March 12, 2012--War On Women?
I've seen what's going on politically and in the wider culture described as a War On Women or a War On Women's Health. It may be either or both of these, but more fundamentally it's a War On Women's Sexuality.
This should be no surprise since America is more a puritanical than a libertarian country. Just ask Hester Prynne the hounded protagonist of Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter.
Many men of conservation persuasion contend that all the "trouble" with women began when the Pill became available and women, as a result, for the first time had full control of reproduction. With that secured, they went on to demand other forms of equality--in the workplace, in the management of their own and the family's money, and even began to press for a role in combat. It was get-your-own-coffee time and, inspired by the research of Masters and Johnson, men began to quiver when they heard, "I-am-entitled-to-an-orgasm-of-my-own." Now it was flaccid men's turn to beg off, moaning, "Honey, I have a headache."
Other men of yet stronger right-wing views feel things for them turned south when women were given (note "given") the right to vote. The next thing you know, they feared, they'll want to be senators, governors, Secretary of State, and even president.
At work one might find oneself reporting to a female supervisor (or "boss," if you prefer) and when you turn on your nightly news you might find an anchorwomen there in place of Chet and David and Walter and Dan.
For those men still attending church often there would be a female minister telling them to repent for their sins and after church there was no escape since country clubs had long been pressured to admit women. Weren't the three religions of the Book in large part the place where one turned to find misogyny rationalized as Divine?
So when we hear Tea Partiers and others saying, "I want my America back," high on the list of what they mean is a life again dominated by white men with women put back in their places, which means not at the pulpit, not in the corner office, not in a foxhole, not on TV unless it's Miss America time, not on the basketball court except to cheer, and not demanding to be on top. Literally.
It would not be inappropriate to see all of this as a War On Women, but it is more accurately described as a War On Women's Sexuality since so much of the frustration and anger we are witnessing among men is because they are no longer in charge of women's, the weaker sex's bodies. If they can regain control by taking away the Pill, banning abortions, even forbidding the use of contraception, all essential to women taking pleasure from sex, the women would drift back from "indulging" themselves in the workplace, have babies, and stay home where they belong.
This should be no surprise since America is more a puritanical than a libertarian country. Just ask Hester Prynne the hounded protagonist of Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter.
Many men of conservation persuasion contend that all the "trouble" with women began when the Pill became available and women, as a result, for the first time had full control of reproduction. With that secured, they went on to demand other forms of equality--in the workplace, in the management of their own and the family's money, and even began to press for a role in combat. It was get-your-own-coffee time and, inspired by the research of Masters and Johnson, men began to quiver when they heard, "I-am-entitled-to-an-orgasm-of-my-own." Now it was flaccid men's turn to beg off, moaning, "Honey, I have a headache."
Other men of yet stronger right-wing views feel things for them turned south when women were given (note "given") the right to vote. The next thing you know, they feared, they'll want to be senators, governors, Secretary of State, and even president.
At work one might find oneself reporting to a female supervisor (or "boss," if you prefer) and when you turn on your nightly news you might find an anchorwomen there in place of Chet and David and Walter and Dan.
For those men still attending church often there would be a female minister telling them to repent for their sins and after church there was no escape since country clubs had long been pressured to admit women. Weren't the three religions of the Book in large part the place where one turned to find misogyny rationalized as Divine?
So when we hear Tea Partiers and others saying, "I want my America back," high on the list of what they mean is a life again dominated by white men with women put back in their places, which means not at the pulpit, not in the corner office, not in a foxhole, not on TV unless it's Miss America time, not on the basketball court except to cheer, and not demanding to be on top. Literally.
It would not be inappropriate to see all of this as a War On Women, but it is more accurately described as a War On Women's Sexuality since so much of the frustration and anger we are witnessing among men is because they are no longer in charge of women's, the weaker sex's bodies. If they can regain control by taking away the Pill, banning abortions, even forbidding the use of contraception, all essential to women taking pleasure from sex, the women would drift back from "indulging" themselves in the workplace, have babies, and stay home where they belong.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
6:05 AM
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