This weekend, I was in the Bay area to attend a board meeting for the youth publication, Wiretap. Imagine my pleasant surprise to find a fellow desi blogger also on the board with me, Samhita Mukhopadhyay. A former desi riot grrrl, Samhita is now a blogger/editor for the popular Feministing.
The site editors and founders are motivated by their belief that young women are rarely given the opportunity to speak on their own behalf on issues that affect their lives and futures. Feministing aims to provide a platform for women to comment on and analyze these issues. Roughly 25,000 unique users per day visit the site. [link]
Sweet, a young desi voice in the historically non-diverse feminist movement! And a blogger! In a recent interview done with Alternet, Samhita informs us of the intersections of activism and blogging, a topic that I find fascinating and have written about through the lens of the South Asian American movement before.
But aren’t there drawbacks to leading a feminist movement through blogs?Samhita: Well, this is our activism; engaging with other bloggers. But yeah, we talk all the time about whether or not we are organizing the people we talk about or if we’re just computer nerds. We want to alliance-build. But is it always safe to sit behind your keyboard? No. I still don’t always feel confident or safe…
People come to the site, read my blog and say things like “Don’t get out of hand.” This is still the dominant view, and there is still such a gendered power imbalance, and it’s easy to get caught up in all that and think, “Well, you’re right.” People have told me I’ll never have a journalism career. Some say my writing is unbalanced and anti-white. But it’s not, not in this context. I write what I feel and what I see, through the lens of post-colonial theory.[link]
A quick perusal through her posts on Feministing show entries that do just that and highlight transnational feminist issues: the Hudood Ordinance, Columbian women try sex ban, Pakistani rape laws, and women praying in Mecca.
Back in 2004, I attended the March for Women’s Lives in DC with a small contingent of desi women – all of us decked in ‘This Is What a Feminist Looks Like’ gear. We were the only desi females we saw at the march. This was frustrating particularly because I feel that the desi women issues that affect all of us in this community, are often pushed to the boundaries of the mainstream feminist movement. Our issues of glass ceilings, hate crimes, higher rates of HPV, and lower weight babies are SAA feminist issues. For these reasons, I often feel that there is a certain amount of distance people like to create with the word “feminist”, especially in our community. But what does it really mean?
Feminism can be recognized in many ways. For me, it’s more about what our moments of resistance are as women: a mother kicking out her deadbeat husband for not taking care of their child; women with multiple sex partners; women earning power in board rooms. Taking back. Acting back. It’s complicated….<
p>Those chicks who flashed their tits in the 60s largely cater to the white middle class. They often don’t do enough to include women of color. I think what you see now is little clusters [of feminists] getting together on issues, like the Duke rape case. It’s fragmented, but once something happens, people rally. [link]
If you haven’t done so yet, I highly encourage you to add Feministing to your blog reader. Before signing off, I’d like to pose two questions for the mutinous – Do desis have a place in the feminist movement? Can/Do desi bloggers have a role this?
Taz: Yes and yes! More on that later.
By the way, we’re featuring Samhita in an upcoming issue…
mildly OT: is there a non-academic intro to post-colonial theory? i looked in my local college library, which isn’t small, and
1) most of the PCT books were specific, not intros 2) the two intros were checked out
thanks
(you can email me at contactgnxp -at- gmail.com if you have a rec)
I’m at work so this will be quick: to both questions — YES!!! I just realized that for msyelf quite recently. Connecting on a physical or blog-forum helps bring women, men, feminists, ideas together. It took being among 10,000 women at the Governor’s & First Lady’s Conference in CA to find my inspiration and to understand that essentially, collective strength can push for change in ways that individuals cannot
Interesting to read this in conjunction with a recent post by Eteraz. Excerpts below:
progressives will not get gung-ho about human rights issues except as an academic exercise … a few weeks ago when I was going ape over the WomenÂ’s Protection Bill only one notable blog within the vast expanse of the feminist blogosphere bothered to link to it .. Compare that to what the hawks were doing … They reached out to me; while I was begging the progressives.
