awful taste in my mouth.
Bad C! Bad Bad C! No! Ask first! Especially when you’ve slathered a foriegn goo all over your cock. It wasn’t a fucking ice cream sundae before and KY certainly isn’t chocolate sauce. A slightly less empowerful woman might have objected to being shoved back into a position she had just extracted herself from, but apparently C’s desire to come in Random’s mouth outweighed Random’s desire to have a few seconds to work up some saliva, even to Random who expressed “anxiety” afterwards but no “anger” or “annoyance.” Instead, she turned to the empowerful womans only power- Introspection Powers, Activate!
RandomBird, you can give blowjobs without having to put up with behavior like C’s. You are free to give them, he is not entitled to get them. If a sex act leaves you anxious, then you are free to blame the patriarchy and opt out for a bit (1 bit = however long you like) while you get your thoughts in order, you do not have to turn into a hairy-legged professional strawfeminist. You can enjoy all varities of penetrative sex without going all Zardoz on us.
You will find this frees up your life in many ways. For instance, the gym. Forget the male gaze there! Any serious gym rats are gazing at thier own pecs, not yours. You won’t have to go around reconciling the idea of putting on a sports corset mostly just to look hot for guys while in the same post calling it “edgy ironic” like you’d totally be playing raquetball in it even if it didn’t make your tits look awesome. You can stop writing crap like “the vagina is empty, the penis fills it.” You can slap C’s hand right off your head and snap “Not fucking now, alright?” and if he bitches about it you can dump his ass and find someone more reasonable* without a second thought. While full time patriarchy blaming takes a dedication that persons of our age and experience don’t usually have, even part-time blaming can be awesome, you might want to try it.
*PS: That “someone more reasonable” will also not be impressed with the sporset, so you’re free to leave that at home, too! Remember, for every unit of Male Gaze that looks upon you and your sporset with lust, another looked at you and went, “someone’s trying too hard.” Can’t please them all, so if you insist on performing, you might as well perform for the audience that doesn’t require you to spend all that money and time on an artificially boned up appearence. Coincidentally or not, those ones are generally better in bed.
48 Responses to “The penis may be evil, but the vagina is empty and we can’t leave the little fucksticks homeless.”
- 1 Pingback on Aug 29th, 2006 at 12:05 pm
- 2 Pingback on Aug 29th, 2006 at 2:15 pm
- 3 Pingback on Aug 30th, 2006 at 8:48 am
If her “sexuality” is nothing but farming out oral sex duties to her friends so her boyfriend doesn’t leave her and wearing a corset to work out, then yes, her “sexuality” is patriarchal. But I’m a feminist and my sexuality is about, you know, getting off. Which is actually kinda anti-patriarchy. Women coming makes Dr. Dobson get the shits.
When I do exercise (which is rare, aside from all the walking I do), I don’t exercise for my health
Is it possible to laugh at someone and still feel sorry for their idea of what self-worth is. Because if not, I think I’m beginning to hate myself.
Ya know, what bothers me about this one, isn’t that RandomBird is RandomBird–folks like that are going to exist. It’s that Twisty and some others used her age to make everyone under 30 look like a bunch of morons that can’t really commit to feminism.
It would be funnier if she were about 5 or 6 years younger.
I don’t think there’s an age limit - while Random is the perfect “empowerful woman” of Twisty’s post, there are plently of women 15 or 20 years older that would say the same damn things because they’re eating the same shit. It’s just easier to make fun of us young ‘uns.
Oh my lord, that is the best blog post ever.
I was one of those who mentioned RB’s age in my post — but the point I was trying to make is that it’s much harder for younger women (especially ones who are considered attractive) to reject patriarchy, because patriarchy is still offering them benefits for relatively little effort. As we get older, the benefits get fewer, and the effort to achieve them gets greater, making rejection of patriarchal beauty/sex mandates (to the extent that that is possible) less of a logical stretch.
And yes, there are indeed women who continue making the effort well into their supposedly more mature years. I live in Southern California, so I’m surrounded by them.
>Bad C! Bad Bad C! No! Ask first! Especially when you’ve slathered a foriegn goo all over your cock. It wasn’t a fucking ice cream sundae before and KY certainly isn’t chocolate sauce. A slightly less empowerful woman might have objected to being shoved back into a position she had just extracted herself from, but apparently C’s desire to come in Random’s mouth outweighed Random’s desire to have a few seconds to work up some saliva, even to Random who expressed “anxiety” afterwards but no “anger” or “annoyance.” Instead, she turned to the empowerful womans only power- Introspection Powers, Activate!>
There is that, yes.
