Women Are People, Too.

Emily L. Hauser has an interesting blog post up on progressives, or namely how male progressives who are self-proclaimed feminists or at least claim to be supportive of feminism should not practice misogyny just because the target of such happens to be from the other team. This comes from Fox News talking head S.E. Cupp being featured in a recent issue of Hustler Magazine with a certain male member Photoshopped in her mouth. The underlying message is that moderately attractive women like Cupp should shut the fuck up and keep being eye candy and fantasy wank material for legions of ogling male viewers.

As Hauser and commentator Darth Thulhu both mention, Hustler founder Larry Flynt fancies himself as a progressive, despite building an empire mostly on pushing women and female sexuality as consumer goods for a vast and never-ending male market. Hauser's main issue is how progressives should not fall prey to "othering" conservative women by dint of being conservative. All women deserve equal respect and the common courtesy of not being dismissed and devalued into walking, talking Fleshlight status.

I've been trying to figure out why people are still driven to do these things, despite information and evidence that points to why they, well, shouldn't. Despite all efforts of enlightenment, it seems that some people steadfastly believe women to be beneath them, either by biblical decree, physical dominance or commonly held convention. Efforts to maintain the second-class status of womenfolk continues to produce the same sort of corrosive effects that efforts to maintain the second-class status of minorities produced.

Pointing out errors in progressive representation does not excuse conservative thoughts on women and their roles within society. Many of these people still hold the shopworn belief that if women only reduced themselves to reproducing sex receptacles, then they would be truly happy. Many are actively working on removing women's options towards a happier and more independent lifestyle. The War on Women™ continues unabated, aided by those intent on nullifying sociopolitical power hard-won by women and others.

And yes, I realize today's blog post title is also the title of a Good Housekeeping article written back in 1960 by Betty Friedan.