Now, in FeministingÂ’s defense, they did link to a couple of stories on the BBC and CNN about the WomenÂ’s Protection Bill out of their own initiative. What they didnÂ’t do was a) suggest to their readers what could be done affirmatively on their own. Nor b) did they bother to link to others who were suggesting the doing of something
That kind of blogging simply reiterates my point: that in progressive blogging circles, simply ‘knowing’ about a human rights problem is tantamount to having done activism for it.
In her interview, Samita states:
Well, this is our activism; engaging with other bloggers. But yeah, we talk all the time about whether or not we are organizing the people we talk about or if we’re just computer nerds
Ikram,
To quote Abhi from that article I wrote- “If Sepia Mutiny ever lives up to its ambitions,” comments Abhi, “the people that read us will spread something they have learned on our blog to others, and they will in turn pass it on to still others. Soon there will be a lot of South Asians aware about issues that affect all of us. Then the real mutiny will begin.”
What is activism, really? the reason I see SM so successful on “activist” blogging, is that it does it in a way that doesn’t make it out right activist- it creates a Mutinous community – or a virtual community where you can usually get everything you’d ever want to know about desi cultural/politics in one spot.
If people think that “blogging” is simply ‘educating’ – that’s where they don’t see the real tools of what a blog is. It’s interactive, builds community, provides blog crack, acts as an ice berg on key issues, and can be the voice of the community. Of course, I see this with ‘good’ blogs like SM that know how to do it well. There are definately blogs like the one eteraz mentions that do just that.
Another question I’ve been toying with this weekend with ideas of advocacy journalism – can media influence public policy? Can blogs influence policy? Macaca gate sure heard the SM community loud and proud. I feel that blogs like this one sure can.
i think ali’s critique is more apropos for feministing than SM. the former is a much more politically focused blog. if SM decides to be hardcore ‘activist’ it will have to pick & choose issues and alienate a lot of its regularly readers, so i think it is reasonable that it focus on awareness and information more than translating thought and intent to deed. e.g., points of protonation for icebergs, but the icebergs will develop/organize elsewhere.
Taz,
I was actually very surprised to read the questions you posed at the conclusion of your post. I will answer your question with another question. Is there any public sphere where desis (bloggers or not) shouldn’t have a role? There are over a billion of us. Yeah, we’re a diverse bunch, economically, politically blah blah blah. Of course there is a place for desis in the feminist movement because there is a place for desis everywhere.
Ikram – I’m partially with Taz on this. Highlighting an issue is the first important part of the process, because maybe someone will read that and then go off to get involved a bit more. Without awareness there is no movemement anyway.
I think Eteraz’s point is slightly valid though too. There is a different between highlighting an issue and tut tut-ing, and highlighting an issue while at the same time having a constructive discussion on where a way forward might lie.
Razib: You might want to check out Aimé Césaire Discourse on Colonialism. It’s probably one of the earliest books on the subject, and isn’t too academic a read. It is slightly African-centric, but still a good introduction I would say.
ram, tx.
Taz asks: Do desis have a place in the feminist movement? Can/Do desi bloggers have a role this?
This is rather like asking whether desis have a role to play in development politics. If anything there is more of a need for a feminist movement in desi circles given the patriarchal nature of our communities.
Can bloggers play a role? For sure: by highlighting issues; maybe getting involved in fund-raising; writing to politicians or organising a demonstration when specific cases are highlighted (on PP we have highlighted demonstrations being held to stop women being deported back to abusive husbands); and the list goes on.
Bloggers can also help put political pressure regarding govt legislation (as I am trying in the UK by forcing the govt into specific anti-forced marriages legislation). One could also spot a good story and go to their local radio/TV station and offer it as a story in order to highlight issues.