I do wonder, you know, though, if there isn’t some way in which one could teach the young-uns, or even older-uns, “say, you know what? If you don’t like something? Or if you DO want something? It’s OKAY TO SAY SO. Directly. To the person you want it (or not) from, even.”
…without going into snide Twisty mode.
because that shit does not help matters either. “Dump him! And take off those shoes; anyone who would wear those things voluntarily belongs in a home. Sexbot! Breeder! Illiterate mouth-breathing moron! Really I’m only telling you this for your own good. Oh, good, the dinner bell.”
Hey, I never said “everyone under 30 is a moron.” Why do you young whippersnappers always have to put words in granny’s mouth?
But everyone under 30 IS a moron! I learned this about 3 years ago.
I’ve seen ‘em at seventy like her, what the hell, but without all the sex rhetoric, because, well the grannies from my generation didn’t talk about all that in public. But there’s plenty of patriarchy for every taste!
Very well said K.
But everyone under 30 IS a moron!
I second this. I’m 21, and I see morons my age eeevery day…
I have a very strong urge to find RandomBird’s women’s studies teachers and say, “You failed, we gotta find a better way to teach this.” Because clearly those courses bounced right off her head.
The comments over there rock. So funny.
Yay, belledame is back! Anyway, I like snideness as it’s nice and clear. And yea, as a 22 year old, I’ve seen the empowerful woman in many guises. And I’m from the suburbs, so I’ve seen them at all ages.
I think that those of us who are old have more sympathy for the ignorance of the young, rather than less. However, it goes right out the window when one realizes one is dealing with the willful ignorance of a person deeply committed to living an unexamined life.
Well I’d personally put some blame in her lameass college and proffesors for the feminist thoery classes that never taught her that women having sex against their will is a form of rape.
though to be fair, it’s her sexuality, and therefore entirely her own choice to be forced to suck cock against her will.
…without going into snide Twisty mode.
because that shit does not help matters either.
Because all the gods forbid that anyone ever shake us and tell us we’re being stupid when we’re BEING stupid! Everyone knows that there is nothing worse than to hurt the poor tender feelings of us shrinking violet females, and no greater virtue than that of Being Nice, as well as nothing more effective in terms of waking people up and getting them to smell the burning shit that surrounds them as they wander under the spell of the Lotus-eaters…
(OMG! you used the word “shit” of Twisty yourself - you’re not Civil either!)
She indicated she married one of her professors at 21. I wonder if it was her women’s studies prof…
RandomBird: Bride of Pete
(OMG! you used the word “shit” of Twisty yourself - you’re not Civil either!)
I think we’re all agreed on the likelihood of Twisty turning away from feminism. I also think there’s something to be said not for civility, but for recognizing how neatly feminist insults to a woman’s intelligence dovetail with the old-fashioned misogynist kind. Twisty has ceased to blame the patriarchy. She’s moved on to blaming women as well.
Um, piny, you think we should somehow never blame ourselves WHEN WE SCREW UP? That because men blame us for things that are NOT WRONG we are therefore to be all, all of us, all the time, immune from all self-criticism?
You’ve fallen into a kind of patriarchal “poow widdle girlies can’t handle reality” mentality right there, bucko.
Um, piny, you think we should somehow never blame ourselves WHEN WE SCREW UP? That because men blame us for things that are NOT WRONG we are therefore to be all, all of us, all the time, immune from all self-criticism?
And yet, I seem to have no problem criticizing Twisty. I also seem to have no problem doing that without making her out to be a freakin’ idiot.
You’ve fallen into a kind of patriarchal “poow widdle girlies can’t handle reality” mentality right there, bucko.
Well, yeah, that can happen when people attribute beliefs to you that you don’t hold. You can sound pretty stupid when you’re being misrepresented.
That wasn’t what I said at all. I have a problem with the way she talks about (straw)sexpos–and to them. If she sticks to the woman-blaming, it’ll at least be consistent; most of the don’t-hate-the-blamers-hate-the-game crowd insist that they would never blame women for their choices. I also happen to dispute her version of reality.
Incidentally, the problem isn’t that men blame women for things that are NOT WRONG. The problem is that men blame women for things that are NOT THEIR FAULT. Male misogyny, for example.
You didn’t “say” it. You implied it. And, then refused to acknowledge the implication. So, if you want my 26-year-old straight-girl ass to “examine my life” for the political implications of what I do in the privacy of my bedroom, I totally suggest you examine your entry for just exactly what “of course” she’s 25 might mean to your younger readers.
That’s why I don’t read her anymore.
“I think we’re all agreed on the likelihood of Twisty turning away from feminism.”
