Tuesday, October 19, 2010

About Sexism...

This is how two different online dictionaries define sexism:

Merriam-Webster

1: prejudice or discrimination based on sex; especially : discrimination against women
2: behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex

The Free Dictionary

1. Discrimination based on gender, especially discrimination against women.
2. Attitudes, conditions, or behaviors that promote stereotyping of social roles based on gender.

Seems straight forward enough doesn't it?

Not to the minds of many people out there. For some odd reason, many people in our culture seem to have a difficult time grasping this simple concept.

Here are some examples:

not sexist
I found the above cartoon from a blog complaining that there was "sexism" in our modern super-hero-comic-books.

Unbelievable.

Does the image above discriminate against women?
Does the image above foster a social role based on sex?

NO and NO.

Here is another:

not sexist

Does the image above discriminate against women?
Does the image above foster a social role based on sex?

NO and NO.

Another:
not sexist

Does the image above discriminate against women?
Does the image above foster a social role based on sex?

NO and NO.

When I see well-defined women being labeled as sexist I think to myself:
reaction to feminist

Clearly, people are confusing "sexism" with "sex". I see examples of this everywhere I go. Sexual innuendos are referred to as sexist by many people.

Why is this?

I have always wondered. Sexism is a complete put-down of one sex by the other. An example I could think of is somebody saying something like - oh - how about:

"Men are all pigs".

Such a statement demonstrates discrimination and prejudice against a sex. Also, it fosters a stereotype - a negative one at that.

In our culture such things are NOT labeled as sexist though.

Ever since my late teens, I have asked myself why this is.

I have found the best answer is Dr. Rookh Kshatriya's AngloBitch Thesis.

If feminism was more about the re-establishment of old-school puritanical thinking than about equality - it certainly explains why images like the ones above are MISS-labeled as "prejudiced" or "fostering a stereotype". They of course do neither of these things; labeling them as sexist is a feeble attempt to demonize sex - more specifically, male sexuality.

Now, the grand finale:
sexism against men
The comic above was found on manboobz blog. He claimed it was sexist. What a crock.

Does it discriminate against women or men?
NOPE.
Does it foster a stereotype of women or men?
Possibly - but notice the stereotypes presented:
It shows a man who has a lack of patience - and being prone to murder.

What sex is the cartoon "fostering" a more negative stereotype of?

Clearly, many people who use the word "sexist" have a skewed way of thinking.

Sexism has nothing to do with sexual intercourse. It has to do with discriminating against the opposite sex, or stereotyping the opposite sex.

Notice that this is something feminists do more often than any other group.

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