And that’s cool, you gotta do what you feel is right.

But I guess I was just wondering if, in light of all the really good stuff that Twisty does put out there on behalf of women, is the occassional misstep really bad enough to write off her blog altogether?

I don’t think they are by any means. But to each her own.

Watching people progress is nice, but words and actions matter. If you mess up, you should get called on it.

I find Twisty’s blog fascinating if only to see how her writing has evolved over the past three years. Belledame222 linked to three of Twisty’s from 2-3 years ago. I see those posts are vastly different in both tone and language from the stuff Twisty is writing now.

Because Twisty is so brazen in how she writes and because she is, beyond argument, very intelligent and sometimes a little too articulate, I think people forget she’s human and as human, deserves to learn by mistake once in a while. Which she does!

To write off her progress as a writer, feminist, and just general human being is unfair. When readers put up a stink about her inexcusible use of the suffix -tard she cooled her jets and quit using it. When she tried to out that creepy doctor blogger, she listened to bloggers who said it was beneath her. She responds to criticism well, for the most part, and while she can be dismissive, I’ve never seen her retaliate and hit below the belt. And that’s saying a lot in the blogosphere nowadays.

With so many blogs out there that never take risks, I appreciate Twisty’s moxie even if it means she goes too far sometimes. In the bigger scheme of what she puts out there, are her occassional missteps that unforgiveable?

Pandagon is really ‘too liberal’ as well for my liking – but I must say I really like Amanda’s writing – she makes very smart insights so I visit there often.

And you are right – people at pandagon and feministe GANG up on women who comment against them. More specifically – a lot of MEN gang up or come to defend the writer’s there. I have experienced this myself with the ‘playboy’ incident (which I was wrong about IMO) and the burqagate incident.

I also really like Twisty’s writing style and occasionally insight. The thing with Twisty is though – that the very name of the blog is “I blame the patriarchy”. I.e. from this we can resolve that this must be a ‘pro-woman’ blog. A feminist who says what she does – and does what she says.

But half the time we have twisty using the same language that misogynists use against us! I.e. fembots, sexbots, femininity kills (no white male supremacy & capitalism KILL) etc…

We wouldn’t have such a backlash against feminism if there weren’t so many rules set up about how we ought to behave. Fundamentally I do agree with these ‘ideas’ (and wish I didn’t feel compelled to wear make-up etc…), but when this gets espoused by another feminist – people generally get disappointed and angry.

We expect more. I think it’s true though – we do need to hold pandagon and feministe accountable as well.

Even in a recent thread I have commented on something written by Amanda (that was written 3-4 weeks ago -regarding food), it’s not that I don’t hold these people accountable, I just don’t think they really give a damn because they are too politically/economically ‘liberal’ – i.e. have not made the connections between capitalism and feminism.

I googled “Donatella Versace” and “ugly” and I came up with 141,000 hits.

(Groans) That’s it exactly. There’s no shortage of people willing to label a given woman “ugly”. The last thing I want to do is be a part of that. I’m not happy with Versace’s profession, but my energy is best spent critiquing fashion and what it does to women and the perception of women, not piling onto the bandwagon making fun of Versace’s looks.

But as far as why her? Well, I’ve *never* seen a shitstorm kicked up over things posted at Feministe. And if you dare object in comments, then other commenters attack (I know from being on the receiving end). When this happens at Twisty’s blog, people roll their eyes and call the commenters “cult members”, but I haven’t seen the same treatment applied at Feministe. I have seen women of color object to racist posts at Pandagon, but I don’t see much in the way of attacks on inappropriate, anti-woman statements made by Amanda. So, why just Twisty is a very reasonable question.

And it isn’t just Twisty. The garbage posted at Pandagon and Feministe got me to finally stop reading those blogs regularly. Probably should do the same with Twisty.

I don’t know if Donatella Versace is a tool or priestess of the patriarchy or not, and I can’t say that I’m a fan of her designs, but I did note that she stated in the same interview that she admires Hillary Clinton and hopes she wins. So maybe she was trying to give her helpful advice. That is part of her job, right? To help people in the public view create an image? We do still live under patriarchy after all, and our looks are always being judged, so if Hillary swtiching to knee length black skirts with short jackets (which is what Versace recommended)helps her become the first woman president, then do the means justify the ends? Isn’t that what politicians do, manipulate public perception of themselves to win votes? I’m not saying I like it, I’m just saying that sometimes you have to try to take the rules that are meant to opress you and bend them to your favor.

I googled “Donatella Versace” and “ugly” and I came up with 141,000 hits. Not all of them were accusing Versace of being ugly, but a lot of them were. The urban dictionary lists her as the ugliest woman on the face of the planet. She is a sucess in an industry that values looks above all else, and I wonder if her desire for cosmetic surgery has anything to do with the world constantly calling out how “ugly” she is?

“When you point a finger, three more point back at you.”

Taste, however, is actually a matter of vital importance. Of the few perceptible traits that distinguish humans from chimpanzees, taste–the ability to discern whether or not a thing is crummy–is the only one that’s worth a damn. Let’s face it: if a species can’t tell a Kinkade from a Constable or a Cheez-Whiz from a Camembert, it can hardly be expected, come election day, to differentiate between a lying, illiterate, dry-drunk corporate monkey and an actual statesman.

I revisit the notion of the erosion of taste whenever pop culture makes Truth and Beauty its bitch. I do not speak simply of fashion (although would it kill people to quit wearing capri pants?), or of politics (even Cheez-Whiz does not present a more vulgar affront than W) but of an overall cultural capitulation to ugliness.*

and, i truly don’t get where this comes into the whole y’know revolutionary radical thing:

My God, those Wal-Mart ads are depressing.

Shopping–the minivan-enhanced corollary to stay-at-home mommery–is performed exclusively by women in real life. In Wal-Mart commercials these women shoppers are represented by vapid middle-class hillbilly broodmares, selflessly budgeting away the best years of their lives for their redneck husbands and unruly spawn, their worth as human beings measured by their ability to sniff out a bargain. They teach the girl children to shop (they take the boy children “to the lake”). Their frantic stay-at-home lives are crammed with good-natured sacrifice, and they couldn’t be happier than when they’re shopping for cheap crap in Wal-Mart.

yeah, yeah, I know, I know. it’s all criticism of the -media-, not of the actual “overweight hicks” and “broodmares,” and i would surely understand it if i were only advanced enough. no doubt. also, why “Pop”
is curiously exempt from all this critique o’ the patriarchy whereas Walmart shoppers are not:

The old man’s a captain of industry, used to getting his way, and although he’d never admit it, he likes to strap on the feedbag at the Four because the staff unflinchingly treat him like a big-shot. Which, I suppose, he sort of is. I do not begrudge him this small conceit. He was born to a single mother in a Detroit hellhole during the Depression, and worked his ass off his whole life. If anyone deserves a little big-shot treatment in his declining years, he does.

well, i’m sure Horatio Alger totally dovetails with y’know Shulamith Firestone (and Top Model) in there -somewhere.- i’ll go hit myself on the head with a brick until i -understand.-

my question: will the Four Seasons Cafe survive the fall of the patriarchy? will Pop? will capris?

because, you know, i -like- my capris, even if i haven’t examined them sufficiently.

goddam, i’m not worthy.