No, we are not agreed.
“Twisty has ceased to blame the patriarchy. She’s moved on to blaming women as well.”
No, she has not ceased to blame the patriarchy. I read her and she has (thankfully) not stopped at all. As far as blaming women goes, I would hope a self-identified feminist would blame the patriarchy’s supporters and collaborators right along with the patriarchs.
They all play their part in keeping the rest of us down.
(Shrug) I don’t have that much of a problem with people implying that younger people are stupid–we frequently are. But saying that younger women are less feminist? That’s just silly.
She’s moved on to blaming women as well.
You put this as if it were ipse facto something wrong to be doing.
If you don’t think that “blaming women” is ipse facto wrong, then don’t use those words. If you do think that way, then I think you’re stupid and out of touch with reality. But either way, don’t complain that you’re being misrepresented, because that *is* what you said, whether you realized it or not.
Ipso facto. Not to go around casting aspersions on someone else’s intelligence or anything.
No, I did not put it as though it were ipso facto wrong, let alone ipse facto wrong. I put it as though it were a departure from the usual, which it is. I think that the way in which she does it is wrong. You erected a strawman–that I don’t think women should ever be criticized, which is a stretch, to put it mildly–and proceeded to insult that strawman’s views.
Plus, “blaming the Twisty way” is a leeetle bit different from mere critique, nu?
I put it as though it were a departure from the usual, which it is.
Actually you put “blaming the patriarchy” in conflict with “blaming women” as though they were mutually exclusive opposites, when they will both occasionally cross over and become one in lieu of the fact that sometimes the patriarchy is spread and supported by women, who are not perfect and do, and will, make mistakes.
Plus, “blaming the Twisty way” is a leeetle bit different from mere critique, nu?
what is this strange “mere critique” creature? Is it like a meer cat?
Maybe my lack of education is showing, but where does it say critiques have to be nice and not dripping in sarcasm and snark?
yeah, ok*, but that still doesnt mean you need to look good while doing the exercise, any more than you have to look good while you’re puking up your bulimic ass to keep thin for the men
*well, not, but for the sake of argument
Actually you put “blaming the patriarchy” in conflict with “blaming women” as though they were mutually exclusive opposites, when they will both occasionally cross over and become one in lieu of the fact that sometimes the patriarchy is spread and supported by women, who are not perfect and do, and will, make mistakes.
No, I didn’t. I pointed out a difference between what Twisty does sometimes and what she’s doing now. Then bellatrys said that I said that no woman should ever be criticized for anything. Which is kind of a bizarre take on a critical response to la Faster, isn’t it?
I pointed out the difference between blaming women for male misogyny and blaming men for male misogyny. I don’t disagree that Ann Coulter et al. deserve criticism; I do have a problem with the idea that Ann’s fuck-me heels, or Amanda Marcotte’s skirts, or our eating disorders have played any significant part in allowing men to be misogynist. That kind of reasoning I have a problem with.
what is this strange “mere critique” creature? Is it like a meer cat?
Maybe my lack of education is showing, but where does it say critiques have to be nice and not dripping in sarcasm and snark?
That’s gotta be the worst joke I’ve ever seen you make.
First of all, do not put that elitist bullshit on me, ‘kay? I’m not the one calling other people stupid and simple because they don’t bring The Tale of Genji into a discussion of American female sexuality between the Silent Generation and the Millennials.
Where does it say that the two choices are between nice and horrible? “Blaming the Twisty way” is not synonymous with “criticizing someone’s ideas.” Look at your initial response to the initial blowjob post–you know, “some idiot who never got over am incident of abusive sex they experienced once” etc. etc.–same problem.
Gah! I hate the, “If you want me to think about feminist things you’ll have to ask nicer. What’s the magic word? ‘Cause otherwise I’m going to go allow my bf to assault me while wearing high heals just out of spite for you!” BS.
Grow up. Look, I’m 25 and can acknowledge that there are a huge number of people my age that are so willfully ignorant of anything that might get in the way of their id that I want to smack them. People that willfully ignorant aren’t going to respond to a politely phrased, “Would you please examine your actions”, they need a verbal smack upside the head whether they like it or not. I personally think Twisty should be required reading for everyone (especially men and those under 30) because we all need a verbal smack upside the head sometimes.
I was lucky enough to be exposed to real live feminist though early and often, and I’m still learning, but I’m aware enough to know that I’m a stupid kid compared to some other blamers and take being lumped in with the stupid kids as a reality check instead of an insult.
Piny:
But saying that younger women are less feminist? That’s just silly.