An example here of putting pressure on the govt.
They have a place, they just have to step up and claim it, and when I say “they” I mean desis of both genders. I bought both my brother and father “This is what a feminist looks like” t-shirts and they both wear them with pride. We need more men to stand up like that.
Taz, the March for Women’s Lives was awesome (and meeting you was inspiring), but I disagree that ours was the only group of brown women there. I know 30-40 brown people (both men and women) who were there with different groups, they just tended to blend in. But I do agree that minorities in general need to join the feminist discourse more and lend their perspective and voice to the movement.
OH!!!!!!!! It took me all this time in blogosphere to put two and two together!!!!!!!!!!! I know who Kenyandesi is now! I have the cutest picture of the four of us at the March! 🙂
It’s great to see all this “of course, desis are feminists” comments, but the reason why I asked the question at the end of the blog relates to a conversation I had with Samhita, and how much ‘hate mail’ she gets in regards to her blogging. For her, as a desi blogger in the feminist movement, it was really difficult and not as accepting as we (not involved in mainstream feminism stuff) may have it seem. Taking it a step back into a “women of color feminism” scope, after reading the book “Colonize This!” a book on that issue, i realized just complex the issue is.
I totally echo Kenyan Desi by saying
tee heee (what the crazy Mawrter who insisted on being peppy at 4.30AM didn’t stick out in your mind?)
ohhhh send it to me (unbwogable at the gmail)
Great post!
I really like Samhita’s writing, and the fact the Feministing has a global focus.
Fully, blogging is one of the best ways to get desi girls politically active! Especially since our diaspora is spread across the world. Sometimes I hear stories of poorer women’s communities in India/Bangladesh/Pakistan rising up and feel a bit guilty about our lack of action about women’s rights. It seems the only desi women held up as role models are Pepsi CEOs and models-turned-actresses, not activists or human rights campaigners or artists…
I totally understand that. How many times have I heard versions of “you go girl (but I would never marry someone as crazy as you)” from desi men, and “don’t ruin our reputation with your crazy ideas” from desi women for expressing views like ‘dowry is problematic in desi culture’ or ‘desi women need to be taught to stand up for themselves.’
And this from OUR generation. I followed several links and now I forget where i saw it, but I read that in London, when interviewed, some women think that these attitudes will die out with the older generation. But it’s not true.
The word itself is problematic –feminism — it’s almost an insult from what I have found…an alternative “F” word that no one wants to be associated with…and the attitude I see is ‘why do you care anymore, women are already free and equal here.’ Maybe they are closer to being equal here, but they are not all the way there yet.
Most of the world still needs to see major change. The world still needs feminism. Desis need feminism. In it’s true essence. And more importantly it needs more male feminists, because change won’t come without half the worlds population on the sidelines(and if India and China don’t reverse the female fetocide/infanticide trends soon, we’ll have an even larger percentage of men).
I LOVE sending all the guys I know this amazing article, and I’d encourage/challenge all the men reading to not just read it but to join the feminist movement. (We really need you!!!) (Warning: This article contains explicit and coarse language) How Two Aspiring Pornographers Turned Me Into An F Word, by Hank Shaw
And it’s so not about subverting the system and doing away with chivalry and gender roles and what not (at least in my mind). It’s about coming to a place where women have a voice and aren’t trampled on all the time.
I think my absolute fave description of ALL time of what it means to be a feminist comes from ANNA:
WOW…I mean, really, WOW.
some of my other faves:
I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat. ~Rebecca West, 1913
Well-behaved women rarely make history ~Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
huh?
Razib –
Ania LoombaÂ’s Colonialism/Postcolonialism — a broad survey of post-colonial theory that is intelligently and very clearly written.
Wow, what great discussion! I want to thank Taz and SM for welcoming me to the SM community. I love this blog!
