Female Chauvinist Pigs - Has anyone read?

I must admit my utter ignorance--I have not watched televison in over a year. I have not been able to watch MTV or listen to 'Top 40' radio since around 1991. I have chosen to filter the media to which I expose myself; in this way, I can be considered a pop-culture illiterate.

I am puzzled by your words (albeit clever words) "suburbanite wangstas." As with all generalizations, I take this one, too, with a grain of salt. I agree that young people are assaulted from all sides with media-generated notions of 'normalcy.' I also agree that the barage is harmful; however, the chicken-egg circularity of this argument seems counterproductive. Take, for example, this study and the series of articles that have followed: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=31156
This idea is in no way new. I recall a scene in the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High (directed by Amy Heckerling) involving Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, and a carrot.

What titilates, sells (this can be extended to include the book at the start of this thread). It is the conversation that follows that is of the most importance to me--particularly as it relates to feminism.

I think we're rapidly reaching the point where men will be just about as worried about they think women want.

The playing field is a lot more level in terms of a woman being able to pick and choose, or just remain independent of men entirely.

Additionally, the personal grooming and clothing industries (among others) have finally realized that men can be made just as self-conscious about their appearance. Cha-ching.

Personally, a guy that takes longer to get ready than I do seems a little too high maintenance for me.

I respectfully disagree. I would suggest that "At FIRST they pick up on ..." because, immediately after that, they turn the diffuse light (if you will) of naturally evolving societal trends into ad-lasers capable of targeting and searing an audience already accustomed to (if not enamored of) the light's original state.

(And whereas the rest of society --- outside the trend's epicenter ---may have remained unimpressed toward the natural, diffuse light ... the laser-like, bling-intensity of PROFESSIONALLY AMPLIFIFED LIGHT will (be much more likely to) capture that rest-of-society's attention. After which point, the insidious Herd Mentality often takes over and outdoes even the professionals' mad skills.)

The coolhunters will PICK UP the nascent trends, yes; but they are only the Research part of the Research and Development twins. And while coolhunting is a RELATIVELY recently codified field, the Development sector is ages-old and profits from both the inherited wisdom of its forebears and the cutthroat tactics of its ninjalicious up-and-comers.





Specifically? Hmmm. Any group, considering the topic at hand, that has an interest in promoting the products/services of those in the female cosmetics/clothing/personal hygiene industry. And any group then active in providing products/services that are meant to appear (so as to SELL) as COUNTER to the products/services of that first industry. And, finally, any political group that will make use of the success of (either of) those marketing stands as being indicative of "what women REALLY want, and you can tell because, hey hey, they're voting with their DOLLARS, aren't they?"

Which parts of Conde Nast, Revlon, Dupont, Beatrice, the Republicans, the Democrats, the Greens, Harpo Entertainment, Scientology, et alia, apply? Whichever ones can make a buck (or a subcultural Brownie Point) from exploitation of authenticity.





I wish I could tell you how far it will swing or how long it will take to reach its peak before swinging back the other way. I wish I knew that, myself (and I realize your question was likely rhetorical). What I *do* know--- what I *think* I know, anyway --- is that 1) the pendulum's swinging is eternal; 2) I, too, will continue to fight the good fight, if not for my antecedents, then for myself and my sisters and my daughter and those who follow after; and 3) if my life is taken up with nothing BUT the struggle, if there's little time for dancing and singing and laughing about all the rest of this miraculous universe, then the opposing forces will have already won.

* * * * * *

If I may also, in this post, indulge my penchant for pushing Gibson on a Stephenson-worshipping metaverse ... I will mention that, as much as the Good William's IDORU is a fine evocation of what Second Life may become, his most recent book --- PATTERN RECOGNITION --- speaks much more eloquently and broadly (and inventively) to the subjects at hand than I could ever hope to.

And it's the only book he's written that is readable because of the style rather than in spite of it.