Cite source of complaint pls. In my reading of the blogular circle pit that this topic has become, I have yet to see someone say this. “Why do you young whippersnappers always have to put words in granny’s mouth,” indeed.
Or are you just whipping out off-topic examples of things that are “just silly”?
Wearing shoes on your head - just silly!
Putting your elbow in your ear - just silly!
Here.
Anyway, what really interests me about the post to which I allude is that, after some blogular introspection on the subject of her ‘blowjob duties’ (gulp), Random Bird, who of course is 25, muses thusly:
That’s gotta be the worst joke I’ve ever seen you make.
there was a really bad comment on pandagon done entirely in a bad german accent. I’m not proud of it. And that really bad bussel post.
some idiot who never got over am incident of abusive sex they experienced once
Bad example, because I was 100% right - abusive past experiences with fellatio were basically coloring the opinions of those criticising fellatio in all situations. And no one else called it because there is no possible way that I (and presumably, they) could think of to say that without it coming out as horrible. When on death ground fight - should I have not mentioned it even though it was highly relevent, just because I couldn’t figure out a way to do it politely?
But of course that’s not what you’re criticising, and that’s why I agree with you on your actual point, while also agreeing with bellatrys on her point (which is my way of pointing out that you’re talking over each others’ heads here).
Yes, Twisty often does that stupid thing of missing the point entirely - the problem with each generation is that they’ve been indoctrinated by the patriarchal culture we live in, and blaming the generation itself, rather than the patriarchy that warped it, just like it did with Twisty’s generation too… well it wouldn’t quite be so funny if it wasn’t a bad habit of boomer gen feminists especially to criticise third wavers for not being feminist enough - because a generation that claims Dawn Eden as one of their’s has no business condemning third wavers as a class for the attempt by the patriarchy to entirely co-opt third wave feminism.
Note of course for the next bit that I didn’t simply attribute Twisty’s flaw entirely to her age - the objectionable bits do err on the side of “why in My day, all these streets were fields, by gum, and you could go down the shops and buy ten pounds of liberation for a nickel by jiminny…”, it’s common mistake though because people forget that every generation laments the fall of the younger generation, and generally that’s due to better reporting - no one in the 60’s and 70’s would have made a big song and dance about how they’re proudly a sex object who exists entirely for men’s visual/tactile pleasure, despite the fact that it was probably more common - especially among those “liberated” hippy women (free love just means not having to pay your whores).
On the other hand, that bullshit “can’t we all just get along and agree to disagree” thing is total BS, if an idea or opinion cannot stand in the harsh glare of criticism - especially hyperbolically vicious and often down right nasty criticism (because you don’t think our enemies are going to go easy on us all of a sudden or limit themselves to the rules of that mythical “Civil Debate” do you?) - then it not only doesn’t deserve to exist, it will not be allowed to exist in the long run, and that won’t be my fault.
Twisty’s problem is not that she criticised women meanly, it’s that she criticised them stupidly - like with me attacking Bussel’s photo - it’s the stupidity, not the harshness.
Inspect closer, piny. You may notice that
who of course is 25
does not equal
saying that younger women are less feminist
unless you’re straining to find a meaning that isn’t there. Twisty’s comment, which I believe would be reasonably decoded in context as meaning “young people often believe themselves to be smarter than they actually are, and hilarity ensues” is hardly a commentary on us whippersnappers’ (in)ability to be adequately feminist. While feminism is indeed smart, it does not serve to confuse commentary on one for commentary on the other.
Twisty’s problem is not that she criticised women meanly, it’s that she criticised them stupidly - like with me attacking Bussel’s photo - it’s the stupidity, not the harshness.
I think, though, that the harshness–the unfairness–and the stupidity–the lousy aim–kind of blur together. Women are usually attacked through their sexuality; it’s shorthand for their intelligence, their strength, their sanity, their morality. Slut, bimbo, whore, even prude. And so it’s very difficult to criticize a woman’s politics as relates to her personal life without stepping into all of that. It’s happened a few times on the pandagon threads–there was this one exchange between a pro-sex feminist with a blog and two other women questioning her in detail about personal sexual encounters she’d described there, and aspects of them that they considered indicative of internalized sexism. Not related to the thread, mind you. Just ammunition. Really effective ammunition. There’s no defense against that. It’s not something you can dispute because it’s not something that allows any woman to come out ahead. That’s why it’s disquieting when I see this “harsh criticism:” it’s not that Twisty makes her out to be off her nut, but that she makes her out to be a bimbo.
unless you’re straining to find a meaning that isn’t there. Twisty’s comment, which I believe would be reasonably decoded in context as meaning “young people often believe themselves to be smarter than they actually are, and hilarity ensues” is hardly a commentary on us whippersnappers’ (in)ability to be adequately feminist. While feminism is indeed smart, it does not serve to confuse commentary on one for commentary on the other.
