Femi-nazi - derogatory or not?

[AFPheonix]

Ah, so the origin of the phrase matters as much as the meaning?

So, until the 80's, digital computer would have been bad, since it was coined by a homosexual (Alan Turing). Wonder what we would call them today?

No, I don't think the origin of the term matters. The meaning, though, does. And the word is a very helpful word to describe that specific subset. So, when descriing that group, I'll use that word.

Something tells me digital computer wasn't intended as an insult towards 50% of the population, or for use as a red herring by a bombastic asshole to give his "dittohead" listeners something to be irate about, as if there aren't enough real issues to be pissed about.

[Boozy]

Yikes. I know that my odd thought patterns can lead to radical misunderstandings, but this time I thought I had made my clear for once.

Apologies if I have misinterpreted your post.

Keep in mind, however, that I'm not the only one who did. We all need to be extra careful with our phrasing when we're discussing hot button issues such as these.

Back to your regularly scheduled thread...

[iradney]

I'm not a feminist. I'm not an equalist. I'm a humanist. Until we can stop looking at the cover of the book, and read the pages within, we will never be equal. Some women can outlift the average man. Some men can be more empathetic than the average woman. Who cares what your reproductive organs are? If you find your passion and follow it, what should it matter?

[Slytovhand]

Damn you, Iradney - I was just about to use that term!!!

(well - actually, I'm more of a 'spirit-ist'... it doesn't matter what body the spirit is in for this lifetime, it gets the respect it's actions deem it deserves).

Flyn/Boozy - just from reading over that bit, I suspect the problem came down to a lack of a hard-return. If there was another line space before that sentence, it doesn't look like it's a run-on from his comments on control and how other people see it, but as a single line statement... and no personal attacks. But then, I'm used to interpreting things differently....*


Femi-nazi. A person who believes that they are acting in the best interests of a particular subset of humanity, but in reality is oppressing and antagonistic, in such a way as to be reminiscent of another well known group of people from about 60-70 years ago... yeah, I can see how it fits.

I don't care who originated the term, and what their background is, only whether the term appears to be accurate and useful. Hey - read Socrates and Plato - won't find too many better mysogynists than those 2 (although, to be fair, who really knows what Socrates thought, because all we've got comes via Plato). Do we totally disregard Socratic philosophy because of that, and throw the concept of The Ideal out the window?


I had a Feminist Philosophy lecturer who was heading into Femi-nazi territory. About a dozen of us in the tute, 2 of us guys. Anything that wasn't depicted in her ideology of what the subject should be about got low grades... well, for me an him it did. I remember him saying he did a survey of various women at the uni about how the feminist movement had influenced their lives. Because they said it didn't do much for them, she reamed him for it (and was flabbergasted at the other girls in the tute who argeed with him).


Slyt

[AFPheonix]

Again, Socrates and Plato were products of their cultures and times. They also had a lot of good things to say. As far as I know, they didn't coin specific terms to dehumanize certain large portions of the entire population like a certain radio host I know that in this day and age should know better, probably does know better, but does it anyways because it means ratings and more $$$ for his Oxycontin habit.

[Pedersen]

Again, Socrates and Plato were products of their cultures and times.

Fortunately, that "certain radio host" isn't a product of his culture and times. Instead, he's someone who willfully rejects the utopian ideal that he is a product of, and instead finds ways to pander to humanity's baser instincts (which, until he came along, were pretty well going the way of the dodo).

Yep, good thing the rest of society is all fixed up and nearing utopia. That way, that "certain radio host" can just be slammed. And if he happens to come up with a useful term for describing a specific subset of the population (you know, just like that blind squirrel finding the nut), well, we can easily ignore it since he came up with it.

Yep, good things all around there.

P.S.: No, I'm not a fan of his. Don't really much like him due to his beliefs. Didn't know where the term came from, either. Still don't care. The term is useful outside of the original context it came from, so I will use it in that context, and ignore the origin.

[Lace Neil Singer]

The term is useful outside of the original context it came from, so I will use it in that context, and ignore the origin.

