Men's hysteria about Hillary
Dear friends,
Good god, I'm having a hard time post-Hillary. When Hillary had a chance of being our president, I felt a hope I hadn't realized I was capable of feeling: I realized, that for the first time in my life, *I* had a chance at being president, all girls/women did. I felt, for the first time in my life, that women might actually be perceived as being who they are, who they've always been - supremely capable, talented, smart, resourceful humans who were beginning to be perceived as people, as truly worthy of serious consideration for any position or achievement - and not simply as something to be fucked and flirted with and to make serve you and to cheat on and violate. This was a dream/desire that had been robbed from me/all girls at birth, because of mass-hysteria surrounding the possibility that women might actually be human and worthy of respect: that women are actually human and all those horrific things done to us on a daily basis hurt and are as insulting and appalling as had they been done to you. That is, nothing 'innate' in us prepares us or immunes us to the daily abuse and horror we are forced to go through on a daily basis.
When the only viable candidate - Hillary - was not allowed to be president, I began to feel the familiar grind of trying to survive on a daily basis, of knowing that my efforts would always be in vain. Yes, that's nice to have dreams, little girl...now get back to looking pretty and being quiet while the men go live life.
***
Almost without exception, every Hillary conversation I've been involved has begun with someone insulting Hillary - and I'm talking really horrible insults, which have nothing to do with her impeccable, superior credentials and everything to do with mass hysteria surrounding the fear that women might be human - and me very quickly interjecting that I was devastated when Hillary, the only viable candidate this election, was forced out of the race, and that I cried like a baby during her last 2 concession speeches. They usually don't get the hint - their terror about the possibility that women are human is so strong. "How'd she get the working class white-male vote? She must have been showing cleavage" (this at a "Drinking Liberally" event, from a woman adequately indoctrinated into the art of hating herself and anyone like her...and I'd thought I was safe here, I thought people would agree with me in this venue that women are human); "You're just voting for her because she's a woman!" (this from a 20-something boy [don't throw pearls at swine, I tell you] on whom I wasted the time explaining in detailed fashion why Hillary is the professional superior for the position - and who carte blanche is voting for Obama because he's a man.
God these are tame examples. I've seen man after man after man - journalists, famous, powerful men - betray their hysteria about *almost* having to admit that women are truly human. The latest was on "The Big Idea" with Donny Deutsch - what a pig - who was interviewing Jon Bon Jovi (a decent human). "I'm just not sure that the country" - this said while holding his glasses in a faux-sophisticated/professional pose - "is ready for a woman president. I'm just not sure we're ready to see a woman as commander in chief." While he said this, he looked at Bon Jovi with desperation - "Please, please affirm what I just said, please, please! Tell me that I'm still going to get all the unfair advantages that I'm used to! Please, please tell me I don't have to speak to my wife, daughters, sisters with respect! Oh, please tell me the time hasn't yet come!" - it was all over his face, his terror that he might now be forced to see women as human, that perceiving a woman as veritable authority, worthy of complete respect was possibly, possibly being asked of him...and he just didn't want to have to change his lazy-arse thinking, not today, please Bon Jovi?
It's everywhere and it's exhausting and violent.
jem
Good god, I'm having a hard time post-Hillary. When Hillary had a chance of being our president, I felt a hope I hadn't realized I was capable of feeling: I realized, that for the first time in my life, *I* had a chance at being president, all girls/women did. I felt, for the first time in my life, that women might actually be perceived as being who they are, who they've always been - supremely capable, talented, smart, resourceful humans who were beginning to be perceived as people, as truly worthy of serious consideration for any position or achievement - and not simply as something to be fucked and flirted with and to make serve you and to cheat on and violate. This was a dream/desire that had been robbed from me/all girls at birth, because of mass-hysteria surrounding the possibility that women might actually be human and worthy of respect: that women are actually human and all those horrific things done to us on a daily basis hurt and are as insulting and appalling as had they been done to you. That is, nothing 'innate' in us prepares us or immunes us to the daily abuse and horror we are forced to go through on a daily basis.
When the only viable candidate - Hillary - was not allowed to be president, I began to feel the familiar grind of trying to survive on a daily basis, of knowing that my efforts would always be in vain. Yes, that's nice to have dreams, little girl...now get back to looking pretty and being quiet while the men go live life.
***
Almost without exception, every Hillary conversation I've been involved has begun with someone insulting Hillary - and I'm talking really horrible insults, which have nothing to do with her impeccable, superior credentials and everything to do with mass hysteria surrounding the fear that women might be human - and me very quickly interjecting that I was devastated when Hillary, the only viable candidate this election, was forced out of the race, and that I cried like a baby during her last 2 concession speeches. They usually don't get the hint - their terror about the possibility that women are human is so strong. "How'd she get the working class white-male vote? She must have been showing cleavage" (this at a "Drinking Liberally" event, from a woman adequately indoctrinated into the art of hating herself and anyone like her...and I'd thought I was safe here, I thought people would agree with me in this venue that women are human); "You're just voting for her because she's a woman!" (this from a 20-something boy [don't throw pearls at swine, I tell you] on whom I wasted the time explaining in detailed fashion why Hillary is the professional superior for the position - and who carte blanche is voting for Obama because he's a man.
God these are tame examples. I've seen man after man after man - journalists, famous, powerful men - betray their hysteria about *almost* having to admit that women are truly human. The latest was on "The Big Idea" with Donny Deutsch - what a pig - who was interviewing Jon Bon Jovi (a decent human). "I'm just not sure that the country" - this said while holding his glasses in a faux-sophisticated/professional pose - "is ready for a woman president. I'm just not sure we're ready to see a woman as commander in chief." While he said this, he looked at Bon Jovi with desperation - "Please, please affirm what I just said, please, please! Tell me that I'm still going to get all the unfair advantages that I'm used to! Please, please tell me I don't have to speak to my wife, daughters, sisters with respect! Oh, please tell me the time hasn't yet come!" - it was all over his face, his terror that he might now be forced to see women as human, that perceiving a woman as veritable authority, worthy of complete respect was possibly, possibly being asked of him...and he just didn't want to have to change his lazy-arse thinking, not today, please Bon Jovi?
It's everywhere and it's exhausting and violent.
jem
posted by jemcollections at 7:49 AM
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