I saw it as a slam against younger women, myself. I get the sense that Twisty sees a lot of overlap between “smart woman,” and, “feminist woman.” Happy to agree to disagree.
Really effective ammunition. There’s no defense against that.
Well KH called bullshit on that quite well - justifiably so - as did alot of other feminists, so there certainly is a defense and that’s to simply cry bullshit. Civility would of course bind the hands of people to cry bullshit on that sort of crap when it’s not put so bluntly, the way many white liberals actually agreed that asking black people on hot days whether the skin of people from africa acts as a heat sink compared to the pasty skin of freckle speckled northern europeans was a perfectly innocent and unoffensive question that no reasonable black person could possibly get offended about was ridiculous, polite racism is still wrong, polite misogyny is still wrong.
The problem is not how polite something is, it’s how problematic something is, and I hate the way so many discussions get stuck, like this one, on some superficial element of an arguement rather than focusing on the real matter at hand - the substance of it.
That’s why I threw that semi-serious hissy fit over having to edit one of the bussel follow up posts, I get why people get hung up, but I could live without having to moderate and edit stuff to hell and back - partly out of laziness admittedly, but also partly because it shouldn’t matter - if discussions were really civil, truely reasonable, it wouldn’t be neccesary to constantly destroy arguements that rely on nit picking and word lawyering.
But the blogosphere is the last bastion of true anarchy, so it’s incredibly unrealistic to expect better.
What *I* get from Twisty’s saying Random Bird is 25, is she’s twenty fucking five and being stroked by the partriarchy for every misogynistic thing she does and told by the patriarchy in all it’s permutations that what she is doing is good, more, your choice. She believes it. She’s not stupid. Far from it. She just thinks she’s unusual somehow, that when she’s 40 if not before, she won’t be punted off the cock for another 25 year old exercising her choice. Among other stuff I’m too pissed off to try to articulate, now.
Well KH called bullshit on that quite well - justifiably so - as did alot of other feminists, so there certainly is a defense and that’s to simply cry bullshit. Civility would of course bind the hands of people to cry bullshit on that sort of crap when it’s not put so bluntly, the way many white liberals actually agreed that asking black people on hot days whether the skin of people from africa acts as a heat sink compared to the pasty skin of freckle speckled northern europeans was a perfectly innocent and unoffensive question that no reasonable black person could possibly get offended about was ridiculous, polite racism is still wrong, polite misogyny is still wrong.
Can we please, please, please stop bashing this civility strawman, particularly if you’re attempting to attribute its views to me?
“KH called bullshit on it” is like saying, “And then Jeff Goldstein wrote a post on his blog about it.” She’s a contrarian whose opinion holds negative worth in the eyes of most commenters there. I don’t remember a lot of feminists calling bullshit on it. But that’s the thing: I’m not sure that “feminist analysis” allows it to be bullshit. How is it a clear violation of privacy and respect to talk about someone’s sex life on a prostitution thread? It informs their politics, right? How is that necessarily different from writing three or four related blog posts on someone’s sex life? Both of these women posted publically about it, which means that it’s fair game for feminist analysis.
The problem is not how polite something is, it’s how problematic something is, and I hate the way so many discussions get stuck, like this one, on some superficial element of an arguement rather than focusing on the real matter at hand - the substance of it.
Okay, so stop writing like I give a flying fuck about politeness. I’m saying that these two strains of analysis–form and substance–are difficult to separate.
That’s why I threw that semi-serious hissy fit over having to edit one of the bussel follow up posts, I get why people get hung up, but I could live without having to moderate and edit stuff to hell and back - partly out of laziness admittedly, but also partly because it shouldn’t matter - if discussions were really civil, truely reasonable, it wouldn’t be neccesary to constantly destroy arguements that rely on nit picking and word lawyering.
And I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree about the nitpick part. I was upset about the Bussel post because her argument would have been exactly as worthwhile if she’d shown up for the photo shoot wearing a bra–or if the VV had allowed her to write without being photographed, like they do with male columnists.
I find even the “sporset” defense more forgiveable than Random’s sexual fantasies about Lite Country “musicians.” Blecch. Does she write slashfic about them, too ? I need an aspirin…
I hate just about everything about this metathread. But this:
Piny, you can consider that man-crush mutual.
Is there a Koufax catagory for the best blog post title ever? ‘Cause if there is, you are so getting nominated!