This. Seeing as it was me who first used the term here, I think it's time I spoke. No, I did not know who came up with the term. Yes, I think it's a useful term; as it stops all feminists being lumped together with the extremists who want all men locked in cages only to be used for breeding. Just as the term "bible basher" to me only refers to the Christian fanatics who think that anyone who doesn't agree with them will burn in hell and actually harrass strangers in the street telling them so.

And for the record, I used to be a feminist; now, I'd call myself an equalist.

[AFPheonix]

Fortunately, that "certain radio host" isn't a product of his culture and times. Instead, he's someone who willfully rejects the utopian ideal that he is a product of, and instead finds ways to pander to humanity's baser instincts (which, until he came along, were pretty well going the way of the dodo).

Yep, good thing the rest of society is all fixed up and nearing utopia. That way, that "certain radio host" can just be slammed. And if he happens to come up with a useful term for describing a specific subset of the population (you know, just like that blind squirrel finding the nut), well, we can easily ignore it since he came up with it.

Yep, good things all around there.

P.S.: No, I'm not a fan of his. Don't really much like him due to his beliefs. Didn't know where the term came from, either. Still don't care. The term is useful outside of the original context it came from, so I will use it in that context, and ignore the origin.

The female gender in ancient Greece was essentially a lower class of citizenry. These days we're closer to equal, whether Mr. Limbaugh wants to recognize that or not.
Furthermore, he coined that term before the internet was popular enough to bring the nuts like womyn out of the woodwork. Extreme feminism at the time was a fringe group that he even admitted at the time had a vanishingly small population.
However, his definition of it is women who want to allow as many abortions as possible. He also has used it against women who march for reproductive rights.
Yes, how dare we take control of a process that permanently changes our lives, bodies and health. For shame.

If you want to refer to radical feminists, call them just that. No one contests that there's not a few out there. They're probably as populous as crazy scat fetishists, another fringe group who've blossomed with the Internet. Feminazi is a crude term with a crude beginning, and frankly falls under Godwin's Law.

[Slytovhand]

...and frankly falls under Godwin's Law.

What, that -

"As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."


?????

Personally, I can see a correlation between the attitude and philosophy of the Nazi's with that of those 'radical feminists' - harrassment, intimidation, aggression, dogmatism, controlling, superiority complex, denigration of aspects of society, desire for a form of 'cleansing' of the population. Where the comparison fails is any attempts at Socialist - Nationalist tendencies to help the economy of a country

[Boozy]

Personally, I can see a correlation between the attitude and philosophy of the Nazi's with that of those 'radical feminists' - harrassment, intimidation, aggression, dogmatism, controlling, superiority complex, denigration of aspects of society, desire for a form of 'cleansing' of the population. Where the comparison fails is any attempts at Socialist - Nationalist tendencies to help the economy of a country

I can too. The trouble is, I can see a correlation between fascism and the radical fringe of almost any group you can name.

"Nazi" is overused in general. I think we're losing our perspective; these people rallied an entire nation into supporting the extermination of 6 million people, started a world war, and had very real (and not impossible) plans to takeover Europe. It's one thing to say these things; it's another to have the means and power to do it.

A woman who goes around telling people that she has plans for global domination and genocide should be hospitalized. Calling her a "Nazi" just minimizes the very real threat that totalitarianism still poses to the world.

[anriana]

I had a Feminist Philosophy lecturer who was heading into Femi-nazi territory. About a dozen of us in the tute, 2 of us guys. Anything that wasn't depicted in her ideology of what the subject should be about got low grades... well, for me an him it did. I remember him saying he did a survey of various women at the uni about how the feminist movement had influenced their lives. Because they said it didn't do much for them, she reamed him for it (and was flabbergasted at the other girls in the tute who argeed with him).

If I was at a University and someone told me feminism hadn't done much for them, I would laugh in their face. Without feminism we wouldn't be able to gain access to higher education.

[Sylvia727]

I think (one of) the point(s) of Slyt's story was that the professor derided the student for accurately reporting on the attitudes of his classmates, simply because she didn't agree with those students' attitudes. His report didn't match her version of reality, therefore it must absolutely be false. Her sexism tripped her up.

Correct me if I'm wrong.