fat cunt, tee hee.

[keryx]

There was a discussion on one of the communities last week or this week or whatever... basically, the discussion questioned the research behind Inga Muscio's book "Cunt".

My thoughts: there was RESEARCH in that book?

It was a beautiful, moving, angry-making book in many ways. It changed my life a bit, even. I think it was the first feminist book I read and really felt pushed forward by. I love the classics of feminism, but so many of them are academic. You need a good angry-making book to mobilize you.

So, yeah, her etymology of "cunt" is totally spurious, because it's one of those unusual words for which the etymology is very unclear (but, um, Alix Olson, please note that it's not likely the same as "country" - it's not "contra"/against anything). And maybe you wouldn't take her advice on birth control or foist her opinions on your non-sex-having friends.

But it was mobilizing.

I think sometimes as feminists we get too caught up in dissection and academia (which are both very useful in their way) and forget that we need to mobilize high-school sophomores, or at least be practical, ya know? There are exceptions. bell hooks doesn't forget.

Ironically, this is something fat activists don't seem to forget, ever - as much as it seems like a new movement (though I guess, strictly speaking, it's not), there's a lot of inspiring-type resource material. And it tends to be merged with fact-based research. That is kinda cool. It's like the fire you need to get moving and the information you'll use in that movement, but in one package.

A good example is Marilyn's Fat?So! book (not to be confused with her zine), which is equal parts "you rock" and "here's some information that disproves that common knowledge about how bad fatness is". There are a few dense academic treatises, but most fat activist work tends towards accessibility (some of it also tends towards horrible assumptions about fat folk, which is less super).

Were feminists more like that at the outset? More action-oriented?

Comments

[attrice.livejournal.com]

Well, I wasn't there, of course, but I think they were. Then when feminists were, rightly, accused of ignoring the concerns of women of color, lesbians, women with disability etc.... I think the pendulum swung the other way. Now many feminist women just get so mired in abstract ideas that it gets in the way of action. I just think feminism has yet to find a balance between the two. I mean, we need theory and books because they're often the gateway to new ideas, but we need action. I'm not sure how to acheive that balance though. And, unfortunately, you do have a lot of feminists who it seems would rather keep feminism this exclusive club than deal with differing viewpoints. Its frustrating to say the least.

Ruth Rosen, "The World Split Open"

[lilithcoyote.livejournal.com]

You must read it if you haven't already. Her history of the second wave was very inspirational to me because it showed just that kind of activism and enthusiasm. It was also sort of depressing because there isn't as much of that anymore. When I was in high school the Lesbian Avengers were like that, all loud and out and direct and action-oriented, and it was way cool. It saved my sanity. By the time I reconnected with them my sophomore year of college it was one big fucken social constructionist/transgender rhetoric, pro and con/Judith Butler vs Kristeva vs the antichrist/who's a woman, who's a dyke, who's on first? debate. All convoluted, riddled with petty infighting, ARGH! I hate it! A perfectly good group pretty much destroyed by thinking itself to death. Bah. Not that all chapters are like that, just my experience.

Re: Ruth Rosen, "The World Split Open"

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I haven't read it, and I'll add it to my reading list!

Yeah, I remember my own college interactions with queer groups being action-oriented, too. But I didn't really hang with the feminist organizations in college - they seemed closed, except for the ones focused on academic analysis.

[buddhastew.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about Cunt- that book did a lot for my righteous anger, and inspired me to be more "cunt-lovin'", to coin a phrase.

I think a lot of the feminism in the world today is action-oriented, which makes it invisible or distasteful to those out there that would like to see a calm, academic approach or just no action at all (some older feminists and the right wing, respectively). Baumgarnder and Richards talk about that in Manifesta...

Actually, I don't think feminism has changed all that much in way of tactics and expression (I mean, the balance of academic to activism has remained equal), it's just that it's changed style so it's hard to recognize for some folks.

That said, lately I've come head on with actualy feminist bashing (to my face that is, not just on the radio or tv or whatnot), out of the mouths of both men and women, and despite my better efforts to be calm, reasonable, and academic, they still think me angry and reactionary. Hm.

[kitty-pitchfork.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of the feminism in the world today is action-oriented, which makes it invisible or distasteful to those out there that would like to see a calm, academic approach or just no action at all

Well put, invisible person! I very much agree with that. Also, much of the live action feminism these days is being done by marginalized women, which only adds to its mysterious disappearing tendencies. I think this is ultimately why I love theorists like bell hooks and Angela Davis so much--their stuff is super thinky, but it's also accessible and very activism-oriented. To me, they've managed to combine the best of both worlds, as have a lot of other women activists and writers who don't have enough privilege to allow them to rest comfortably on their ample forebrains for most of their adult lives.

But, yeah, that's all I got for now. Still recovering from paper fatigue. ;)

[keryx.livejournal.com]

I haven't imbibed the Angela Davis; I probably should. Recommendations?

This thing in books seemed to be leaning another way (mostly because a bunch of third-wavers all published books in the same couple of years awhile ago), but maybe that's the issue... the "canon" representation is mostly of people who have the time to rest on their brains and write books, while the activist-oriented folk are out... acting. ;)