March 2012
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We will argue about the degree to which stripping can be empowering. We will argue about it until we die, I imagine. But we must remember to make distinctions about who is being “empowered” in each scenario:
straight men who watch strippers to be “sexually liberated”
queer people who are empowered by alternative/freer/campy performances of gender and sexuality
women who...
February 2012
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Us, once or twice: Woody Allen is a rapist dickbag and we hate him 29840938432904 people: Right, but what’s so wrong with Midnight In Paris?
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mattisbloomington:
Future Nun - The Boy Who...
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Anonymous asked: you can throw your blood on me anyday.
Anonymous asked: Wouldn't less condescending posts reach a wider audience? I hear you on TBTN re: male allies versus survivors, and truly can't understand the entitlement. But on some of the other stuff...
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Humorless male feminists.
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ziggysnuffs:
x-ray spex - I am a poseur
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Demonstrating the limitations of Mean Girls quotes as praxis.
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LISTEN, YOU GUYS
IF YOU USE A MEAN GIRLS QUOTE AS AN ANALOGY FOR HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT FEMINISM, DON’T GET MAD AT ME WHEN I FINISH THAT MEAN GIRLS QUOTE IN ORDER TO SHOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT FEMINISM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT QUOTE IN ITS ENTIRETY UNDERMINES THE POINT YOU WERE TRYING TO MAKE ABOUT FEMINISM IN THE FIRST PLACE
I mean
this is your own fault
so shut up.
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emilysyrja:
No, okay, I’m still thinking about this.
These dudes have to understand that “alienating allies” sounds pretty fucking appealing when they are the allies in question.
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whiskeyrobot:
I must say though that high life is probably the best shower beer besides summer shandy
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bunnyblossom:
i want to skank down hastings with a boombox playing 500 channels.
(can you skank to leftover crack? is it distasteful to play a song about shootin’ up near a safe injection site?) (is it distasteful to play a song that includes smoking crack and watching tv as a means of escapism when the crack-smokers nearby are proooobably homeless?)
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“A powerful statement emerged last week from a group of established feminist...”
– Hugo Schwyzer, aka “a group of established feminist activists.”
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many-splendored-rat:
ugh I wish rats could wear those cute little colored rope friendship bracelets, I would buy a big lot on eBay & we could take turns wearing them & everyone around me would see all my friendship bracelets & be jealous because they’d think I had tons & tons of friends, but what they wouldn’t know is that I am secretly just a crazy person with too many...
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That dude again, on twitter:
Blessed to do the work that I do through God and for His glory. I wouldn’t have picked to put myself here, but I am so glad I was put here.
Along those lines: There’s no movement more in line with God’s plans than feminism. Love, equality, grace, and compassion. That’s Holy.
He was put into feminist spaces by god. Just so you know. Just...
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bisutun replied to your chat: THE POINT AT WHICH MEN TOLD TAKE BACK THE NIGHT THEY SHOULD NO LONGER VOICE DEMANDS
these guys are really brave
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“I’m going to the grocery after work, I will get you anything.
Everything...”
– lucas
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there’s public crying then there’s public crying at work then there’s public crying at work when it’s actually really busy and there are at least fifteen people that can see you then there’s public crying at work when it’s really busy and your coworker is sitting next to you and you just cry and don’t even say anything about it
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clambistro replied to your chat: THE POINT AT WHICH MEN TOLD TAKE BACK THE NIGHT THEY SHOULD NO LONGER VOICE DEMANDS
What I don’t get about dudes wanting TBTN to let them attend is that there are other events that men can take part in? Like, go to one of them and be a good ally and stop trying to invade safe spaces?
Right, but unless they can say “I made decisions for Take Back the...
sassmadness asked: WHAT THE EVEN FUCK with that Take Back the Night nonsense. I, too, am in the midst of planning one at my school, and I would start using a divacup just so that I could pour some crusty-ass, fifth day period blood all over their faces. Leftist bros are the worst bros.
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“She wanted to die, but she also wanted to live in Paris.”
– Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary (via seabois)
Been thinking so much about not killing myself and instead rereading this because unffff.
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THE POINT AT WHICH MEN TOLD TAKE BACK THE NIGHT...
Dude A, who you guys may know from that infamous really shitty essay that I was making fun of before, and for fanboying Hugo like a pro: My dual-vote may be confusing, so allow me to clarify: I am opposed to the idea of demands when it comes to things that I'm interested in collaboratively working towards with whoever has the power to help. That said, I'm open to the idea of discussing the relative merit of certain demands and the possibility of leaving some in. I would just have to hear the wording before making a final decision for keeping a demand in.
Meegs, who was one of last year's coordinators and is a founding member of the Coalition Against Sexual Violence: I will say, as someone who has attended take back the night at msu for years, the event is empowering because we make demands. Take back the night is about demanding respect, demanding safe streets and safe homes. While coalition building is important it seems that maintaining a powerful event should not be sacrificed just for the sake of not making people feel that the event is 'too angry' or 'alienating'. This is a struggle that was brought up last year as well, but I urge you to consider the spirit of take back the night as it has been at msu and around the world. It's about reclamation of bodies space and power. It's take back the night not can we please have the night back.
Dude A: See, and that's the reason that I'm not willing to automatically go for scrapping demands entirely. I'm 100% for an empowering environment. I'm also 100% for whatever actions will have the greatest impact in actually creating forward progress toward the realization of those demands. Hence, I find myself of two minds on the matter as of right now.
Meegs: And I guess I'm interested to know which demands folks find problematic. The argument people used last year is that demonstrating any kind of anger is alienating and therefore not productive tithe cause. But one thing, survivors are allowed to be angry. We are allowed to march in the streets and shout, because as women especially, we are told to be quiet and polite. The other thing is this: if you are concerned about demands diminishing the opportunity for dialogue, consider that you have several days of other events, workshops, performances, etc that provide ample opportunity for folks to become involved in dialogue.
Dude A: Definitely true. Thanks for the additional insight! It's great to have perspective on this, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how the rest of this conversation goes.
Dude B, slightly less terrible version of Dude A but who once compared Hugo Schwyzer's rapes/attempted murder to Martin Luther King's infidelities in order to argue that we need more forgiveness in order to advance civilization: Really great points, Megan. Here's a fundamental question. What is the point of the TBTN march? Is it to vent/empower/vocalize or is it to show solidarity, vocalizations, and bring to light these issues to a broader audience? If our overarching goal is to stop the violence and prevent another assault from happening we're going to need as many allies as possible. If the goal is to be a loudspeaker at the potential cost of alienating allies then sticking with 100% demands is fine. My thought is this: the workshops, being private and safe places, are unique and wonderful places to let it ALL out. But when we take the streets it needs to be clear that the only way to stop the violence is by getting the naysayers involved.
Meegs: I'm not sure why you present venting/vocalizing/empowerment and solidarity as being mutually exclusive. The purpose of take back the night is for people, women and queer folks in particular, to stand up and speak out against sexual violence. It is and has been an opportunity for women to confront and discuss their fears and experiences related to sexual assault by collectively reclaiming the streets. You will find and create allies by seeking out people who support the choices that survivors make, not by survivors inhibiting their anger. If you are an ally, you understand and appreciate if/when a group of oppressed people voice their expectations regarding privilege and violence. You can see how amending a 'demand' to a 'goal' is problematic. If we can't demand and end to violence committed against us what can we demand? Additionally, the demands present clear and concrete behaviors that are not acceptable... Just saying
Dude A: For reference, does anyone have a list of the demands that have been read off in the past?
Christianna: I agree with the sentiment Megan's expressing--the point of TBTN is to demand the voices of vulnerable populations to be heard. Demands are supposed to make people uncomfortable, forcing them to see the reality of the situation and effectively say that we are not standing for violence and sexual assault. I refuse to "ask nicely" or something and then hope the patriarchy grants us permission. I will be upset and angry and demanding when it comes to sexual violence.