I just want to add, I do indeed agree that desis need to be involved VERY centrally to feminist movement. The bigger question is not that we step up and stake our claim, as it is, is there space for us there? Naturally there should be, but the reality is the mainstream feminist movement is still considered a white space that may not always include the specific needs of desi feminists. At what point do we embrace Western feminism and at what point do we create our own?!
Feministing has been a great outlet, but I have worked double time to keep the focus inter/trans-national. Most of our readers often question why we write about race so much, or about international issues so much etc. This to me indicates that feminism is still considered by and for whites, which is just so so so very wrong.
I am rambling, but my point is that not only do desi and other women of color feminists NEED to be at the forefront of mainstream feminist dialogue, we need to support each other and check mainstream feminist dialogue for not including our voices in a real way or making assumptions about our experiences due to cultural ignorance.
Patriarchy is everywhere, but we can’t understand it without evaluating the cultural and economic context within which it is operating. Some of our needs are similar to that of Western feminists and some are very uniquely desi.
Let’s talk about it.
I think that the word Feminist got a bad name and that was not a good development. At some point people started to back off and be all “well I’m not a feminist but I do believe…” That doesn’t seem like a good idea because by saying “I’m not a feminist but…” that indicates you have accepted the definition of feminist created by people who are opposed to feminism. Thats already a losing proposition.
I think the key to being part of any people’s movement is based in solidarity and empathy
Welcome Samhita, you raise some interesting points, especially the question of whether we have a place at the “white” feminist table. It’s much like the question of minorities having a voice in the LGBQT debate.
Not that I’m saying it’s a bad thing (ok maybe slightly) but why does this have to be about race? Why not carve out our own feminist movement? I’m not saying we should dissasociate ourselves with the mainstream movement, but if we find our voices stiffled, why should we not create our own space, rather than wait to be invited into a discussion?
I was a feminist before I entered the “west”. there is a feminism movement that is rampant in the “south” and “east.” And while it borrows heavily from the western paradigm of feminist theory, it is it’s own beast.
And I think btw, that SM does a fantabulous job of highlighting desi feminist issues.
Surprisingly enough, I happen to know a couple of desi guys who are deep into feminist issues in an academic way. My friend Raj Mankad is the managing editor of the Journal of Feminist Economics down here at Rice University. The field of Feminist Economics is hugely championed by Amartya Sen.
To all feminist desi gals, I say, “You go girl! (and I would only marry someone as crazy as you)” 😉
The feminist movement may be “historically non-diverse” as Taz says but at least they feel really guilty about it. So the answer would be yes (unless the desi is pro-life).
If Steinem were blogging, men would be menstruating by now.
Hey Taz,
I’m a Desi woman that was at the March!
Sahej:
Imagine if National Review called themselves “Humanist” and Humanism came to be associated with their policies. Many people would not want to call themselves “humanist” despite the literal meaning of the word.
This is what has happened to feminism. It is associated with various “leftist” movements and causes as is obvious from reading feministing or Ms. Magazine. I like feministing and read it every day but it is an obviously ideologically narrow and strident site in comparison to more inclusive sites like SM.
so, in this context being anti-feminist is not the same as being anti-woman. likewise, if a women doesn’t want to be part of the feminist movement, it’s not exactly like a black person not wanting to be an abolitionist.
Taz, Do desis have a place in the feminist movement?
Yes. It just doesnÂ’t get much press. My mother and her friends have always identified themselves as feminists. Most of them are close to 70. Although they were inspired by second-wave feminists, they have a uniquely home-grown take on issues. For those of us who grew up around these women, this doesn’t feel like an unusual / western notion.
I think this is unfortunately true across the board. How many living scientists, social workers, etc., can claim true “star” status as role models for hordes of people?
Now that’s an interesting conundrum!