*Edit: I want to take this opportunity to push the short story, "The Rebranding of Billy Bailey, by Cory Doctorow. It isn't available in its entirety on the internet, but it was printed in the last issue of Adbusters (the one devoted to talking about art, and features a period piece painting of a woman wearing a gas mask on the cover). It's a piece that doesn't seem so far away from where we are now and is pretty spot on. It is also the only Doctorow piece I've been able to read because of the style rather than in spite of it.

Oh, absolutely. This is where my own feelings on the subject start to get muddled. I think there's no doubt that exposure to violent and sexual media has long term effects on society and kids who are raised with it, but I veer off in a different direction than most people... I don't think the media, computer games, MTV, etc, are the real problem.

If people had a solid foundation in reality, well developed critical thinking skills, and principles of morality and ethics that were based in rational humanism rather than ambiguous mythology, they'd have no problem keeping what the media and the church throw at them in perspective. If people were skilled in interpersonal communication, especially within intimate relationships, in a way not crippled by social taboos, they could get their freak on however they want to. People should maybe get to know themselves and their partners before they veer off into roleplay... because otherwise even the missionary position is roleplay.

To use your car ad analogy, the kind of car ads we have now shouldn't even work. they say nothing at all about the car, show it doing things that you'll never do (and likely aren't even physically possible), and try and sell it to you based not on need but on how it will make other people look at you. No facts. Just sensationalism, conformism, and a carrot on a stick (all of which are natural bedfellows). It's not any different than what the puritans do, just using different carrots. They do it because it works.

Who's worse... the media and religion that exploit stupidity and conformity, or the society that allows so many to be so easily led? As long as people are so easily manipulated history will remain a record of pendulum swings between gluttony and puritanism and the related sensationalism and propoganda from both sides.

I, ever the pessimist, would extropolate that "social values at their deepest level" will not change until they are again linked to a more primitive form of survival. (Post-apocalypse, anyone?) Because survival (of one kind or another) is where social values are generated from. And survival --- for the small percentage of the more ridiculously fortunate humans on this planet, among whom you & I reside --- is based in a paradigm of consumption.

(Which you've already pointed out at greater length and with greater clarity, actually, ty.)

I just think that ... as humans, we're all going to do what comes easiest to us. Just, for some of us, NOT doing what comes easiest IS (sometimes) the easiest thing for us to do. (I know: paradoxical.) Rather, see, the rewards of that lack of ease are sufficiently offset by ...

Uh, what I mean is ...

Oh, f*ck it. Let me at that pie, you!

I'm sure this would be true if you base it on a rational thinking process. Certainly trends would seem to dictate it:

135 women receive bachelor's degrees for every 100 men

The problem with the men-and-personal-grooming thing is it would depend on women demanding it. Let's face it - for an awful lot of men, how much ROI is there in trying to make their lazy mugs all pretty?

Fuck em if they can't take a joke.

Yet, women still don't get degrees where it counts and continue to lag behind in income.

Carry my post-apocalyptic agrarian babies, child bearer.

Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas!

I see you know the mating call of Dobbsian X-Day Revels. Interesting technique.

The Rev. Stang taught me his own self! (Well, in exchange for a half-kilo of 'frop, yes, but never mind that.)

Don't you mean "Irreverend?"

Wow. Sorry I did not see this til today. I agree with you almost completely, especially about critical thinking which is so crucial yet somehow a bad word to educators today. I wont go on cause its a dead thread, but I am glad I am not completely alone in thinking soem of these things.

Women have and will always rule the world.

All men, supposedly in power are merely puppets.

Boys, forget what your momma's put in your heads and look around. You live, work, cry, kill and die for women. Many of you even want to be women. They got you by the balls.

Argue as much as you want, you have been brainwashed and will never admit to it and women are too smart to let you see it.

Sextus, I like the way you think. And, yes, everthing in the universe that is 'knowable' has been covered in the Cohen brothers' Raising Arizona. To wit:


Prison Counsellor: Why do you say you feel "trapped" in a man's body.
Convict: Well, sometimes I get them menstrual cramps real hard.

~or~

Old man in the bank: Now, what's it gonna be young feller? You want I should freeze or get down on the ground? 'Cause if'n I freeze, I can't rightly drop. And if'n I drop, I'm gonna be in motion.