Dude A: Excellent, thank you for the info on that. Looking over the list of edited demands, I find myself unopposed to the list as it stands. I'm certainly open to further editing along any lines, and I look forward to hearing more from everyone on their thoughts, but I have no serious qualms with the list or feelings that the demands listed are unreasonable.
Dude B: Just read over them. Those are all really reasonable and, of course, I agree with them all. I guess I was confused and I didn't do my homework so my apologies.
Me: Take Back the Night events have been using demands since at least the 1980s. Of course that doesn't make them automatically important and valid, but I find it really concerning that the ONLY voices I've heard against the demands come from people who seem to think that our primary goal is to construct some sort of positive public image and not, you know, heal. And from people who think it's okay to judge whether or not veteran intervention practices that they have never participated in before are "reasonable." Like, I'm trying to be nice about this? But it's really, really fucking misogynist and wounding? And I don't have enough menstrual blood in my body to splash on your face for trying to steal that from us? Okay? Okay.
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Are we seriously having a discussion about whether...
sendmecats:
I AM NOT GOING TO FUCKING ASK NICELY FOR AN END TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
I AM NOT GOING TO POLITELY REQUEST THE PATRIARCHY STOP RUNNING MY LIFE.
I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE IT A GOAL TO END RAPE ON MY CAMPUS.
I AM GOING TO FUCKING DEMAND THAT THOSE THINGS HAPPEN RIGHT NOW FOR FUCK’S FUCKING SAKE.
This was particularly upsetting to me right now because I’ve been...
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ew mom though don’t have a boyfriend that’s weird
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Omg, my least unfavorite, most boringest, second queerest ex-boyfriend finally got himself a full-time boyfriend and he’s a cook and they have almost the same name and this is really important you guys.
My family thinks my Queers shirt is a jab at my “now-gay” (?) ex-boyfriend.
lol, olds.
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“Incidentally, The Queers are the straightest band I listen to”
– 100% true.
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I’ve got a very second-wave mother. She believes, I’m sure, that all pornography is exploitation. That stripping cannot be empowering. The whole thing, you know?
But ever since she became a massage therapist, she’s learned so much. She became the only medical therapist in her city that works with performers from the strip clubs on Miller Road. They have a hard time getting their...
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If you can’t afford to pay for women’s labor, don’t go to a strip club.
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selfsamewoman replied to your post: “Taking back an activity” for feminism better god…
… is this an attempt to “take back” stripping? is that what’s going on here?
I think so.*
*I have no issue with the girl who is going to be performing on our behalf in amateur night (I also have no idea who it is), but
like
WE ARE A FEMINIST ORGANIZATION WILLFULLY GETTING IN THE WAY WITH SEX WORKERS...
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“Taking back an activity” for feminism better god damn well mean tipping your whole paycheck to the women who have to put up with your gawking-ass self, I swear to god.
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None of the dudes in this class who applied to harvard can even name all the ivies ugh which of us is worse
Always getting myself into awkward situations because i know so much about the Kennedys
Scored the highest in a class of 40 on the wasp cultural capital test cause all my high school friends were rich hashtag cultural capital
#social reproduction
Sociology professor who pronounces Bourdieu wrong #cultural capital
Now having guilty feelings about having gone to the best public high school in michigan
People who pay for $50,000 prep schools only to end up at michigan state lol
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at zine fest someone asked me draw a cat fighting...
hedgerows:
funkyfest:
so I drew a cat swatting Ernest Hemingway
this has been a really great day for problematizing/shitting all over twentieth century literary icons on the internet
When you sent me a comic once you drew me a cat farting
that counts
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TO MY SEX WORKER FRIENDS
Do you think you could write me some words/recommend some words to share with TBTN? They decided to have a fundraiser at Deja Vu which I of course support except there is NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING WORSE ON THE PLANET than the way that [mostly straight] college girls gawk at strippers, especially at a place like the Vu which a) is in the city (not in East Lansing) and b) features a lot of workers who...