I think another matter (don’t think it was mentioned yet) was the influence of religion “versus” feminism. For example, the majority of Muslim (from India & Pakistan) women (and men) that I know/have run across seem to be far less feminist-oriented than Hindus, Buddhists, etc. I suspect (though I only have anecdotal evidence to substantiate this) that this fact does cause a significant divide in the scope of desi feminism. Also, I’ve noted Indian Muslim men and women to be generally more “feministic” than their Pakistani counterparts. Just to recap – this is based on my and my close friends’/relatives’ experiences only.
You’re close. There is a difference between feminist and womanist, but I take it you were not referring to the etymological or ideological difference between those two. From what you said, being “pro-woman” would still be “pro-feminist”. This is because there isn’t just one “feminist movement” – and I’m not talking about the “waves”, I’m talking about feminisms existing concurrently. For instance, I’m dissatisfied with most feminisms, including the Riot Grrrl culture, but I am most definitely a feminist.
Spot on Manju. I think the feminist movement would have more gusto and support if it wasn’t drawing its support from and advocating issues for upper-middle & upper class white women. Unfortunately, that’s the face of feminism which is absurd because I think at the very core of the movement is a desire for freedom and the most important type of freedom is economic freedom. The women who have the least economic freedom are not affiliated with feminism because they could careless about a women becoming editor of national publication, a cabinet appointee, or membership at Augusta National. The movement needs to be taken over by the truely disadvantaged, acting in accordance with their interests. It’s analogous to tax relief- who needs it more? The highest quintile or the lowest?
Somewhat similar themes are discussed in this NYTimes article regarding the socioeconomics of breastfeeding between upper class and lower class women.
Great tip ND. I’m interested in what the Mutineering ladies have to say. Seems like empowerment is class specific and not one, monolithic X chromosome movement.
😛
Well, Ms. Steinem giving me periods aside (for the record I’m not a big fan of her views), I just wanted to address one point Kenyandesi raised about desis starting their own feminist movement. I think such a distinction would have consider a few potential problems (and this comment focuses on the feminist movement within the U.S., not a broader worldwide movement). One problem I foresee is that there just aren’t that many desis in the U.S. We represent approximately 1% of the population. Yes we are by-and-large a “successful” community, but influence can be garnered through political clout or sheer numbers. At this point we have neither. Second, many of the problems desi women face are common to women in general, so I think it would be a good idea to share a common activism on those issues.
Also, you bring up the point that the feminist movement needs more male participants. I couldn’t agree more. However, I can’t think of a single struggle for human rights that relied on participation from “the oppressor.” There were British sympathizers for Indian independence, but they certainly didn’t lead the charge. There were white sympathizers for the abolition of slavery and the passage of the Civil Rights Act, but they certainly didn’t lead the charge. In both cases the sympathizers in high places (Lincoln, Mountbatten, Kennedy) only came to the fore when they realized that the status quo was no longer sustainable. So, aside from having a few of us come to feminist rallies and wear the appropriate attire, I just don’t think the movement can expect heavy male participation.
As others have commented, the question really is which feminist movement?
I think there is a common-sense feminism that understands that men and women should have equal rights and liberties. This sort of common-sense feminist is rightly outraged by many of the atrocities committed against women in many parts of the world. A more activistic common-sense feminist should try to bring awareness to these ongoing issues and help support organisations that help to remedy these problems.
However, not all feminists are the common-sense type. For example, you have the sort of academic feminist who rants on about “the oppressive patriarchy” and generally makes a career by publishing for other academic feminists. These sorts of feminists see the world through a lens that differs from that of many women, and that makes it difficult to take them seriously. For example, if a group of self-identified feminists goes on national TV to protest the membership policy of a golf club, it simply makes them seem like self-promoting demagogues, especially when there are much more severe and real injustices to right.
Furthermore, often times some sorts of feminists tend to advocate policies and lifestyles that are at odds with many women. For example, quoting the interview:
I think few sensisble people will take issue with women kicking out a deadbeat or abusive spouse or climbing the corporate ladder, but how exactly is having multiple sex partners an act of resistance? What exactly is being resisted? To a person who believes that sex is an important and exclusive part of a marital union, it makes it harder to call oneself a feminist if it means being associated with these sorts of attitudes.
