Should men describe themselves as feminists, if they are supportive of feminism?

[8ball]

His massive twattishness perchance?

I'm pretty sure I saw the word 'fracas' but I failed GCSE French so didn't read any further.

 

[equationgirl]

Potato, potarto

 

[8ball]

Potato, potarto

Who says fucking 'potarto'?

 

[Vintage Paw]

I'm pretty sure I saw the word 'fracas' but I failed GCSE French so didn't read any further.

I've hated the cunt since long before then.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Who says fucking 'potarto'?

The silly person in that song.

 

[Orang Utan]

Who says fucking 'potarto'?

daniel kitson was saying this earlier tonight

 

[SpookyFrank]

Who says fucking 'potarto'?

Russians who have yet master English pronunciation.

 

[8ball]

daniel kitson was saying this earlier tonight

As in actually saying 'potarto'?

 

[Puddy_Tat]

His massive twattishness perchance?

twattist

 

[SpookyFrank]

So anything goes as long as the subject is white, male and has a bit of money? Or are you folks joking?

Why not simply make jokes at the expense of mankind in general? It's not like there's a shortage of material.

 

[Orang Utan]

As in actually saying 'potarto'?

yes, but pointing out that no one ever says it anywhere

 

[8ball]

yes, but pointing out that no one ever says it anywhere

<crosses Kitson off list>

 

[Orang Utan]

<crosses Kitson off list>

don't! he's amazing!

 

[8ball]

don't! he's amazing!

I mean the 'lined up first against the wall' list.

I hear he's very good from a lot of people - will have to look him up...

 

[equationgirl]

As in actually saying 'potarto'?

It sounds like it in the song - couldn't think how else to spell it to get the meaning i was thinking of.

 

[8ball]

It sounds like it in the song - couldn't think how else to spell it to get the meaning i was thinking of.

You're right about the song - I also think the same every time I hear the song.

 

[Vintage Paw]

I've seen it spelled po-tah-to. When I was in America I watched some of the local community broadcasting. There was a woman doing a cooking show. She said tomato and potato in the most exquisite way.

Per-TAY-der. Ter-MAY-der.

This is what this thread has come to.

 

[8ball]

This is what this thread has come to.

Well, we're still discussing labels.

Kinda.

 

[Vintage Paw]

American local community broadcasting really is wonderful.

One afternoon, they had on this 2.5 minute long video made by someone for some competition or another. And it was essentially just a gif of a cat on a psychedelic background, with the sound of a fax modem in the background. Those 2 and a half minutes went on forever. It was one of the oddest things I've ever watched. I'm very sad I've never been able to find it online.

 

[taffboy gwyrdd]

I don't really get why anyone into a cause would, off the bat, want to alienate 50% of people (or anywhere near that) from being part of that cause.

 

[BigMoaner]

i'd rather just act in a non sexist way in my life rather than call myself a feminist.

 

[equationgirl]

I've posted. Feminism = way for rich women to get higher up the ladder. Tell me that's not what has happened. I don't support that. So what can i say as regards the OP?

As a woman who is not and has never been rich I dispute that feminism is for the benefit of rich women only. Feminism has enabled me to do things not possible for my mother for example.

 

[Corax]

Who says fucking 'potarto'?

I've always wondered that. My best guess is the N Irish?

 

[SpookyFrank]

i'd rather just act in a non sexist way in my life rather than call myself a feminist.

Calling yourself a feminist (if you're a man anyway) seems like something you would do to make yourself feel better, whereas actually acting like one is a lot harder but has the advantage of being beneficial to other people.

IME a bloke calling himself a feminist is often a good sign that he's anything but.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I don't think I've ever been in a position where I've needed to say "I'm a feminist".

Tbh I see quite a lot of people saying "I'm a feminist" in the same way as "I'm not racist", i.e. with a guaranteed "but" coming up. I'm more interested in what their actual opinions are than what they claim to be.

 

[Vintage Paw]

I'm unsure this is a debate that needs to be had. Actions speak louder than words, etc. I've known plenty of men who call themselves feminists who are great and certainly aren't cut from the whole "I'm saying I'm a feminist because I'm anything but that" cloth. I've known plenty of men who have never, to my knowledge, had occasion to state they are a feminist and yet clearly are feminist because their actions show as much.

Is the question "do I need to state I'm a feminist in order to be a feminist?"? Of course not. Is the question "can men be feminists?"? Of course they can be. But all this umming and ahing over whether to say "I'm a feminist" or not, or this bizarre reticence to say "I'm a feminist" - it's distracting. Just be a feminist. If you want to call yourself one, it's no skin off my nose. If you don't, I'd perhaps be interested to know why you don't, and if it's because you don't want to step on women's toes and that you're aware of the roots of the struggle and how you're not a woman, etc. then that's cool; if it's because the word feminist is icky and you don't like it then

But really. Just get on with being a feminist.

 

[Corax]

Calling yourself a feminist (if you're a man anyway) seems like something you would do to make yourself feel better, whereas actually acting like one is a lot harder but has the advantage of being beneficial to other people.

IME a bloke calling himself a feminist is often a good sign that he's anything but.

I attempt to do both.

Not claiming I achieve it, but it's the right aspiration IMO.

 

[Nancy_Winks]

What about education? If all these girls spend their teenage years having babies, they won’t be able to become teachers and brain surgeons, not to mention missing out on cheap beer, storecards, halls of residence. To which Morrison, with splendour, rejoins: ‘They can be teachers. They can be brain surgeons. We have to help them become brain surgeons. That’s my job. I want to take them in my arms and say: “Your baby is beautiful and so are you and, honey, you can do it. And when you want to be a brain surgeon, call me – I will take care of your baby.” That’s the attitude you have to have about human life.’

Surely that's why working class men should support feminism?

 

[Nancy_Winks]

Interesting article about Andrea Dworkins here: http://gu.com/p/473g4/sbl

"My hatred is precious,” she once said to me. “I don’t want to waste it on those who are colluding in their own oppression. My hatred is geared towards the men that put that crap in their heads, and the ones doing the raping."

She sounds

 

[Vincent]

Surely that's why working class men should support feminism?

Many of the struggles for working class men are the same as for working class women. In terms of jobs, housing, debt, balanced work-family life, education, etc. Though many of the highest paid jobs are taken by men, many more jobs are "available" to women then men in general. "Traditional male jobs" are now a valid career path for women but many "traditional female jobs" are not generally "available" to men. Childcare nurseries is one example. Many more men than women for one reason or another end up in prison which will of course hinder in employment prospects...as will family breakdowns, which men suffer more from as they will most likely end up living in bedsits, shelters or homeless. We all need to move away from this men vs women women vs men agenda an strife for a better, fairer, more equal society whilst accepting our unique differences.