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I don’t like this, but I can’t tell if it is my feminism or my environmentalism that’s doing the complaining.

The Ms. Magazine Annual Cruise reaches it’s third year. They sent me an email listing the top 10 reasons I should spend $1,600+ to go on their boat.

Top Ten Reasons You Should Join Us on the Ms. Cruise

10. Rejuvenate, commiserate, celebrate with feminist friends – bring yours and/or make new!

9. Receive 20 continuing education credits from the National Association of Social Workers.

8. Make stops in Key West, FL; Mexico; Belize and Guatemala.

7. Plot and strategize with feminist thinkers, writers, activists and readers on how to change the world … and not a minute too soon.

6. Get the “dish” on 35 years of Ms. – Breaking Stories ­and Making History.

5. All taxes, port fees, and gratuities are included in one price!

4. 2 swimming pools – world renowned spa – casino – all on board.

3. Dine with Tyne Daly, Dolores Huerta, Ellie Smeal , Martha Burk … and that’s just the beginning.

2. Enjoy exclusive Ms. port excursions in Mexico and Belize. Meet with feminists on the ground in those countries — discuss the environment, gender equality and women’s health.

1. As you vacation, you are helping raise funds for Ms. Magazine – the voice of the feminist movement. Think of it as enjoyable giving!

I think it’s numbers 7, 2 and 1 that piss me off the most, but #4 and the website remind me about how much I dislike cruises in general.

Anyone else uncomfortable with a Ms. cruise, or am I just being uptight?

18 Responses to “I don’t like this, but I can’t tell if it is my feminism or my environmentalism that’s doing the complaining.”

  1. jlp says:

    I get these every year, and although the marketing makes me uncomfortable, my biggest problem has always been with the $1600 price tag. That’s not to say I think they should charge less, but simply that if I wanted to contribute $1600 to “change the world” (presumably on behalf of women), it wouldn’t be through going on this cruise and “din[ing] with Tyne Daly.”

    (No offense to Tyne Daly.)

  2. They’ve been called out for this before and there’s even a documentary out about it. I wish they’d just quit it. I appreciate the idea, but surely there’s more environmentally sound ways to have big ticket parties to raise money.

    I’m no earth mother type who thinks women are tapped into nature more than men or anything. However, there is little doubt that anti-environmentalism is tied strongly to misogyny. Feminists need to be cognizant of the connection between the two and therefore of our obligation as feminists, to be environmentalists.

    There are a million reasons why environmentalism should be Feminism 101, and Chris Clarke could probably get into it better than me. But on top of the long-standing linkage between willful destructiveness and misogyny, you also have the flip side problem where the traditional linkage of the female body and the planet has resulted in environmentalist men acting like the planet is their female property and that pollution is “raping the earth” (credit to Chris for pointing this out), a deliberate link between keeping female bodies pristine for male use and the earth. Environmentalism needs the feminist stamp, a pragmatic view of our relationship to the planet as symbiotic, like women’s relationships with our own bodies.

  3. ilyka says:

    Anyone else uncomfortable with a Ms. cruise?

    Me. I don’t like it just because of who else does that.

  4. MikeEss says:

    I know who Tom Cruise is, but who the hell is Ms. Cruise?…

  5. kactus says:

    Aw, just more middle class entitled nonsense.

  6. Annie says:

    I don’t like it, either. Ilyka points out that the NR also has a cruise-fundraiser, and so does The Nation.

    I’ve always seen them as vacations that allow (middle-, upper-class) folks to say “Hey! I’m helping! Oh, but let me tell you about the massage I had!”

    I’ve also seen the documentary Amanda mentions, and it points out that cruise ships are (or can be) rather damaging to the seas/oceans they travel upon, and are also not much fun for the workers on the ships, and that travelling to these countries may not be all it’s cracked up to be.

    Mostly I think the $1600 and time could be better spent elsewhere.

  7. Douglas, Friend of Osho says:

    Not much fun for the workers is a euphemism; the working conditions for the crew, especially the hospitality staff, would rival those Orwell describes in “Down and Out in Paris and London.” Just give the Ms. Foundation the $1600 directly and get a massage from your local CMT.

  8. Fat Doug Lover says:

    Added issue: A lot of cruise ships don’t fly under American flags, so their workers do not have worker protection that they have in the U.S.

  9. Douglas, Friend of Osho says:

    The worst ones are of Liberian or Bahamian registry, so check the small print in the ads if you simply must go on a cruise.

  10. Chris Clarke says:

    I don’t usually do this kind of thing, but let me put on my day job hat for a moment:

    There is no excuse for any so-called progressive organization to team up with the cruiseship industry.

    My friend Gershon Cohen has been working on the issue of environmental and social damage caused by cruise ships for some time, and has compiled a lot of relevant information.

  11. R. Mildred says:

    Okay, hands up, who among the punkass readership would even concievably spend $1600 american on a fucking cruise so they can circle jerk with a bunch of Ms. magazine reading WASPs?

  12. raging red says:

    And then there’s that whole problem of sexual assault & rape on cruises. There are law firms that specialize in litigating rape & sexual assaults on cruise ships.

  13. kactus says:

    I’m more saddened by the inclusion of Delores Huerta, one of my personal heroines, in the list of “celebs” that cruise attendees will get to schmooze with. Ah shit. Bad cynical morning all around for me–guess I oughta just shut up and go back to bed.

  14. Chris Clarke says:

    Yeah, that kinda felt like touching a metal doorknob after shuffling a mile of shag carpet to me too, kactus.

  15. Sage says:

    This reminds me of the breast cancer pink ribbon campaign, and all the school fundraisers that push chocolate or magazine subscriptions. Can’t we all just donate to worthy causes without getting a bunch of crap that accumulates in the attic (or our stomachs)?? I’d be curious to know how much of the $1600 actually goes to Ms. and how much goes to the cruiseline.

  16. gayle says:

    “they can circle jerk with a bunch of Ms. magazine reading WASPs?”

    So everyone who reads Ms. Magazine is a WASP, R. Mildred?

    I better send back my old copies then. Last I checked, financially struggling Italian were not categorized as WASPS. I’ll also notify Gloria Steinam right away as I’m fairly certain Jewish women don’t make the grade either.

  17. gayle says:

    Opps, Italian women that is.

  18. gayle says:

    Sage,

    I’ve wondered about the same thing. I interviewed a very wealthy socialite once who was on her way to a black tie fundraiser. She told me about the event– high profile venue, fabulous menu, known headliners for entertainment, etc.

    I told her it sounded like fun. She sighed and said she had a mailbox full of invitations and she wished they’d all drop the galas and just ask her to write them a damn check instead.

    Of course that’s just a meaningless anecdote, but your comment brought it back to me. . . I assume with so many organizations jockeying for funds, they all feel they have to outdo each other for attention and $$.

    The pink ribbons and, worse, the pink plastic crap is reprehensible. I used to think a portion of the proceeds went to research or something but now there are manufactuers claiming the mere sight of their pink plastic mugs and Ts is, in and of itself, raising awareness! Whoopie!

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