Likewise, sometimes one gets the feeling that if a woman decides not pursue a career and instead dedicates herself to her family, she is somehow setting back feminism; this is clearly absurd. Feminism should ultimately be about women having as much liberty as men to make choices in their lives, and to take responsibility for those choices. Just as it is wrong to expect a woman to give up a career for her family, it is equally wrong to think less of her for choosing a family over a career.
My answer to the questions ‘Do desis have a place in the feminist movement?’ is ‘Yes, there is room for a Desi feminist movement.’ I think there is room for a lot of positive change in the culture in both India and the diaspora. To a certain extent, it may even be good to distance itself a bit from American and European feminism to avoid some of the bra-burning and man-hating baggage. After all, the issues aren’t simply all ‘women v. men’, they are about how injustice and violence against anyone is wrong. A desi-centric approach should reach out to both sexes and to all generations to raise awareness of the injustices perpetrated within the community. Real change can only occur when most of the people within the community reject the ill-conceived cultural norms and replace them with better values.
Dan, I think what is meant here is the double standard (man with multiple sex partners = stud, but a woman doing the same is a slut). In more liberal parts of the world it may not be an issue any more, but in the desi community it sure is.
very interesting – good to hear about this. must mention this to the PP lot..
Obviously desi girls have a role to play! is that a real question or what??! given we have to put up with so much patriarchal nonsense not only from men but the solid ‘ill make sure you don’t have a better life/choices than me’ auntie types/and other women-who try-and make-you-feel-bad-if-you dont-conform-types it’s super-important.
technophobicgeek wrote:
I certainly agree that the double standard is bad. However, shouldn’t the efforts at eliminating the double standard be in the direction of less promiscuity? Even if we take ignore the possible effect of pregnancy, given that fifty to seventy percent of new HIV infections in the U.S. come from people who don’t know they are carriers, it seems that having multiple partners for the sake of ‘resistance’ seems quite risky and potentially self-destructive.
In the end, sex is a personal affair, regardless of which mores you choose to adopt. It really isn’t the business of anyone except for the particular partners involved, and it is up to each person to understand and accept the risks of his or her chosen lifestyle.
With that understanding, I personally think that trying to limit promiscuity by encouraging young people of both genders to wait until marriage is generally a good thing, and it’s a value that the desi community should maintain. Nonetheless, there should be an increased sensitivity to the fact that not all people will choose to wait.
The double standard that sees promiscuity in men as a ‘virtue’ I think will be harder to eradicate. I imagine that it’s generally something that is ‘valued’ more amongst men than society as a whole. As such, it seems to me that perhaps the best way to change this attitude is for women to reject men who are too promiscuous, and to respect women for doing so.
In the end, the whole notion that women should sleep around as an act of defiance just strikes me as counterproductive. Isn’t that what the men want, after all? Perhaps I’m missing something… Maybe it’s not men with whom the feminists advocate sleeping around…
I really don’t think people are advocating ‘sleeping around’, necessarily. But I think the right for a woman to have different sex partners and not automatically be considered a slut is definitely an important one.
I know for a fact that it is still a problem in many societies (including many sections of India), where a woman has to be either a virgin, else is labelled a slut or a ‘used item’, whereas it’s perfectly ok for a guy to have relationships before getting married.
This is very different from indiscriminate ‘sleeping around’.
Love those T-shirts! Reminds me of the “kya dekh rahe hai”, what are you looking at lettered backwards T-shits made by http://www.blanknoiseproject.com to wear in the back of auto-rickshaws.
Anyway… Isn’t this the TRUTH;
“I saw how local businessmen could blithely justify their sponsorship of Shame on the grounds that the TV ad rates were cheap. Which brings up the big question: Would they have supported a show that violently trashed religious or ethnic groups? (We all know the answer to that one.)
