To reduce in grade, rank, or status; demote. To lower in dignity; dishonor or disgrace: a scandal that degraded the participants. To lower in moral or intellectual character; debase. To reduce in worth or value: degrade a currency. http://www.answers.com/topic/degrade This has been frustrating me for a while. We keep on using the word degrade here, like how men degrade women, how porn degrades women, how music videos degrade women. I don't feel like my status in society has been changed by people choosing to participate in porn. I don't think that some sexist men have reduced my dignity or disgraced me. I KNOW no one has lowered my moral or intellecutal character, or reduced my value as a woman. So what the hell do we mean by degrade? Do we really mean that they make us less as a whole, or do we just not feel respected by something we say 'degrades' us? Sorry, but there are a lot of people out there who won't respect someone, and it may not even be affected by gender. I really think that this forum has been overusing the word.... A lot of the definitions seem to be something you almost have to let happen. How can someone lower your dignity if you don't let them? /rant
But it does. The "Madonna Whore" ideal is perpetuated, thus thrusting you, as well as all womyn into one box or an other. Yes, but it has been tried. And other womyn, who may not be as strong as you are, are disgraced and have had their dignity compromised by the way others treat them. As in our culture, womyn are already disvalued, it is PERPETUATING this devaluation that continues.
I think that women have been degraded in the past, but in our time, it's all what you make of it. You can play the victim, or you can go out in the world and grab it by it's balls and make life whatever you want. I rarely feel as if i'm getting the short end of the stick just because i'm a woman. I don't know. maybe it's just me, but I don't put up with any bullshit, tell people when I think they are being sexist or disrespectful, and a lot of men seem to hold a certain amount of respect for that. Or maybe they think I'm a feminist bitch, but not one of them will ever let on when i'm around.
But it isn't just about how the actions affect you personally, it is about how perpetuation of the actions affects society as a whole. A teenage boy that has a habit of calling women bitches can one day be the leader of a billion-dollar company that generally pays women less and treats male employees better. Or the man that thinks women cook and men mow the yard may one day be the father of daughters that are encouraged to clean house and discouraged from more 'manly' activites. And then those women will marry men who treat them the same, and then raise daughters that are treated that way as well.
The fact that there are feminists out there who don't respect a woman's right and choice to go into the adult entertainment business is the MAIN reason why I am not a feminist.
Hmm...that's interesting. Like the feminists who don't respect women who chose to stay home with their kids....
*looks at above post* um...allrighty? "A teenage boy that has a habit of calling women bitches can one day be the leader of a billion-dollar company that generally pays women less and treats male employees better. Or the man that thinks women cook and men mow the yard may one day be the father of daughters that are encouraged to clean house and discouraged from more 'manly' activites. And then those women will marry men who treat them the same, and then raise daughters that are treated that way as well." This is well said. A father can do much damage to his daughters by acting like women are supposed to be a certain way.....you know none of the guys that hang around me or my husband would DARE say anything sexist around me. I'll smack them I've done it before! Of course they think I'm a feminist bitch...that's how most men think of strong women anyway. Not all of course, but an awful lot. We have to at least try to get rid of some of thethings that perpetuate the idea that women are only good for cleaning and sex, like just accepting that teenage boys call women bitches like it's not a nasty word.
I don't think that some sexist men have reduced my dignity or disgraced me. ~~~~Yes, but it has been tried. And other womyn, who may not be as strong as you are, are disgraced and have had their dignity compromised by the way others treat them. Quote: I KNOW no one has lowered my moral or intellecutal character, or reduced my value as a woman. ~~~~As in our culture, womyn are already disvalued, it is PERPETUATING this devaluation that continues. I understand you to a point ihmurria, I mean guys know not to mess with me as I said in the above post...but the world still acts like women are only good to be servants and sex toys. It's not good enough that we get respect as individuals...and in fact we should use our leverage if we have the respect to try and change sexist guys minds. If these guys respect us but no other women then it's our duty to attempt to show them they're wrong
Exactly! When I was first learning about feminism I assumed that it was about choice. Then I came to find out that for certain feminists its not about women being able to make their own choices...it's about women making the choices those feminists WANT them to make.
Ok, that's fucked. Explain to me how your willingness to smack the guys you hang out with, or even your husband, is not a form of degradation against them! I sincerely doubt a "strong woman" such as yourself would tolerate being smacked by a guy (and were it your husband doing the smacking you'd probably get the police involved), so in essence you are elevating yourself above the men in your life by maintaining what you consider to be an exclusive right to raise a hand against them. Wow, you're a STRONG woman, alright. Oh, but they were saying sexist things to provoke you? Tell me, have you ever insulted a man, stripped him of his dignity? Called a guy a dick? Or a loser? Told him to "be a man" or somehow implied that he wasn't a "real man"? I'm assuming all the guys you may have mouthed off to over the years didn't haul off and smack you, so what exactly makes you better than them? Do you have kids? Have they seen you smack daddy? Can a woman NOT do much damage to her sons by acting like men are supposed to be a certain way? It seems to me you're not part of the solution, ergo....
i just love how the feminists will call you a sexist if you call them a biotch!!! hell i call everyone a bitch, not just the femmes on hipforums.
feminism is something I stay far away from. I'm sure I practice feminist beleifs in my everyday life, but I don't talk about it. I demand respect with respect. I don't let men tell me how I'm supposed to live. For God's sake my honey does most of the housecleaning!! I don't take on the role of a woman, i take on the role of being me. I don't go with what anyone says about beauty, I have my own idea. I don't bitch about how women get the short end of the stick, I go out and swing that stick around! You can only say so much, you know?
No offense, but some of you have a warped view of feminism. The "feminists" that hate men, don't support stay-at-home moms, sex workers etc, are few and far between. Really.