During my time on the Shame beat, I saw how quickly the local and national media jumps on anything that smacks of racism. But misogyny? ItÂ’s not even up there with the snail darter.”
…….Taken from the link provided by a commenter somewhere above.
I find it very disturbing that women are almost the only minority group that can be singled out for verbal abuse in the media (movies, music, etc.) and it’s allowed to be gotten away with.
Those Shame guys are a shame and I’m appalled at how low and vile pop-culture has become in regards to women and it’s disrespect thereof.
Pop-culture takes the lowest common denominator of what passes for human “intelligence”, flys with that and makes it maintstream for everyone.
I am so ashamed that Jerry Springer is broadcast via world-wide satellite and people around the world think that’s what all (or most) Americans are like. It is totally embarrassing.
And the violent talk that passes for “free speech” in this country is really just “bondage speech”, nothing free in it at all and those spreading ideas of violence against women or anybody, like those Shame guys, should be banned from using technology to spread their eviltry.
They say it’s just light-hearted humour, nothing to take seriously, but we as a society have to ask ourselves how we got to the point of finding “jokes” about violence towards women and children to be “funny”. There is something seriously wrong in a society where even a small minority finds humour in such inhumane thoughts and expresssions.
In yogic philosophy an action comes about through first thinking, then willing, then doing. Thinking is the seed. Between thinking and willing or between willing and doing there is TALKING about it. These Shame guys, though they claimed it was all just in jest and in accord with their first amendment rights, really their talk was a stage between THINK and actually DOING.
It would not suprise me at all if either one of them had done, is doing, or will do in the future any of the sick stuff they “joked” about in the name of entertainment. Nor would it surprise me if any of their viewers engaged in such crimes.
Media succeeds in getting people to do what is portrayed. If not, there would be no need for commercial advertisement. That type of “brainwashing” does indeed influence us. It works.
That’s why I believe in censorship.
I’m not so sure that it’s quite so cut and dry, but as a first “wave”, you may well have a point. As with many other things (for example, F1 racing technology often trickles down to the “consumer” models…wait, I just used a car analogy for feminism) things have to begin somewhere – often it is with those who have the time, non-ignorance, some ability to voice their concern, and desire to improve their condition.
Where do you draw the line? Some might think Springer is embarrasing and want to restrict its broadcast. Others might think O’Reilly, Hannity, and Fox News as abominations. Who gets to make that call?
While this may have some bearing (the right thinks the MSM is liberal…the left thinks the media favors the right), the burden lies upon each individual, IMHO, to sift through rhetoric to “find the truth.” Knowledge requires active participation, not a passive approach.
No-Desh, the line is drawn at violence or portrayals of inbalanced gender scales. I’m not against sensual art or even some “soft porn”. Sexuality can be represented in the arts and other media, however the portrayal should be one of equal participation and enjoyment, not where one party is objectified and hence, an imbalance of power is displayed.
To ban sensual art altogether is a sign of an uptight society. And to allow violent acts to pass as “healthy sexuality” is the sign of a sick society. We need balanced portrayals of sexuality to portray a balanced society, or at least to lead society in that direction.
Life imitates art that imitates life that…….. well, you get the picture.
I am so going to quote you on that 🙂
Keep it within it’s context, Abhi baby.
This is going to sound a little un-PC but remember Eugenics? Well, if you read a little history on that “movement”, the idea was not to get rid of sick or deformed persons, or the athletically challanged, rather it was based on improving the INTELLIGENCE of future generations and getting rid of the lowest-common-denominater types like the SHAME guys.
Go read the link provided by Kenyandesi in post #17 above and then come back and tell me if you don’t think the eugenics people were on to something.
Men like those two just take up the Earth’s valuable resources for no reason and contribute NOTHING to society.
here is a link. Just because there is no ban doesn’t mean people will act accordingly.